Column: Josh Rosen is good, and USC’s defenders were happy to see him
USC defensive lineman Claude Pelon forces UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen to fumble during the second half, leading to Rasheem Green’s 31-yard return for a touchdown.
As good as UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen already is, and is going to be, USC defenders were actually thrilled to see him Saturday.
The reason was simple: At least he wasn’t Oregon quarterback Vernon Adams Jr.
That may sound strange: Rosen is a projected future first-round NFL pick, while Adams is a future NFL slot back (maybe).
But that’s the thing that makes college football so wildly unpredictable and entertaining: There are no prototypes at this level.
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Guys who end up insurance agents can be as dangerous, sometimes more, as guys who need to hire high-profile agents.
Adams, a gnat dressed in green, tormented USC last week in Eugene with a performance that was a combination of Russell Wilson and Harry Houdini.
Standing only 5 feet 8, Adams made the Trojan defense look like cartoon villains as he played whack-a-mole in the pocket.
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He passed for 407 yards and six touchdowns in a 48-28 victory in which he carried only once but may have scrambled for 150 yards behind the line of scrimmage.
USC’s defense returned home in tatters.
“We got a mouthful in Monday’s practice,” defensive end Claude Pelon said.
USC’s defense could not have looked more different in Saturday’s 40-21, Pac 12 South-clinching win over UCLA at the Coliseum.
The Trojans brought pressure and harassed Rosen into bad throws. They sacked him three times and forced a fumbled that was returned for a touchdown.
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Freshman cornerback Iman Marshall, who looked lost last week in Eugene, intercepted two Rosen passes.
“I just did my job,” Marshall said. “I did extra film work. I understood I made a lot of mistakes last weekend.”
USC flipped the page on last week’s flop, which coordinator Justin Wilcox called “unacceptable” and which needed to be fixed.
USC fixed it. The Trojans held UCLA to 367 yards, more than 200 fewer than last week’s 578.
A lot of it was tightening up coverage and playing with more discipline.
Chris Dufresne and Lindsey Thiry discuss the difference between USC’s victory over UCLA on Saturday and its defeat by Oregon last week.
A lot of it, though, was not facing a guy who plays quarterback like a jazz musician.
Rosen is a special player, fundamentally sound and well-schooled at the position. He too, is elusive, but in a different way.
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Rosen has the footwork and pocket-break technique of a quarterback programmed to play the position.
Compared to Adams, though, he’s a statue.
“We know he’s going to sit more in the pocket,” Trojan linebacker Su’a Cravens said of Rosen. “Vernon is a different player. He’s a running back who can throw. He’s a completely different player.”
USC caught Adams, a fifth-year graduate transfer, at the peak of his game. Since returning from a broken index finger, he has led Oregon to six straight victories.
He is what they call, in the business, a “game-plan wrecker.”
It was hard to know which USC unit was to blame for last week’s implosion against Oregon.
Was it the defensive line that got to Adams but couldn’t tackle him, or the secondary that couldn’t defend the receivers long enough?
That argument seemed to be playing out on the field, and in the coaches’ booth, last week at Autzen Stadium.
“It’s a lot different playing a quarterback like Vernon than a quarterback like Josh Rosen,” Trojan defensive end Rasheem Green said.
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Green was part of the Trojan defense team that kept meeting Rosen in the pocket. He was there to pick up a fumble forced by Pelon and return it 31 yards for a touchdown.
“He is more of a pocket passer,” Green said of Rosen, “which is a lot better than playing someone like Vernon, in my opinion.”
At least it is in college.
The problem last week at Oregon was USC defenders thought they had receivers covered for the time required for a normal play.
Adams isn’t a “normal” quarterback, though, and Trojan defenders got suckered into leaving their battle stations early.
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USC Coach Clay Helton embraces his son after a 40-21 victory over UCLA on Nov. 28 at the Coliseum.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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USC wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster begins celebrating a 40-21 victory over crosstown rival UCLA in the closing moments of the fourth quarter.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen is consoled by offfensive lineman Conor McDermott after having a pass intercepted by USC in the fourth quarter.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Trojans football fans cheer their team in the closing moments of a 40-21 victory over crosstown rival UCLA on Saturday.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen is brought down by USC linebacker Olajuwon Tucker and defensive lineman Rasheem Green (94) during the fourth quarter. Rosen attempted a pass but it was to an ineligible receiver.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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USC tight end Taylor McNamara catches a touchdown pass behind UCLA defensive back Jaleel Wadood in the fourth quarter.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Justin Davis and USC will visit the Rose Bowl on Saturday night for their annual rivalry game against UCLA. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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USC cornerback Iman Marshall steps in front of UCLA’s Jordan Payton to make an interception during the second half.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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USC cornerback Iman Marshall is chased down by UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen after intercepting a pass in the second half.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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Coach Clay Helton and the Trojans will take on six teams in AP’s preseason top 25 rankings. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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USC cornerback Iman Marshall recovers his own fumble after intercepting a pass intended for UCLA receiver Jordan Payton in the fourth quarter.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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USC defensive lineman Claude Pelon forces UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen to fumble during the second half, leading to Rasheem Green’s 31-yard return for a touchdown.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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USC defensive lineman Rasheem Green collects the ball after UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen was sacked by Claude Pelon and fumbled in the second half. Green ran 31 yards for a score.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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USC defensive end Rasheem Green (94) is congratulated by teammates after scoring a touchdown on a fumble return in the second half.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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UCLA receiver Thomas Duarte can’t reach a pass as he’s covered by USC linebacker Su’a Cravens in the second half.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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USC receiver Darreus Rogers reaches for the end zone as he is tackled by UCLA defensive back Nate Meadors on a 20-yard touchdown reception in the second half.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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USC linebacker Su’a Cravens breaks up a pass intended for UCLA receiver Thomas Duarte.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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USC linebacker Uchenna Nwosu makes the unsuccessful signal after UCLA kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn missed an attempt in the second half.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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USC cornerback Adoree’ Jackson breaks up a pass intended for UCLA receiver Darren Andrews.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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USC interim Coach Clay Helton talks with quarterback Cody Kessler during the second half.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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UCLA linebacker Aaron Wallace sacks USC quarterback Cody Kessler during the third quarter.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen looks downfield for an open receiver against USC in the second half on Nov. 28, 2015.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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UCLA cornerback Nate Meadors brings down USC running back Justin Davis in the second half.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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Trojans wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster makes a catch in front of UCLA defensive back Nate Meadors in the first half.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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Bruins running back Paul Perkins breaks into the clear against the Trojans on a 19-yard touchdown run in the first half.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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UCLA running back Paul Perkins is congratulated by teammate Nate Iese after scoring a touchdown against USC in the first half.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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UCLA coach Jim Mora calls for the Bruins to kick an extra point after scoring a touchdown against USC in the first half.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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USC running back Ronald Jones II is upended by UCLA’s Jayon Brown during the first half.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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UCLA Coach Jim Mora gets a good view of USC cornerback Adoree’ Jackson returning a punt for a touchdown in the first half.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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USC linebacker Don Hill finishes off a block as teammate Adoree’ Jackson returns a punt for a touchdown in the first half.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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USC cornerback Adoree’ Jackson returns a punt 42 yards for a touchdown against UCLA in the first half.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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USC cornerback Adoree’ Jackson (2) celebrates his punt return for a touchdown against UCLA with a teammate last Saturday.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen unloads a deep pass against USC in the first half.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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USC quarterback Cody Kessler throws downfield against UCLA in the first quarter.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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USC wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster puts a hand to the face of UCLA linebacker Jayon Brown after making a reception in the first half.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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UCLA wide receiver Thomas Duarte exchanges words with USC linebacker Su’a Cravens after scoring a touchdown in the second quarter.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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USC quarterback Cody Kessler is pressured by UCLA linebacker Deon Hollins during the first half.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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Bruins running back Paul Perkins picks up yards against the Trojans in the first half.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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The UCLA Bruins take the field for their game against USC on Saturday at the Coliseum.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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The USC Trojans take the field for their game against UCLA on Saturday at the Coliseum.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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A member of the UCLA marching band is framed by Sousaphones before the crosstown rivalry game against USC.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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UCLA football fans arrive with refreshments before the crosstown rivalry game against USC on Saturday.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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USC football fans party beneath a mural before the crosstown rivalry game against UCLA on Saturday.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
USC defenders were supposed to play a technique called “plaster,” a term for sticking to their men like glue.
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They did a much better job plastering UCLA, in part because the line was making Rosen get rid of the ball.
It allowed the Trojans to play more man-to-man coverage. It made everyone look smarter.
“We stuck to the game plan,” cornerback Kevon Seymour said. “Especially in the secondary. We were disciplined. We had a tough week last weekend.”
This isn’t a condemnation of UCLA or Rosen.
A week after Adams, though, chasing down Rosen was almost a relief.
It made it easier for USC defenders to practice the standard dictates of playing textbook defense.
“Stay with your man until the whistle blows,” Seymour said.
Adams is a senior who may never play a down at quarterback in the NFL.
Rosen is a next-level player who is only going to get better.
“He’s definitely more conventional,” Seymour said of UCLA’s talented freshman. “But it’s easier to play a pocket passer.”
That might not always be the case in the future, with Rosen, or UCLA.
Chris Dufresne was the Los Angeles Times’ national college football/basketball columnist from 1995 to 2015. He also covered skiing at the Winter Olympics and wrote extensively on most sports. He is a multiple national award winner and was named 2011 California Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sportswriters and Sportscasters Assn. A Los Angeles native, he started at The Times in 1976 as a truck loader and literally worked his way up (two floors to be exact).
