USC last beat Oregon on November 15, 2016, but the Trojans seem unfazed by the magnitude of the budding rivalry.
“A win is a win to me. Every game is important, so I try not to look at the team itself and just try to look at it as another opportunity to go 1-0,” junior defensive tackle Jide Abasiri said Wednesday in a post-practice press conference.
Oregon has won the last four meetings between the two, but the stakes will be especially high on Saturday, as it is both squads first ranked matchup of the 2026 season.
Oregon, currently No. 21 in the AP poll, entered the year high atop national title watchlists, but two weeks of subpar play cooled their College Football Playoff stock. The Ducks stumbled out of the gate, narrowly evading a disastrous upset against Boise State in their inaugural outing.
Their struggles boiled over in week two when they lost to an unranked Oklahoma State squad in their second game under the Cowboys’ new head coach Eric Morris.
Defense was the sore spot in the Ducks’ first two showings. In the loss, Oklahoma posted 554 total yards and 25 first downs, hitting the Oregon defense through the air and on the ground.
Last week, the Ducks’ first-year defensive coordinator Chris Hampton’s unit managed a shutout, albeit against FCS Portland State. Hampton’s group will have to patch their woes before Saturday to avoid complete breakage against the nation’s leading passing attack.
USC has similarly been imperfect in the trenches. Against Rutgers last week, the Trojans allowed 168 yards on the ground and 5.3 yards per rush.
If the Ducks give USC redshirt senior quarterback Jayden Maiava enough time in the pocket, the veteran will be able to exploit gaps in a shaky Ducks secondary.
Freshmen wideout Kayden Dixon-Wyatt and tight end Mark Bowman each boast multiple touchdown receptions on the year, rounding out a solid receiving group.
These two will likely get more touches this week, as star freshman wideout Trent Mosley and sophomore wide receiver Corey Simms will also be out following an undisclosed injury on Saturday per this week’s injury report.
With injuries, fans may also expect more reps from redshirt sophomore wideout Zacharyus Williams, freshman wideout Tron Baker and junior NC State transfer wideout Terrell Anderson, who has eased into the year as he nurses an undisclosed offseason injury.
The Trojan running back duo featuring redshirt sophomore King Miller and redshirt senior Waymond Jordan strengthen the varied threat in USC’s backfield and may also play a large role in the game.
Miller has docked over 100 yards and a touchdown in each of the Trojan’s last two games, and ranks second in the Big Ten in total rushing yards with 338, just seven shy of UCLA senior running back Wayne Knight.
On the other side of the ball, Oregon flaunts an equally talented offensive group, squared against USC’s defensive unit.
Ducks senior quarterback Dante Moore ranks fifth among Big Ten quarterbacks, with 849 yards through the air in three contests.
“He can basically do everything,” Abasiri said of the Ducks veteran. So, being able to stop the run game first and then force them to pass and contain them will be the key for the defense.”
Moore benefits from a number of talented targets as well. Fifth year wideout Evan Stewart is the Duck’s niftiest pass-catchers, with 15 receptions for two touchdowns on the year.
Stewart will almost certainly be Moore’s favorite look Saturday, especially since junior wideout Jeremiah McClellan will not play after suffering a broken foot in warmups before last week’s Portland State game.
Oregon’s play-making ability can’t be overstated. Moore’s firepower is well documented, but sophomore running back Jordon Davison is averaging 5.9 yards per carry and has breakaway capability. Physicality and strength on the line will be crucial to the Trojan’s success on Saturday.
USC defensive coordinator Gary Patterson’s 4-2-5 scheme is tailored to stunt passing raids. His defensive philosophy sizes up well against Oregon’s spread offense, and aims to neutralize Moore as a rusher.
In the backfield, USC’s safeties will be the biggest roadblock to Oregon’s deep passing assault. Senior safeties Christian Pierce and Prophet Brown each recorded an interception last week, and Brown returned one for a score. These playmakers in the secondary will look to subdue the Ducks receiving threats and keep their high-flying pass-catchers ahead of the sticks.
“Just limit explosives, play out roles, you know, be very sound, good eye discipline,” Brown said.
Saturday’s standoff is choked with intensity on both sides. Despite USC’s pristine record, the pulse is especially high for the Trojans as they chase their College Football Playoff debut.
If USC secures the upset, it could cast away head coach Lincoln Riley’s reputation for big-game missteps and potentially catalyze a fresh start in Los Angeles. A loss, on the other hand, would make the Trojans’ playoff road substantially more difficult, with keystone games against ranked Washington, Ohio State, Penn State and UCLA looming on the docket.
From its inception, Riley’s tenure has been subjected to a host of doubters. It doesn’t help that Riley’s five-year stint has yielded zero postseason appearances and just one ten-win season, but Saturday could be a divergent contest for the program if the Trojans can manage the upset.
“You have to understand the type of intensity, the atmosphere, the quality of teams. You have to sense that and be ready to rise up to that…but you also, you don’t want to make more of things than they are,” Riley said. “And there’s a fine line, right? And we’re trying to hit that perfect spot of mentality, but also settled in and trusting, you know, what we’ve been doing and all the preparation that’s led to this point.”
The game will kick off at 4:30 p.m. PDT at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California.
Edited by Sammie Vassallo and Adriana Brady