The top-ranked USC Trojans came in and did what they wanted to do -- sort of.
Though the 49-10 blowout win over Norm Chow and Hawaii looked pretty on paper, the Trojans are not in a position to take anything lightly. They have a BCS National Championship that they're chasing, so no matter the score, it has to be the way they do it, particularly early in the season.
Quarterback Matt Barkley completed 23-of-38 for 372 yards and four touchdowns and still felt need for improvement on the offensive side of the ball.
"... the offense was in the ‘C' range," Barkley said. "We left a lot of points on the table. It felt like we could have scored 100 points in the first half."
Kiffin was proud of his quarterback's play and knows that it can get only get better from here.
"He did really well," Kiffin said of Barkley. "He was a couple of drops of away from some big time numbers. He handled the hype really well."
But some think that the Trojans may drop to no. 2 in the polls after Alabama demolished no. 8 Michigan in Dallas on Saturday. Due to the level of competition, the Crimson Tide's win is seen as more impressive.
"We're just excited to play football again," said Barkley. "There's so much talk, especially this year with all the rankings and the hype. This was just a good way to kick off the season, and finally find that rhythm and that flow."
For more on the Trojans, check out Conquest Chronicles.