No. 9 USC vs. 3-2 Arizona
What’s at stake, who’s better, key matchup to watch, new corner starter, and what the Trojans need to do to beat the Wildcats, plus Caleb Williams’ take…
Saturday, 7:30 p.m. PT; Coliseum; ESPN/790 am; USC by 21.5 points
Injuries: ARIZONA: QUESTIONABLE: QB Jayden de Laura (ankle), RB Michael Wiley (ankle); USC: QUESTIONABLE: WR Zachariah Branch (undisclosed), S Max Williams (undisclosed), CB Domani Jackson (undisclosed)
Luca Evans (OC Register) and Thuc Nhi Nguyen (LA Times)
Two uneven road performances have shown the No. 9 Trojans (5-0, 3-0 Pac-12) more negatives than positives. The same shaky defense that plagued them last year reared its head last week as Colorado nearly shocked the Trojans by slashing a 27-point lead to seven. With four games against teams currently ranked in the top 25 still on the docket in the last six games, Saturday’s midseason checkpoint against Arizona doesn’t offer any break.
What’s at stake? The USC offense’s streak of 40-point games and an unbeaten start to the season. Arizona’s defense doesn’t prickle with playmakers in the secondary, but coordinator Johnny Nansen’s unit just turned in a pretty stellar performance against Washington, holding a rolling Huskies offense to 31 points in a narrow loss last Saturday.
For all of the doomsday takes around USC’s defense of late, the offense sputtered in the fourth quarter against Colorado, too, and is matching up against a Wildcats squad that has a clear sketched-out blueprint of how to slow an air-based attack. More on that later.
McMillan caught two of Fifita’s three touchdown passes last week, including one with 1:11 remaining that pulled the Wildcats to within one touchdown before the Huskies recovered the game-ending onside kick (sound familiar?).
That all being said, USC has a considerably more dynamic offense with Caleb Williams and a deeper cupboard of playmakers, and absolutely demolished a Stanford team that nearly beat Arizona in late September.
Riley, though, was well aware of that plan, as evidenced by comments to reporters this week. And it will be fascinating to see how – or if – he adjusts the Trojans’ offense to Arizona’s desired tempo.
“That doesn’t mean that’s exactly what they’re gonna do against us,” Riley said Thursday, “but it’s obviously something we’ve got to be ready for.”
New corner office: Christian Roland-Wallace made his first USC start count. Not only did the Arizona transfer grab his first interception as a Trojan last week against Colorado, but he played every defensive snap to jump to the front of a crowded cornerback rotation.
After fading into a backup nickel role, Roland-Wallace is back home at corner. He started every game at the position for Arizona in the last three years. The experience shows, Riley said, as the Palmdale native has been USC’s “most consistent guy five games in.”
“There’s just a maturity and a confidence about him, and a steadiness, that’s been really good for that room,” Riley said.
USC wins if: The secondary steps up from a pitiful effort against Colorado, and the defensive line forces enough negative plays to keep Fifita or de Laura from grinding away the clock. Also, if Riley opts to counter Arizona by controlling tempo himself instead of quick-hitting the Wildcats’ defense, it could be a big game for MarShawn Lloyd.
With a 34-14 halftime lead last Saturday, the Trojans handed the ball to a running back only six times during the second half. Riley acknowledged after the game he didn’t call the run game very well. Lloyd, who has emerged as the top running back over returning back Austin Jones, has taken the responsibility on himself to force Riley’s play-calling hand.
“If you’re on fire, you’re going to just keep getting the ball,” Lloyd said. “So my goal is to just make more plays and have no choice but to keep doing it.”
“We gotta go out there and dominate and kill,” quarterback Caleb Williams said. “We have to be the most physical team on the field at that time and in the country this week and from weeks on out.”
Prediction: USC 34, Arizona 21
ocregister.com; latimes.com
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