No. 19 USC will begin its closing four-game stretch Friday night hosting Northwestern at the Coliseum.
It’s a quick turnaround for the Trojans (6-2, 4-1), who are home for the first time since their win over Michigan on Oct. 11.
“I think sometimes at this point in the year just a little bit of a change in schedule can really prep you up a little bit more, practices have been pretty short, a little bit less field time,” head coach Lincoln Riley said. “We don’t really have time to do much other than get ready to go out there.”
He emphasized that the team feels energized about the game and ready to light up the Coliseum.
“Great competitors rise up and embrace this and that’s what we gotta do,” Riley continued.
It will be just the third time Northwestern (5-3, 3-2) has visited Los Angeles, and its first trip in the 21st century. No Wildcats squad has ever beaten the Trojans, going 0-5 since the series began in 1952.
This season’s Wildcats are coming off a bye week, last playing at Nebraska and losing 28-21. The 28 points allowed in that game neared the team’s season high, a 34-14 loss to Oregon on Sept. 13.
Northwestern has allowed just 42 points combined in wins over UCLA, Louisiana-Monroe and Penn State as well as a deafening shutout of Purdue. The Wildcats are coming in averaging just 18.1 points per game, which ranks 15th fewest in the nation.
Comparatively, the Trojans are averaging 39.8 points per game, good enough for eighth-most nationally. USC is second in the nation and first in the Big Ten in total offense (505.9). Redshirt junior quarterback Jayden Maiava also ranks among the top play callers in the country, especially with his passing yardage averaging 289.4 yards per contest.
The Trojans offense struggled against the Cornhuskers, who limited Maiava to a season-low nine completions on 23 attempts for 135 yards. Midseason All-American junior receiver Makai Lemon hasn’t lived up to the honor as of late, not going for over 100 yards since the Sept. 27 loss to Illinois and not scoring since Oct. 11. Facing another stout defense in the Wildcats, USC must turn up the intensity.
Walk-on redshirt freshman running back King Miller will once again be critical to the team’s success. He earned 129 yards on 18 carries and exceeded 100 yards in two of the team’s last three outings. USC’s ground game is among the most effective in college football averaging 5.8 yards per carry, ninth-most in the nation.
Some of the guys who stand out among the Wildcats are graduate quarterback Preston Stone and junior wideout Griffin Wilde. Stone has over 1,300 passing yards and 10 touchdowns, connecting in the endzone with Wilde four times this season.
“They play a very complimentary style of football, their offensive and defensive teams really fit well together and we can tell that they have a really good plan for how they want to win,” Riley said after practice last night. “They’re committed to being successful and there are some guys that have been in that program a long time and are very experienced.”
When the pair gets going, it can get lethal. Wilde leads the team in all receiving statistical categories: 507 yards on the season, an average of 71.3 yards per game and 39 receptions. Stone’s deep arm and ability to rally his teammates under pressure has also been key in their success this season.
It helps that Stone plays behind a dominant offensive line unit, a group that ranks fourth in the Big Ten for fewest sacks (10) and tackles for loss allowed (30). Defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn said it will be the toughest offensive line his group has faced through eight games.
Sophomore back Caleb Komolafe has also been productive in the run game, totaling seven touchdowns on 124 carries and 608 yards. His elusiveness and tendency to rip one home is a component the Trojans must keep an eye out for.
The Coliseum will display a Trojan-themed drone and light show during halftime and with it being Trojan Family Weekend, the atmosphere should be rocking under the Friday night lights.
“I think they’re ready to go, the energy’s been high, I think they’ve enjoyed the change in schedule, we’ve attacked it well so it’s time to find out Friday night,” Riley said.