Grading the cougars: C–

Quarterback: C+

Brink and Rogers may not have been perfect, but there wasn’t a lot of help.

Running backs: C

Tardy, McCall, Ivory combined for 67 yards on a night when there were few holes.

Receivers: C-

Way too many drops, but a great catch by Collins for a score.

Offensive line: C-

The first offensive play was a sack. It got better, but not by much.

Defensive line: C-

They were unable to contain or pressure Booty – or stop the run.

Linebackers: C-

Too many missed tackles combined with too deep drops gave USC extra yards.

Defensive backs: C+

One positive: Nwachukwu and Jackson combined for 23 tackles.

Special teams: D+

Best kick return in years was offset by a dropped punt snap and short kicks.

Coaching: C

The defensive plan seemed solid, but the execution wasn’t.