While the No. 12 USC Trojans secured a valuable Week 2 win in the midst of upsets taking the college football world by storm, the Trojans made things harder than they should have been on themselves. There weren't many, if any at all, controversial calls, however, there was an issue with some situational discipline that was seen during USC's 49–30 win over Louisiana.

There was not a singular game-stealing or blown officiating error that altered the eventual outcome, but a handful of discipline and procedural flags caused visible frustration on the sideline.

USC was penalized eight times for 78 yards, compared to Louisiana's six times for 65 yards.

"The penalties are going to be the most alarming thing for us tonight. It was a lot and they were at horrible times. That's something we've got to clean up," said Lincoln Riley postgame.

With a strength of schedule ranking in the top 20, according to ESPN's College Football Power Index, 78 yards might not be the difference against Louisiana, but it could be against a less forgiving team like Ohio State or Indiana, both of whom are on the Trojans' schedule.

For USC specifically, there weren't any outrageous or game-changing officiating calls, but there were three specific penalty sequences that gave Louisiana some life. The Trojans' penalties mostly came from defensive and special teams discipline, along with a few offensive miscues.

Three Officiating Calls That Gave Louisiana Life Against USC:

Mark Bowman's Holding Erased a Goal-Line Opportunity

USC led 7–3 early in the second quarter and was driving when freshman wide reciever Trent Mosley took the ball and broke down the sideline for what looked like a huge gain.

Mosley sliced down the sideline for what appeared to be a 19-yard explosive gain, taking the ball all the way to Louisiana's 2-yard line and setting up 1st-and-goal.

Then the flag came out. Tight end Mark Bowman was called for offensive holding, which wiped out the explosive play and backed USC up to the 23-yard line.

Instead of having first-and-goal from the 2-yard line, the Trojans had to work their way back into the red zone.

USC was able to overcome the penalty, with Jayden Maiava ultimately finishing the possession with a touchdown pass, but the call still erased a huge play and temporarily stalled the Trojans' up-tempo rhythm.

Anthony Reagan Jr. Face Mask Helped Louisiana Reach the Red Zone

In the second quarter, the Trojans were up 14–3 when Louisiana was trying to put together a drive behind running backs Anthony Reagan Jr. and JJ Garner.

Reagan took a 6-yard carry near midfield, but USC's defense was flagged for a 15-yard personal foul for grasping the face mask. That moved Louisiana into USC territory at the 23-yard line.

Louisiana was later backed up by an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on head coach Michael Desormeaux, but the damage had already been done. The free 15 yards gave the Ragin' Cajuns manageable field position and kept the drive alive.

Two plays later, Louisiana quarterback Lunch Winfield connected with senior tight end Brock Chappell on a 37-yard strike, which then set up a 1-yard touchdown run.

And just like that, Louisiana had cut USC's lead to 14–10.

Roughing the Kicker Turned a Missed Field Goal Into a Touchdown

USC had already taken control of the game by the third quarter. The Trojans led 35–10 following a 21-point explosion before halftime, and Louisiana's opening drive of the second half had stalled in USC territory.

That forced Louisiana kicker Tony Sterner onto the field for a field goal attempt, but he missed.

It looked like USC's defense had gotten the stop and would take over possession with an opportunity to continue pulling away. Instead, freshman cornerback Elbert "Rock" Hill collided heavily with Sterner's plant leg after the kick and was flagged for roughing the kicker.

The 15-yard personal foul erased the missed field goal and gave Louisiana an automatic first down at the USC 8-yard line. Two plays later, Winfield punched in a 1-yard touchdown.

That was arguably the biggest penalty sequence of the night because it directly turned a defensive stop into a Louisiana touchdown.

The Bigger Picture

None of these penalties changed the eventual winner, but at the same time, that's also what made the penalties frustrating for Riley.

The Trojans were penalized eight times, and three of those sequences directly helped Louisiana sustain or create scoring opportunities.

The holding call took away a goal-line opportunity. The face mask moved Louisiana into the red zone. The roughing-the-kicker penalty turned a missed field goal into an automatic first down at the 8-yard line and ultimately a touchdown.

Against Louisiana, USC had enough firepower to overcome those mistakes. Against Ohio State or Indiana, it could be a very different story.

Riley has already made it clear that the penalties are the biggest concern coming out of the game. Now, USC has to clean up those situational mistakes before the Trojans face teams that most likely won’t give them the same room for error.

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