Tag: usc trojans
Miller Moss leads No. 13 Southern Cal against Utah State
With an impressive opening win to his credit, Miller Moss makes his home debut as the No. 1 quarterback for No. 13 Southern California on Saturday when the Trojans welcome Utah State to Los Angeles.
Moss comes in fresh off a 378-yard passing effort in the Trojans’ 27-20 victory over LSU on Sunday in Las Vegas. He finished 27 of 36. He completed 5 of 6 passes to set up running back Woody Marks’ game-winning touchdown carry with 8 seconds remaining.
It was Moss’ turn in the spotlight taking over for 2022 Heisman Trophy winner and 2024 NFL No. 1 draft pick Caleb Williams.
USC (1-0) improved to 2-0 with Moss starting under center, following a 42-28 defeat of Louisville in last season’s Holiday Bowl. With the role of quarterback seemingly in good hands, the Trojans head into Week 2 looking to continue the progress on the offensive line.
“Jonah (Monheim) did a good job handling (moving to center),” USC coach Lincoln Riley said Tuesday. “Our young guys, Elijah (Paige) and Alani (Noa) had some awesome plays, and they had some plays they’ll have to get better at. They looked like talented, young guys (who) are going to be really good players … and going to have to improve.”
Although Riley noted the revamped offensive line had some misses against LSU, in a game the Trojans totaled only 69 rushing yards, the offense has the attention of Utah State interim coach Nate Dreiling.
“You guys saw how good the quarterback was. He can make every throw in the book and he processes things so fast,” Dreiling said. “Then you throw in the receivers. They’ve got a couple (big) guys (6-foot-6 Duce Robinson and 6-4 Ja’Kobi Lane). They’ve got the fastest receiver in the country (Zachariah Branch). They’ve got two tailbacks — the Mississippi State kid (Marks) who transferred in is a phenomenal player.
“They’re what you’d expect a playoff-caliber team looks like,” Dreiling added.
Utah State (1-0) prepares for a USC receiving corps that also features Kyron Hudson, whose leaping, one-handed catch in traffic in the second quarter vs. LSU provided a highlight of Week 1. Hudson led USC in receptions (five) and yards (83) against LSU.
The Aggies had their own standout wide receiver performance last week, with Kyrese White tallying 131 yards on just three receptions with two touchdowns in a 36-14 win over Robert Morris. Utah State scored 26 unanswered points to notch the win.
White’s scoring snags went 53 yards from Bryson Barnes and 57 yards from Spencer Petras. Both quarterbacks played significant snaps against Robert Morris. Barnes was 11 for 21 for 198 yards with two touchdowns, while Petras finished 10 of 15 with a touchdown but was intercepted twice.
Barnes also contributed to Utah State’s 303-yard rushing output, totaling 88 to match running back Robert Briggs Jr. for the team high. Barnes scampered 63 yards for a touchdown run in the fourth quarter.
The Aggies’ offense overcame a sluggish start and halftime deficit in the opener, which marked the first game under Dreiling, who was hired as defensive coordinator but elevated to interim head coach when Blake Anderson was fired in July.
–Field Level Media
Both still potent despite losing stars, No. 13 LSU faces No. 23 USC
LSU had to replace a quarterback who won the Heisman Trophy last season.
USC had to replace a quarterback who was taken No. 1 overall in the NFL Draft in the spring.
But both teams still have high hopes as they prepare to meet in their season opener Sunday night in Las Vegas.
The Tigers are ranked No. 13 in the AP poll even after Jayden Daniels left for the NFL and was drafted No. 2 overall by the Washington Commanders. The Trojans are ranked No. 23 even after Caleb Williams was taken by the Chicago Bears with the top pick.
Daniels’ successor is Garrett Nussmeier, a three-year backup who has made just one start, but in it he passed for 395 yards and three touchdowns in a victory against Wisconsin in the ReliaQuest Bowl in January.
That victory gave the Tigers 10 wins for the second time in as many seasons under head coach Brian Kelly, who hopes his third team can open the season with a victory after his first two teams opened with losses to Florida State.
“Openers are difficult,” Kelly said. “You practice so much — spring practice, preseason practice — and then you’ve got to flip it to performance where it’s your first performance and you have to execute at a high level in your opener. I think every coach has that uneasiness in the opener because they don’t know exactly what you’re going to get.”
The Tigers should be explosive again on offense with several talented skill players and an experienced line that features four players with a combined 111 starts.
“We’re going to run the ball,” LSU tackle Will Campbell said. “That’s not something we’re hiding.”
Daniels was the team’s leading rusher each of the past two seasons and the top rusher among running backs last season (Logan Diggs) transferred to Ole Miss.
Kelly tried to upgrade the defense, which was one of the worst in school history last season, by hiring former Missouri coordinator Blake Baker.
Baker’s defense will get a strong test right away from the Trojans, led by Miller Moss, the successor to Williams at QB (who preceded Daniels as the Heisman winner in 2022), and versatile playmaker Zachariah Branch.
“I am trying to continue to grow bigger, faster and stronger,” Moss said. “I want to throw the ball further, harder and throw better on the run. I’ve grown a lot emotionally this offseason. That’s my biggest area of growth in transitioning to a new role of leadership.”
Moss, like Nussmeier, has made just one start and it was an outstanding performance in a bowl game last season as he passed for 372 yards and six touchdowns in a victory against Louisville in the Holiday Bowl.
Like the Tigers, the Trojans changed coordinators after a poor defensive performance last season. The new coordinator is D’Anton Lynn, who was at UCLA last season.
The USC-LSU game is one of three games between ranked teams this weekend.
“These games are fun,” Trojans coach Lincoln Riley said. “They’re great because you look forward to it all offseason. In the first game, there’s always a sense of new excitement and waiting to see what you really are and what the opponent really is.”
–Field Level Media
College football Week 10 picks
College football Week 9 Betting picks: Cal, Ducks, Gators
Week 8 picks: Penn State vs Ohio State
USC’s title chances, Caleb Williams’ Heisman hopes tumble after loss
Caleb Williams’ quest for a historic repeat Heisman Trophy campaign might have all but ended in a three-interception performance in Southern Cal’s 48-20 loss at Notre Dame on Saturday night.
DraftKings released updated Heisman odds after the Trojans’ loss, with Williams shifting from +230 to +2000. USC’s title hopes also took a major hit, with the Trojans moving from +2500 to +7500.
Williams is trying to become only the second player in history to win multiple Heisman Trophies, joining Ohio State’s Archie Griffin (1974-75). Williams, who came in with 22 touchdown passes and one interception, threw three interceptions and was sacked six times by the Fighting Irish.
He’s still in the Heisman running, but has fallen into a tie for seventh at the book.
The new heavy favorite is Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr., who threw a game-winning touchdown with 1:38 remaining to lead the No. 7 Huskies to a 36-33 victory over No. 8 Oregon on Saturday. Penix is now the -150 Heisman favorite at DraftKings, followed by Oklahoma’s Dillon Gabriel (+800).
The third-shortest odds belong to Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy (+1000), followed by Florida State’s Jordan Travis (+1200), LSU’s Jayden Daniels (+!500) and North Carolina’s Drake Maye (+1600).
Williams is now tied with Oregon’s Bo Nix, who was 33-of-44 for 337 yards and two touchdowns in the Ducks’ first loss of the season. Notre Dame’s Sam Hartman saw his Heisman odds shorten from +6500 entering the day to +5000 after the upset victory.
Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, who shot into Heisman contention after two wins to begin the season, has plummeted to +20000 with the Buffaloes having lost three of their last four games.
–Field Level Media
College football Week 7 picks: Notre Dame vs USC
Report: Colorado S Shilo Sanders likely out vs. No. 8 USC
Colorado safety Shilo Sanders is not expected to play in Saturday’s home game against No. 8 USC due to a kidney injury, ESPN reported.
Sanders said he was urinating blood after falling awkwardly while making a tackle in the Buffaloes’ 42-6 loss to Oregon last Saturday.
Sanders, who was taken to the emergency room as a precaution, did not participate in practice this week. He is expected to be replaced in the lineup by Rodrick Ward for Colorado (3-1, 0-1 Pac-12) for Saturday’s game against the Trojans (4-0, 2-0) in Boulder, Colo.
In four games this season, Sanders has 26 tackles, one forced fumble and one interception returned for a touchdown in a 43-35 double-overtime victory versus Colorado State on Sept. 16.
–Field Level Media
