Football | September 30, 2024
VISITING THE LAND OF 10,000 LAKES
*The Trojans are traveling to the home of Prince and the Mall of America for the first time since 2010 as No. 11 USC visits Minneapolis to challenge the Minnesota Gophers at Huntington Bank Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 5.
WISCONSIN GAME RECAP
*This USC team embodies the battle cry "Fight On!"
*After a tough first half trailing 10-21, the Trojans put up 28 unanswered points in the second half, 14 in the third quarter and 14 in the fourth quarter, to claim the victory 38-21.
*USC outgained Wisconsin 469-286 yards for the game, and 205-82 yards in the second half.
*USC gained 29 first downs compared to Wisconsin's 13.
*USC's time of possession was 40:07 compared to Wisconsin's 19:53.
*The USC defense held Wisconsin to 286 total yards, the second time in 4 games this season it held the opponent to under 300 total yards (190 versus Utah State).
*"After the way that last week finished," USC coach Lincoln Riley said, "to have the first half go the way it did, then to come back and play well, says a lot about the character of the guys in this room. They're going to battle. We're not going anywhere. We don't panic."
MILLER TIME
*QB Miller Moss went 30-of-45 (.667) with 3 TDs and 1 INT.
*It was his second 300-yard passing game this season and the third of his career.
*He spread the ball out throwing passes to 9 different receivers.
*He also tallied 5 carries for 17 yards, including calling his own number, rushing 7-yards with a successful spin move and dive into the end zone to score a TD.
*It was his third career rushing TD.
*He is No. 6 in the nation (and No. 2 in the Big Ten) in completions per game (26.50). He also is No. 11 in the nation (and No. 1 in the Big Ten) in passing yards per game (299.5).
LANE LIGHTS IT UP
*USC WR Ja'Kobi Lane recorded a career-best 10 catches for a career-best 105 yards and tied a career-best 2 TDs.
*This was his second-career 2 TD game.
*His first TD against the Badgers was a career-long 32-yard reception off a perfectly thrown ball from Moss, threaded between two defenders in the corner of the end zone on USC's first offensive drive of the game. This TD put USC's first points on the board at 7-0 in favor of the Trojans.
*His second TD was a 6-yard catch on an important third-and-goal in the third quarter to close the point gap by the Trojans and make the score 17-21.
*This score was the catalyst that began USC outscoring Wisconsin 28-0 in the second half.
*The ball was placed by Moss exactly where Lane could grab it with all 6-foot-4-inches of his height as he reached over the Wisconsin defender to complete the catch.
*Lane utilized his size throughout the game, extending his body to make crucial catches while keeping his toes in-bounds.
*His toughness was also displayed in the second quarter when he caught a 15-yard pass from Moss and was clobbered by two Badgers in a scary hit where his helmet flew off. But Lane popped right back up with a smile and trotted off to the sideline, eager to return to the field on the following play.
*Lane is T-5th in receiving TDs (4) among all Big-Ten receivers.
READY FOR ROBINSON
*WR Duce Robinson's third quarter 8-yard TD reception pushed USC ahead 24-21.
*He caught 2 passes for 40 yards (20.0 avg) against the Badgers.
MAKING HIS MARK
*With his 4 receptions against Wisconsin, RB Woody Marks extended his streak of consecutive games with a catch to 49, which is the longest active streak in the nation.
PLAYERS WITH A CATCH IN AT LEAST 25 CONSECUTIVE GAMES
NAME | POS | SCHOOL | CATCHES |
---|---|---|---|
Woody Marks | RB | USC | 49 |
LaJohntay Wester | WR | Colorado | 42 |
Kyle Williams | WR | Wash. St. | 42 |
Brant Kuithe | TE | Utah | 37 |
Jaylin Noel | WR | Iowa St. | 36 |
Brennan Presley | WR | Ok. St. | 35 |
Andrew Armstrong | WR | Arkansas | 32 |
JP Richardson | WR | TCU | 32 |
Derwin Burgess Jr. | WR | Ga. Southern | 32 |
Raylen Sharpe | WR | Fresno State | 31 |
Jordan Moore | WR | Duke | 31 |
Elijhah Badger | WR | Florida | 30 |
Corey Dyches | TE | California | 30 |
Elijah Sarratt | WR | Indiana | 30 |
Kaedin Robinson | WR | App. State | 29 |
Donavon Greene | WR | Wake Forest | 29 |
Money Parks | WR | Utah | 29 |
Ife Adeyi | WR | Sam Houston St. | 29 |
Emeka Egbuka | WR | Ohio State | 28 |
Bru McCoy | WR | Tennessee | 27 |
Joey Hobert | WR | Texas State | 26 |
Luther Burden III | WR | Ohio State | 26 |
Robert Lewis | WR | Auburn | 25 |
POWERFUL PUNTING
*P Eddie Czaplicki is averaging 49.2 yards on his 14 punts this season recording 689 yards. Five of his punts have been inside the 20 and 8 of them have been over 50 yards.
*He would be ranked No. 2 in the nation in punting, but to qualify to be in the current CFB rankings, punters must have a minimum of 3.6 punts per game played, and Czaplicki has 3.5.
B1G TIME TACKLES
*S Kamari Ramsey (along with LB Eric Gentry, CB DeCarlos Nicholson and DT Kobe Pepe) led the Trojans with 4 tackles. Ramsey also collected 2 tackles for loss of 6 yards.
*Ramsey's toughness was on display throughout the game. In the third quarter on an important fourthand-1, Ramsey rushed from the edge to take down the Wisconsin ball carrier in the backfield. On the next defensive series, he blew up a Badgers receiver on a third-and-5 throw to force a punt which ignited a roar from the fans in the Coliseum.
CLUTCH COBB
*USC LB Mason Cobb returned a 55-yard INT for a TD in the fourth quarter to put an exclamation point on USC's 38-21 victory over Wisconsin.
*It was Cobb's third-career INT and his first-ever pick-6.
*The pass thrown by Wisconsin QB Braedyn Locke bounced off his intended receiver, then off USC CB Jacobe Covington's helmet and into the sticky hands of Cobb who turned on his second gear and sprinted down the sideline to score (with the help of some important blocks from CB Covington). In addition to his INT, he finished the game notching 2 tackles.
PROPS TO PEPPER
*In the beginning of the third quarter, USC SNP Hank Pepper made a crucial play by recovering a Wisconsin muffed punt at the Badgers' 30-yard line. This play by Pepper gave the Trojans a short field which ultimately resulted in USC scoring on a 6-yard pass from Moss to WR Ja'Kobi Lane.
HALFTIME ADJUSTMENTS
*USC's passing defense is T-4th in the nation in first downs allowed in the second half (10), T-7th in the nation for TDs allowed in the second half (1) and No. 7 in the nation in yards allowed in the second half (224).
*USC's rushing defense is T-4th in the nation in first downs allowed in the second half (7).
*USC's passing offense is T-11th in the nation in second half TDs (6) and T-14th in the nation for first downs (30).
*USC has outscored oppponents 87-23 in the second half this season.
OTHER STATS OF NOTE
*USC ranks No. 6 in the nation (and No. 3 in the Big Ten Conference) in first downs defense (56).
*USC is No. 11 in the nation (and No. 1 in the Big Ten) in 3rd down conversion percentage defense (0.265).
*USC is No. 12 in the nation (and No. 4 in the Big Ten) in red zone defense (.0667).
*USC WRs have caught 5 TD passes in the Red Zone this season which is T-2nd-most among Big Ten Teams.
*USC WRs have 5 receptions for 20 or more yards in close and late situations (a lead of less than or equal to 16 points during the 4th quarter with over 5 minutes to play, or a lead of less than or equal to 8 points with under 5 minutes to play) this season which is the most among FBS teams.
*QB Miller Moss has completed 67% of passes (22 completions/33 net pass attempts) on 3rd down this season which is 5th-best among Big Ten quarterbacks.
*Moss has thrown for first downs on 40% of his pass attempts on third and 10+ yards to go this season which is T-7th-best among FBS quarterbacks.
*RB Woody Marks has 8 receptions in the first half this season which is T-4th-most among Big Ten running backs, and he has 5 receptions in the 4th quarter this season which is T-5th-most among FBS running backs.
*WR Ja'Kobi Lane has 5 first down receptions in close and late situations (a lead of less than or equal to 16 points during the 4th quarter with over 5 minutes to play, or a lead of less than or equal to 8 points with under 5 minutes to play) this season which is tied for most among FBS receivers.
*USC has allowed first downs on just 6% of pass attempts on 3rd and long this season which is 2ndbest in FBS.
RANKINGS
*USC is ranked No. 11 in the latest AP Poll and in 15th the USA Today Coaches Poll.
*Minnesota is not ranked in either poll.
BIG TEN COMPETITION
*USC has won 36 of its last 48 games (.750) against Big Ten foes.
IN OCTOBER
*USC has a 318-127-19 (.706) record while playing in the month of October (not including 5 wins vacated due to NCAA penalty; revised record: 323-127-19, .709).
NIGHTTIME
*USC is 194-80-4 (.705) at night, including 63-36 on the road.
*USC's first night game (5 p.m. or later) was on Oct. 14, 1944, against St. Mary's Pre-Flight in Fresno.
*USC had a school-record 32-game win streak at home at night from 1997 to 2010.
*USC's most night foes: Oregon State (27), Notre Dame (18) and Washington State (16).
ARTIFICIAL TURF
*USC is 51-37-1 in its last 89 games on artificial turf (not including 3 wins vacated due to NCAA penalty; original record: 54-37-1).
TIME ZONE CHANGES
*Travel has been a hot topic throughout the offseason, but the Trojans are no strangers to crosscountry competition.
*Just in the last 22 years…
*In 2005 and 2013, USC traveled to Hawaii and Notre Dame.
*In 2010, USC traveled to Hawaii and Minnesota.
*In 2009, USC traveled to Ohio State and Notre Dame.
*In 2007, USC traveled to Nebraska and Notre Dame.
*In 2004, USC traveled to Landover, Md. to play Virginia Tech at FedEx Field, to BYU and to Miami, Fla. to play Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl for the BCS Championship Game.
*In 2003, USC traveled to Auburn and to Notre Dame.
*In 2002, USC traveled to Colorado, Kansas State and Miami, Fla. to play Iowa in the Orange Bowl.
SUPER BOWL SITES
*Just 3 teams in the nation are scheduled to play at 3 different Super Bowl sites:
*USC – All home games are at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum; USC defeated LSU 27-20 at Allegiant Stadium on Sept. 1; USC will play UCLA at the Rose Bowl on Nov. 23
*Notre Dame – The Irish will play Georgia Tech at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Oct. 19; Notre Dame will face Navy at MetLife Stadium on Oct. 26; The Irish will challenge the Trojans in the greatest intersectional rivalry in college football at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Nov. 30
*Navy – The Midshipmen will play Notre Dame at MetLife Stadium on Oct. 26; Navy will face Rice at Rice Stadium on Nov. 2; The Midshipmen will challenge South Florida at Raymond James Stadium on Nov. 9.
OLYMPIC RECORD
*USC is 206-71-10 (.735) in seasons that the Summer Olympics have been held (including this season). The Trojans won 4 national titles (1928, 1932, 1972, 2004) and played in 11 bowls (winning 8) during those Olympic seasons. (Does not include 2 wins--including 1 bowl appearance and 1 bowl win--vacated by NCAA penalty; original record: 208-71-10, .737.)
PRESIDENTIAL RECORD
*USC is 224-71-14 (.748) during presidential election years (including this season).
*To be determined later this season, but the Trojans are 127-29-5 (.804) in years when Republicans won the White House and 94-41-9 (.684) when Democrats won. (Does not include 1 win vacated due to NCAA penalty; revised record: 223-70-14, .748 overall and 128-29-5, .806 with Republicans.)
*USC has won 4 national championships (1928-32-72-2004) during presidential election years.
TURNAROUNDS
*In USC's 135 seasons, the Trojans have lost 4 or more games 45 times. Following 9 of those 4-plus loss seasons, USC "turned it around" to win the Rose Bowl the next year (1938-43-62-67-72-76-78-84-16).
TV OUTLETS
*USC has appeared live on 35 different television broadcasting outlets. The Trojans have won on the air of all but 3 of those outlets (KTLA, Innovative and a local Memphis station).
*USC has appeared on live national, regional or local telecasts 583 times.
HOME SWEET HOME
*Just 13 players across the nation returned to their previous school after spending one or more seasons at another NCAA institution.
NAME | SCHOOL | PREVIOUS |
---|---|---|
Beau Allen | Kentucky | Ga. Southern & Tarleton State |
Jori Benson | Utah | UConn |
Tyler Buchner | Notre Dame | Alabama |
Vita Calvaruso | Arkansas | Wisconsin |
Duce Chestnut | Syracuse | LSU |
Omarion Cooper | Florida State | Colorado |
Gilber Edmond | South Carolina | Florida State |
Kyle Ford | USC | UCLA |
Jam Griffin | Oregon State | Ole Miss |
Henry Ikahihifo | Nevada | California |
Lorando Johnson | Baylor | Arkansas |
Christian Rorie | Duke | Texas State |
Corey Rucker | Arkansas St. | South Carolina |
MINNESOTA STATS
*USC and Minnesota have only played 8 times (USC is 6-1-1).
*This will be the teams' first meeting in 13 years (the last meeting was in 2011, a 19-17 USC victory at the Coliseum).
*USC has only played in the snow twice, and one of them was a 25- 19 loss at Minnesota on Oct. 29, 1955.
*USC had a dramatic finish against Minnesota in 2011--USC 19, Minnesota 17. USC's Torin Harris' midfield interception with 53 seconds left sealed the win after the Gophers came back from a 19-3 halftime deficit.
*USC's back-to-back AP national championships in 2003 and 2004 marked the 10th time that a team won consecutive AP national titles. Minnesota also did that in 1940 and 41. The other schools to accomplish this are Army (1944-45), Notre Dame (1946-47), Oklahoma (1955-56), Alabama (1964-65), Nebraska (1970-71), Oklahoma (1974-75), Alabama (1978-79 and 2011-2012), Nebraska (1994-95) and Georgia (2021-22).
*USC has 8 Heisman winners (Mike Garrett [1965], O.J. Simpson [1968], Charles White [1979], Marcus Allen [1981], Carson Palmer [2002], Matt Leinart [2004], Reggie Bush [2005] and Caleb Williams [2022]), while Minnesota has one (Bruce Smith, HB, 1941).
*Eight previous Trojan letterwinners have hailed from the state of Minnesota, Mike Berry (TB, 1969-70), Dominique Byrd (TE-DE, 2002- 05), Dan Deckas (LB, 2008-09), Wyatt Schmidt (HLD-SNP-P-K, 2016-18), Thomas Bert Sherman (FB, 1931), Dorian Singer (WR, 2023), Glenn Souers (FB, 1950), and Nick Vanderboom (TE-QB, 2003-06).
MINNESOTA SCOUTING REPORT
*Minnesota is 2-3 overall on the season and 0-2 in Big Ten Conference play.
*QB Max Brosmer is 102-for-154 (.662) for 1,094 yards with 6 TDs and 4 INTs in 2024.
*RB Darius Taylor leads the Gopher ground attack with 48 carries and 258 yards (5.4 avg.) and 5 TDs. RB Marcus Major is also a threat from the backfield with 42 carries for 177 yards (4.0 avg.) and 2 TDs.
*While 7 different receivers have scored a TD (WR Daniel Jackson, WR Elijah Spencer, RB Darius Taylor, WR Le'Meke Brockington, TE Jameson Geers, WR Cristian Driver and WR Tyler Williams), Jackson leads the team with 28 receptions for 326 yards (11.6 avg.).
*Minnesota RBs have averaged 4.8 receptions per game (24/5) in the first half this season which is tied for the best among FBS teams.
*Minnesota WRs have caught 18 of 23 passes (78% reception pct.) in the 4th quarter this season which is 4th-best among Power Conference teams.
*LB Maverick Baranowski leads the Gophers with 36 tackles, including 3.5 tackles for loss of 7 yards.
*The Gophers have intercepted 8 of 112 pass attempts (14.0 pass attempts per INT) this season which is best in the Big Ten.
*The Gophers most recently lost 24-27 in a close game to Michigan at the Big House.
*Michigan jumped to a quick 21-0 lead.
*Minnesota got on the board on the last play of the half. QB Brosmer hit TE Nick Kallerup for 44 yards to the Michigan 1-yard line and the field goal unit got onto the field in time for K Dragan Kesich to kick a 20-yarder.
*Michigan led 24-3 going into the fourth quarter, but Minnesota scored 3 TDs to pull within 27-24 with 1:37 left.
*On a controversial call, the Gophers recovered the onside kick but were flagged for offsides. Michigan RB Kael Mullings grabbed the second kick, allowing the Wolverines to run out the clock.
*Brosmer finished 27-of-40 passing for 258 yards with a TD but was sacked 5 times and threw an INT.
*Despite the loss, the Gophers finished atop the Wolverines virtually in every statistical category, including total offense yards (296-241), first downs (20-15) and total tackles (62-57).
*Minnesota ranks No. 1 in the nation in passing yards allowed (96.8) and No. 2 in the nation in team passing efficiency defense (81.2). The Gophers also rank No. 5 in total defense (226.8).
*Minnesota has allowed 650 rushing yards this season which is the 4th-most in the Big Ten.
USC-MINNESOTA CONNECTIONS
*USC has 1 player from the state of Minnesota (DT Jide Abasiri), while Minnesota has 2 players from the state of California (QB Jeremiah Finaly and OL Aluma Nkele).
*USC K Michael Lantz played at Minnesota from 2019-21. While a Gopher, he scored 71 points, going 47-of-49 (95.9%) on extra points and 8-of-11 (72.7%) on field goals.
*USC LB Jadyn Walker and Minnesota LB Tyler Stolsky are both from Portage, Mich.
*USC DT Kash Amos and Minnesota LB Matt Kingsbury are both from Chicago, Ill.
*USC DT Jide Abasiri, Minnesota OL Greg Johnson, and Minnesota DL Martin Owusu prepped at Prior Lake HS in 2022 and are from Prior Lake, Minn.
*USC OL Elijah Paige, USC WR Duce Robinson, and Minnesota LS Alan Soukup were teammates at Pinnacle HS in 2022. They are also all from Phoenix, Ariz.
*USC DE Sam Greene and Minnesota RB Sieh Bangura are both from Washington, D.C.
*USC SNP Hank Pepper and Minnesota RB Jaren Mangham were teammates at Michigan State in 2023.
*USC WR Makai Lemon and Minnesota QB Jeremiah Finaly are from Los Alamitos, Calif.
*USC WR Jay Fair and Minnesota DB Craig McDonald were teammates at Auburn in 2022.
*USC Head Coach Lincoln Riley was the head coach at Oklahoma, while Minnesota RB Marcus Major was on the team from 2019-21.
*USC RB Woody Marks and Minnesota DB Jai'Onte' McMillan are both from Atlanta, Ga.
*USC LB Ryan Quintanar and Minnesota DB Jai'Onte' McMillan played for TCU from 2021-23.
*USC Deputy Athletic Director and Chief of Staff Jay Hilbrands is from Clara City, Minn. and played college football at Bethel University from 2009-13. He was a member of the 2013 MIAC championship team.
*USC's Director of Orthopaedic Athletic Medicine, Seth Gamradt, and USC's Executive Director of Football Marketing and Branding, Radmen Niven, are both from Minneapolis.
*USC Senior Associate Athletic Director of Strategic Communication & Brand Advancement Cody Worsham served as associate athletic director/chief brand officer at LSU while Minnesota DL Jaxon Howard played for LSU in 2023.
*USC Assistant Director of Clinical and Sport Psychological Services Niki Sims held a similar position at Notre Dame, while Minnesota OL Quinn Carroll played at Notre Dame in 2019-20.
*USC Associate Athletic Director for Development Dr. Parker Poliakoff served as assistant athletic director for development at the University of Maimi while Minnesota Tight Ends Coach Eric Koehler was offensive coordinator / quarterbacks / assistant head coach at Miami from 2021-22.
SCOUT TEAM PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
*Each week following a win, head coach Lincoln Riley will honor 3 Scout Team Players of the Week.
*Offensive Scout Team Player of the Week: WR Asante Das
*Defensive Scout Team Player of the Week: CB Isaiah Rubin
*Special Teams Scout Team Player of the Week: LB Garrett Pomerantz
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