Opponent Q&A: USC Trojans

NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...

This week, I am joined by LA Times Staff Writer Ryan Kartje to discuss USC ahead of the Huskies’ jolt with the men of Troy in the Coliseum. Let’s get to the questions!

Mark Schafer: Lincoln Riley is now in year 5, and it’s clear that he hasn’t delivered the results he or the fanbase expected. What has gone wrong, what needs to change, and how hot is his seat?

Ryan Kartje: His seat is definitely hot after last week’s debacle. A source told me this week that, “All options are on the table.” Not only did USC lose a brutal game to Oregon, in the fashion it has lost many games over the years, but it kept losing on the public relations front in the days afterwards. Everything surrounding the whole Desman Stephens situation has been a bad look for USC.

Riley hasn’t built up a ton of goodwill during his time at USC, and I think it’s showing now, as the rest of college football sharpens its knives to take shots at him.

The biggest problem with Riley’s tenure is no secret. He’s had a tremendous offense and a ton of success on the recruiting trail during his time at USC. But defense has consistently been his downfall. Already onto his third defensive coordinator in five years, Riley figured that Gary Patterson, a College Football Hall of Famer, could iron out those issues. But Patterson hasn’t lived up to expectations in his role yet, either.

That’s not to say these things can’t be figured out. USC has talent on both sides of the ball. The real question is whether Riley is capable of recovering from what was lost in the Oregon game. This game is going to go a long way in determining that.

MS: This is Jaiden Maiava’s 3rd year quarterbacking the Trojans, and he has thrown for 1499 yards, 14 touchdowns and 2 interceptions on a rather efficient 70.1 completion percentage. What do you like about his game, and who does he have to throw to? Who else do the Trojans have in terms of weapons on offense?

RK: You can see the arm talent with Maiava as soon as he throws the ball. He has a prototype size and a cannon for a right arm, and when he’s got it under control, he’s capable of making impossibly hard throws. In a vacuum, you can understand why Maiava would be a potential 1st round NFL draft pick. 

But I do think he has yet to take the final step in his game that would make him an effective, top-line quarterback. We’ll see how he responds over these next several games. 

Maiava has no shortage of weapons. Which is impressive, considering that USC lost its top two receivers from last season to the NFL. But USC has reloaded with a bevy of talented freshmen, along with sophomore Tanook Hines. Freshman outside receiver Kayden Dixon-Wyatt and tight end Mark Bowman are both rising stars who will be top-round draft picks someday. Though, Bowman is questionable for Saturday’s game. Hines, meanwhile, has been slow to get started this season, but he could be due for a big game, as could transfer Terrell Anderson, who has been very quiet. 

USC’s offense tends to be at its best when the run game is humming, and it has the offensive line, finally, to push teams around at the line of scrimmage. The rushing attack, though, hasn’t been nearly as explosive as last season. Last year’s top back, Waymond Jordan, has yet to look the same since returning from an ankle injury he suffered last season. But King Miller, the former walk-on, is bigger and better this year than he was last.

MS: USC continues to hire new coordinators to coordinate the defense, this time turning to former TCU head coach Gary Patterson. So far, the Trojans have given up 26.4 points per game, and 354.8 total yards per game. What has been your impression of this defense so far? Does USC have any players Husky fans need to watch out for?

RK: It has been a definite disappointment, one that could end up costing Lincoln Riley his job.

The defensive line is more talented this year, due in part to the breakout of freshman Luke Wafle and senior defensive tackle Jide Abasiri. But outside of one really strong performance — a shutout of Fresno State — in Week 1, USC has just three sacks across its other four games.

The secondary is where USC is seriously vulnerable. That group has been totally out of sorts since the start of the season and bottomed out against a backup quarterback in the loss to Oregon. Players are often out of position at the snap, forcing defensive backs to start the play one step behind. It’s come up in multiple games now and needs to be rectified. Maybe this week is the week that it will be. There is real talent on the back end for USC. But Patterson hasn’t had the group playing together or communicating. It’s a real problem, one Demond Williams will presumably try to exploit.

MS: Who is one underrated Trojan that Husky fans may not know about?

RK: I mentioned Dixon-Wyatt, who has been USC’s best receiver — and maybe best player on offense? — this season. Fellow freshman Trent Mosley got a ton of attention — and rightfully so — for his early breakout. But since he’s been hurt, Dixon-Wyatt has stepped up in a huge way.

A bonus on the defensive side: If Washington fans don’t know Jahkeem Stewart yet, they will. He’s a stud defensive tackle who just returned to the defense last week.

MS: What does the rest of the season look like for USC, any guesses at a final record?

RK: It really is impossible to tell at this point, just given how brutal this past week has been. USC has made it clear that the expectation is Riley will make the College Football Playoff this season. (There are literal billboards all over town that say “The Time Is Now”) So if he falls short of that, he’s in serious trouble of losing his job. And it’s going to be really tough to win six of seven games from here. USC still has Ohio State, Indiana, Penn State and UCLA on the schedule. It’s much more likely that this season spirals then it soars to the Playoff.

I’ll say they finish 7-5.

MS: It’s time for a score prediction! What will the score of this game be, the first clash in the
Coliseum between these two teams since the absolute classic in 2023?

RK: USC has usually been very good at the Coliseum. Until last week, Riley hadn’t lost there since 2024. And Riley’s back is really up against the wall right now. If USC doesn’t win this game, then things could get ugly fast. Next up is Penn State on the road, for a White Out game. It’s a brutal schedule.

USC’s offense should be able to move the ball. That’s never been the problem. But I have serious concerns that USC can stop Demond Williams. Especially if he gets the time to run around and break contain.

That said, I think USC’s defense is due for a better game. I think USC wins a close one — 31-27.

My thanks to Ryan, and good luck to the Trojans the rest of the way!

More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos