San Jose State (0-0) at No. 14 USC (0-0)
When: Saturday, noon
Where: Coliseum
TV/Radio: NBC (Ch. 4)/710 AM
Line: USC by 38½ points
NOTABLE INJURIES
USC: OUT: DT Jahkeem Stewart (foot), C Kilian O’Connor (knee), S Marquis Gallegos (undisclosed), S Kendarius Reddick (undisclosed); QUESTIONABLE: WR Tanook Hines (undisclosed).
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San Jose State: None reported.
What’s at stake? A dominant win is a must for USC in this Week 0 game. The Trojans have the perfect opportunity to show off quarterback Jayden Maiava’s offseason improvements and begin to build a case for the College Football Playoff committee as to why they should be one of the 12 teams selected this season. Saturday will also be the big reveal of the Trojans’ new defense under Gary Patterson. He hasn’t coached a college game since 2021, nor has he lost any intensity since then. This will be the time to address any intrigue about Patterson or this defense as a whole.
Who’s better? San Jose State beat Jayden Maiava when he was playing at UNLV in 2023, but that’s unlikely to happen again. It will be difficult to slow the momentum that the Trojans have been building since spring practices began. If there’s a bright side for the Spartans, it’s that they’ll be battle-tested when they move on to a much less daunting Mountain West Conference slate.
Matchup to watch: USC’s linebackers vs. San Jose State’s passing game. The Spartans have had four different quarterbacks in their last four season openers and have remained a pass-heavy offense regardless of who was under center. This season it’s Luke Weaver, who won a three-way quarterback battle. Expect the Trojans’ defensive line to leverage its size. Head coach Lincoln Riley has praised the linebackers for their improvement, and this game is a situation in which they can show if they can plug holes, tackle and help the defensive line take away any pass or run options Weaver may have.
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USC wins if: The Trojans’ defense needs to shut down the Spartans early, and it would be a bonus if they do it using some of the many talented freshmen on the roster. This is a game that can be used to get inexperienced players valuable playing time.
Prediction: USC 56, San Jose State 14. Many freshmen will contribute to the Trojans’ 10th consecutive season-opening win.
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