TV/radio: CBS (Ch. 2)/710 AM

Line: USC by 20½ points

NOTABLE INJURIES  — USC: OUT: CB Prophet Brown (lower body); QUESTIONABLE: WR Prince Strachan (ankle), K Caden Chittenden (undisclosed), CB Alex Graham (undisclosed), RB Bryan Jackson (undisclosed).

Purdue: OUT: WR Jalil Hall (leg); QUESTIONABLE: TE Jon Grimmett (foot), LB Winston Berglund (undisclosed), WR De’Nylon Morrissette (undisclosed), Chauncy Magwood (undisclosed).

Haley Sawyer (OC Register)  — USC’s preparation was especially key this week, not just because of the travel involved, but also because 2-0 Purdue looks overwhelmingly different from last season personnel-wise after 56 players transferred out of the program and 54 transfers arrived.

The change came about after the firing of previous head coach Ryan Walters who was replaced by new head coach Barry Odom.

“They’ve got 54 transfers, which is more than anybody else in the country,” CBS play-by-play sportscaster Brad Nessler said, “and I think if you add their signees and their walk-ons, they probably had 82 more players in uniform the first two weeks of the season than they would’ve a year ago. So it’s pretty hard.”

Lincoln Riley told reporters on a Thursday morning Zoom call that  film has been available from the Boilermakers’ first two games and  the coaching staff knows what to expect schematically.

“With that many new guys, you’re really trying to study the personnel and who they’re featuring and how these guys are playing, how they’re playing together,” Riley said. “This one’s unique. All the years, I’m trying to remember looking back and seeing, like, no returning starters on a side of the ball and this many new players.”

What’s at stake? This is an opportunity for the Trojans to prove they can show up on the road after winning only one away game last season. After two wins, USC remains unranked as poll voters appear unimpressed.

The team has made adjustments to avoid replicating that result in terms of preparation and travel. For one, USC hired a new strength coach in Trumain Carroll, who has received rave reviews from coaches and players for his ability to teach discipline. The practice schedule has also been shuffled, sleep is being emphasized, and the team will travel on a larger plane.

Who’s better? While Purdue is seemingly a step up in competition from USC’s first two opponents, the Trojans should still handle their business with ease and are big favorites. They face an opponent in themselves, however. USC is the second-most penalized team in the Big Ten Conference and gave up 93 yards in penalties last weekend against Georgia Southern.

When Purdue has the ball  — North Carolina transfer Ryan Browne was named the starting quarterback just before the Boilermakers’ season opener against Ball State, winning 31-0. Through two games, he’s completed 32 of 49 passes for 481 yards and four touchdowns with one interception and is spreading the ball to multiple receivers.

Purdue RB Antonio Harris takes a handoff from QB Ryan Browne during 34-17 win over Southern Illinois last Saturday in West Lafayette, Ind. (AP Photo/Doug McSchooler)

Arhmad Branch leads the receiving corps with five catches for 132 yards and is one of 12 players to record a reception this season. Michael Jackson III has been targeted the most with seven catches for 79 yards.

Offensive coordinator Josh Henson is in his first year guiding Purdue’s offense as well as serving as the tight ends coach after spending the past three seasons as USC’s offensive coordinator.

“You can drum up in your mind some advantages that Purdue would have of Josh knowing some of our personnel or having been in this offensive scheme,” Riley told reporters. “You could also drum up some experiences that we have as well because we’ve got a pretty solid knowledge of them offensively, too. It goes both ways.

“I think a game like this still at the end of the day is going to come down to how well the players on the field play and execute those schemes and their jobs in that moment.”

When USC has the ball  — The coaching crossover doesn’t end with Henson. Odom was previously the head coach at UNLV, where he worked with Jayden Maiava. But, again, success comes down to execution.

Maiava has been thriving as a starter this season and has yet to turn the ball over while becoming the Big Ten’s leading passer with 353.5 passing yards per game and six touchdowns.

Ja’Kobi Lane’s athleticism and Makai Lemon’s toughness have created a complementary receiver pair that works well with Maiava’s improved play and leadership. There’s also major talent and depth in the rushing attack with Waymond Jordan, Eli Sanders and King Miller all capable of going for chunk plays.

“The whole secondary is new for Purdue, basically, and I don’t know if anybody can handle Ja’Kobi Lane and Makai Lemon,” said Nessler, who will be on the call for Saturday’s game. “Anybody on the Trojans’ schedule, I think they’re going to be a nightmare for anybody they play.”

Matchup to watch  —  USC’s edge rushers against Purdue’s passing game. Lincoln Riley told reporters on a Thursday Zoom call that he expects Saturday to be a “players’ game” that comes down to execution. That being said, USC has allowed an average of 394 passing yards through two games this season.

The weaker competition from Missouri State and Georgia Southern wasn’t strong to say the least, but it did show that the Trojans are able to produce pressure off the edge and there is depth at the position. Purdue quarterback Ryan Browne, who transferred from North Carolina, is averaging 240.5 passing yards per game.

USC wins if: This is another game that USC should win easily due to an advantage in overall talent, especially at the skill positions. If progress is something the Trojans are after, they’ll want to play disciplined football that avoids penalties on defense and takes care of the ball on offense. USC’s quarterbacks have yet to throw an interception and the offense as a whole has committed only two turnovers. The Trojans look to continue that pattern against Big Ten competition.

Prediction: USC 49, Purdue 17. The Trojans begin to redeem themselves after last year’s road game woes and set themselves up for a confident return to the Coliseum against Michigan State the following week.

ocregister.com

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