I dont care whom youre playing.
Seven-hundred fifty-five yards are a lot of yards.
Thats how much USC gained during its 59-20 victory over Georgia Southern on Saturday.
One-hundred thirty-two points are a lot of points.
Thats how much USC has scored in its two games this season, including its blowout victory over Missouri State the week before.
If you want to believe the Trojans are better than they were in their previous two seasons, there are developments that could further convince you that youre right. If you want to believe Lincoln Riley has elevated his team from mediocrity, there are statistics you could cite to support your observations.
There is also evidence to the contrary, of course.
The two games USC has played this season were more or less Rorschach tests.
Read more: Jayden Maiava leads USC offense to rout of Clay Helton’s Georgia Southern team
The only indisputable truth to emerge was that Trojans receivers Makai Lemon and JaKobi Lane would be serious problems for every one of their opponents.
Everything else remained up for debate.
When you watched the Trojans trample over former Clay Heltons Eagles at the Coliseum, were you encouraged by how quarterback Jayden Maiava threw for 412 yards or concerned how badly he misfired on some of the handful of passes he didnt complete?
Was your breath taken away by how Waymond Jordan changed direction in his 167-yard performance or did you gasp in horror when he fumbled on the opening drive?
Were you heartened by how USC scored every time it was in the red zone or alarmed by its three separate illegal-use-of-hands penalties on defense?
Did you see the 39-point margin of victory as an indication the Trojans are ready to take on the big boys or Georgia Southerns four consecutive drives into their territory in the first half as a sign they will encounter trouble when the level of competition improves?
Read more: Hernández: How does beating up a second-rate team help Lincoln Riley make USC a contender again?
Riley was more measured in praising his team than he was a week ago.
Definitely a lot of positives to take out of it, Riley said.
However
Several things we have to clean up, he said. We had a couple of errors, I thought, especially with penalties where we have to be better as a football team, more disciplined as a football team.
Riley warned his team of the consequences of failing to improve.
Its like I told the guys last night, there were plays we made last week that some weeks where if were not cleaner when we play more talented teams, the results are going to look like that, he said. And, so, we have to look at it through the lens of, Did we do our best? Were still a long ways off our best. Thats the No. 1 thing that showed up.
Riley has sounded tone deaf at times during his three-plus years at USC, but this wasnt one of them.
Mistakes could be punished by Michigan State, which will present the Trojans with their first real test on Sept. 20.
Mistakes could be punished by Illinois and Notre Dame and Oregon.
Mistakes probably wont be punished by UCLA, which has been turned into a complete Dumpster fire by athletic director Martin Jarmond, but thats another story for another day.
For what its worth, Georgia Southerns coach offered an optimistic view of USCs ceiling. Helton was the Trojans head coach for five-plus seasons and still follows the program.
Ill tell you what, its a better personnel team than last year, especially, I think, offensively, Helton said.
He pointed specifically to receivers Lemon and Lane, and running backs Jordan and Eli Sanders.
Read more: Clay Helton returns to USC at peace after being fired by Trojans
And the quarterback [Maiava] is playing really, really within himself. You can see reps and experience matter, Helton continued. Ive always thought that, and the experience he had last year, you see his growth.
Theyve got a good situation here. You can see the changes that have been made from last years personnel group to this years personnel group, and talking with Coach Riley, I know hes happy. Hes getting the opportunity to coach a lot more, he said, and you can see it. You can see it on tape.
Helton still considers himself a champion of USC, and what he saw the Trojans do against his team on Saturday night gave him hope for what they might be able to accomplish this season.
I hope, Helton said, they go win it all.
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.