A couple glaring things stand out on that fourth-and-1 play in the first quarter. Oregons defense shifted completely towards the side where the play went and no one was in front of the right guard, which meant a gaping hole existed.
USC believes Oregon got confused by the formation and accidentally shifted into the perfect spot to tackle Joe McKnight.
But offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian said he regretted not calling a timeout before the play. Sarkisian said he saw Oregons defense shift from the sideline.
“When I look back at it, I should have called a timeout from the sideline, Sarkisian said.
Ironically, the shift created a hole because no one lined up against the right guard, but Sarkisian said the play USC ran did not really allow for an audible.