For all the hype that buzzed from a sea of white at Folsom Field on Saturday, the bubble of Hollywood glam forming in the Rocky Mountain air, the entertainment of USC vs. Colorado was destined to never quite reach its full potential.
Destined, not because of the hordes of celebrities that swarmed the sidelines, but the playmakers in street clothes who stood beside them.
In a surprise, Zachariah Branch — the USC freshman so explosive he’d earned texts from Odell Beckham Jr. and shoutouts from Tyreek Hill — wasn’t dressed Saturday, seen in sweats as the Trojans’ wide receiver corps went through pregame warmups. He seemed in good spirits, sporting his trademark smile and moving well, but his absence left USC without their primary kick returner and a multidimensional threat who’d scored four touchdowns in his first four games of college football.
Freshman Makai Lemon – who had all of one kick return on the year – started in Branch’s place handling returns Saturday.
Colorado two-way phenom Travis Hunter, also, still remained out with a lacerated liver, as the Trojans and the Buffs were down arguably their most electrifying players. Alas, there would be no Hunter-guarding-Branch, speed-against-speed matchup in front of a rollicking Folsom crowd.
For the entirety of USC’s fall camp, coaches raved about transfer Christian Roland-Wallace’s versatility and adaptability in the secondary, bringing a wealth of experience to a Trojans secondary that was primarily relying on reps from the returning Ceyair Wright and untested sophomore Domani Jackson.
Yet Roland-Wallace wasn’t tabbed as a starter through any of the Trojans’ first four games, his most newsworthy event as a Trojan coming courtesy of an impassioned postgame speech from head coach Lincoln Riley after Roland-Wallace was forced to sit a half against Nevada due to an ejection in the final game of the previous season.
Sneakily, though, he’d emerged as USC’s best corner through four games, playing more snaps than Wright overall and allowing the lowest catch percentage, at 41.2%, of any consistently playing Trojans cornerback, according to Pro Football Focus. And after a shaky game from Wright against Arizona State, Roland-Wallace moved into the starting lineup against Colorado and made the most of his opportunity, snagging a first-quarter interception off Buffs quarterback Shedeur Sanders to set up USC in the red zone for a quick touchdown.
“I think he provides a lot of things with his size, with his length, his mindset,” USC defensive backs coach Donte Williams said during camp. “He’s the guy that, like I said, you can throw in any spot – even if it’s in the middle of the game, and he’ll be able to succeed at it.”
