Game Day – Trojans travel to Colorado

USC Trojans (2-2, 1-2) at Colorado Buffaloes (1-3, 0-1)

Folsom Field in Boulder, CO. USC at Colorado will air nationally on Pac-12 Networks and streaming on the Pac-12 Now app at 11:00 am PT. Check your local listings for channel information. Ted Robinson (play-by-play announcer) and Yogi Roth (color commentator) will call the game. Radio coverage in Los Angeles for USC at Colorado will air on 790 KABC beginning at 7:00 am PT and features Pete Arbogast, Shaun Cody, Jordan Moore, John Jackson Jr., Jason Schwartz, Max Browne, Su’a Cravens (includes 4-hour pre-game and 2-hour postgame shows).

THEMES
*USC opens October play by facing its first Pac-12 South opponent of the year, traveling to Colorado for an early-in-the-day contest on Pac-12 Network (the Pac-12’s live “The Pregame” show will be on site, also).
*Last year’s meeting was cancelled due to COVID-19 issues in the USC program.
*Troy has never lost to the Buffaloes in 14 meetings.
*Both teams are looking to re-set their seasons and bounce back from double-digit losses this past weekend.
*USC WR K.D. Nixon will line up against his former team (he played 4 years with the Buffs, ranking in several CU Top 10 career lists, and he even caught a pair of TDs versus the Trojans while there). It’s also a homecoming for USC A.D. Mike Bohn, who prepped in Boulder and later was Colorado’s athletic director. *Interim head coach Donte Williams’ USC team, which suffered its first Los Angeles loss to Oregon State in 61 years on Saturday, will aim to get more consistent production from its offense and and stouter play from its defense, and also clean up its turnovers and penalties. WR Drake London leads the nation in receptions and receiving yardage, and WR Gary Bryant Jr. has emerged, too. QB Kedon Slovis is moving up the USC career passing and total offense charts. TBs Keaontay Ingram and Vavae Malepeai both are 1,000-yard career rushers; a more potent run game would help balance the Trojan offense, which has converted every red zone trip into points this season. Troy’s defense–which is averaging 2.0 takeaways a game, including getting 6 picks to date–has been susceptible to the run lately. Ss Isaiah Pola-Mao and Chase
Williams and DL Tuli Tuipulotu are USC’s top tacklers, and OLB Drake Jackson provides constant pressure in opponent backfields. Aussie P Ben Griffiths, who is averaging more than 46 yards on his boots, has at least one punt of 56 yards or more in each of his past 6 outings. PK Parker Lewis has not missed any of his
field goal or PAT attempts this season. *Colorado has dropped its last 3 games (including its Pac-12 opener at Arizona State last week) after winning its season opener. Dual-threat QB Brendon Lewis directs the Buffalo offense, which features 2020 Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year TB Jarek Broussard and TB Alex Fontenot. WRs Brenden Rice and Dimitri Stanley and TE Brady Russell are the top pass catchers. CU’s defense is led by ILB Nate Landman, a 2020 All-Pac-12 first teamer who has 380 career tackles. Buff head coach Karl Dorrell played and coached across town at UCLA.

SERIES
*USC has won all 14 of its meetings with Colorado while outscoring the Buffaloes, 485-220.
*USC is 7-0 against the Buffaloes in Boulder games.
*Last year’s scheduled meeting in Los Angeles was not played because of COVID-19 issues in the USC
program.
*The teams last met in 2019 in Boulder, as WR Michael Pittman Jr. caught a pair of late touchdown passes from QB Kedon Slovis–including a 37-yard game winner with 2:15 to play–to help USC overcome a 10-point fourth quarter deficit and capture its first road win of 2019, 35-31, on a chilly (mid-40s) Friday night. USC played without its top 3 running backs and 4 defensive starters, all out with injuries. The offense went primarily with a 5-wideout formation

Buffalo to Watch: Sophomore RB Jarek Broussard

In a shortened Covid season, Colorado was successful in 2020, sparked by new head coach Karl Dorrell and Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year Jarek Broussard. The Buffaloes strength is on the ground, so they’ll look to ride Broussard (and his backfield mate Alex Fontenot) early and often against the Trojans.

3 Keys to the Game

No Easy Fix

USC’s problem is clear. The Trojans need to stop the run. The solution is murky though. USC has a talented defensive line, but not a big one, having lost most of its 325-pound bodies to injury. Without natural space cloggers, DC Todd Orlando will have to scheme up run-stuffing blitzes to get his athletic front seven in the defensive backfield and off their heels which is where they were forced to play last game against Oregon State’s top-ranked offense.

Free and Easy

With Kedon Slovis at the helm, everything has appeared difficult for the USC offense this season. The quarterback is looking at a cloudy picture with pressure surrounding the pocket and tight throwing windows on the outside. However, both OC Graham Harrell and Slovis were encouraged by the first half display last week and the quarterback thinks the offensive rhythm will improve “if we go play loose and play fast.”

Good Timing

The Trojans desperately need a win, having put themselves in a two-game hole already in the Pac-12 South. Given USC’s defensive deficiencies last week, Colorado is the right opponent on paper. The Buffaloes rank 128th in the nation in total offense out of 130 teams. Of course, the Trojans cannot afford to take any opponent lightly, but if they protect the ball and force the Buffaloes to drive long fields, USC’s considerable firepower should ultimately win the day.

USC-COLORADO CONNECTIONS
*USC has 1 player from Colorado (OL Joe Bryson of Rock Canyon HS and Colorado Mesa), while the Buffaloes have 33 Californians on their roster.
*USC WR K.D. Nixon played 4 seasons (2017-20) at Colorado, where he caught 104 passes for 1,250 yards with 7 TDs while starting 23 times and he also returned 33 kickoffs for a 23.0 average. He ranks in CU’s alltime Top 20 in receptions, receiving yards, kickoff returns and kickoff return yardage.
*USC ILB Clyde Moore originally signed with Colorado out of high school and participated in the first week of 2018 fall camp with the Buffs, but he did not enroll full-time in school and left the team for personal/family reasons.
*USC TE Josh Falo’s brother, Nu’umotu Falo Jr., was an outside linebacker at Colorado (2015-16, 18-19).
*USC director of recruiting operatons Megan Mueller graduated from Colorado in 2019, was a student manager in Colorado’s football equipment office for 4 seasons (2015-18) and also was a student manager for the Buffs’ women’s basketball team in 2016 and 2017 and then was a football recruiting assistant there in 2019.
*USC associate sports information director Darcy Couch is a 2000 graduate of Colorado.
*USC athletic director Mike Bohn was a 3-sport athlete at Boulder (Colo.) High and later was the athletic director at Colorado (2005-13)
*USC wide receivers coach Keary Colbert spent part of the 2008 season playing for the Denver Broncos.
*Colorado defensive coordinator/defensive line coach Chris Wilson coached USC’s defensive line in 2014 and 2015.
*Colorado cornerbacks coach Demetrice Martin was a defensive graduate assistant coach at USC in 2006 and 2007.

Credit: USC Athletic Department Game Day Information