USC coach Clay Helton’s successful return to calling offensive plays last weekend came with an asterisk: The Trojans were playing against Oregon State’s sieve-like defense.
A homecoming affair Saturday night with California will present a much more accurate reading of whether the USC offense has improved. The Golden Bears, coached by former USC defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox, are 19th nationally in total defense, allowing just 323.2 yards per game. In their last two games, they held Washington to 10 points and Washington State to 19, falling just short of consecutive upset wins last Saturday in Pullman.
There were a few noticeable tweaks to USC’s attack with Helton back in his old role as play caller.