No. 12 USC starts Big Ten Conference play this weekend, and that means a step up in competition.
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Rutgers (0-2) is a struggling team that’s expected to finish at or near the bottom of the Big Ten standings, but the Scarlet Knights will have something the Trojans (3-0) haven’t seen yet this season – a potential first-round NFL draft pick.
Wide receiver KJ Duff was named to the AP Preseason All-American Second Team after a breakout season in which he caught 60 passes for 1,084 yards and seven touchdowns. He already has 17 receptions for 333 yards and five touchdowns in the Scarlet Knights’ first two games.
“He’s a big body,” USC safety Christian Pierce told reporters. “He’s showcased a lot of range, a lot of being able to go up and grab the ball, of course, being a bigger receiver. And yeah, just ability to be able to score, ability to be able to get open.”
Lengthy travel will also be a first this season for the Trojans, who played all three of their nonconference games at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The flight to Piscataway, New Jersey, will be their longest of the season, followed by a trip to State College for the Oct. 10 game against Penn State.
USC departed Los Angeles on Thursday, and head coach Lincoln Riley said the team will squeeze in a practice Friday. He also said that adjustments like changing the practice schedule leading up to the game have been made, but declined to go into further detail.
“From Year One to Year Two (in the Big Ten), I thought our travel plan was way better and, honestly, I thought we played quite a bit better and were more prepared,” he said. “But even with that, there’s definitely a few changes that’ll be different from last year that we feel are going to help.”
Rutgers lost its season opener to Massachusetts, which went 0-12 last season and 2-10 in 2024. The Scarlet Knights followed up with a loss to Boston College, which went 2-10 last season and tied for last in the ACC.
CBS college football analyst Charles Davis, who will be on the call for this weekend’s game, thinks Rutgers’ desperation and USC’s travel are the makings of a trap game.
“And who do (the Trojans) play next week? Oregon,” Davis said. “We could say that – trap game – in a sense. I don’t think that’s an insult to Rutgers by any sense of the imagination. It’s just what we’ve seen in the early going based on record, based on ranking, based on what’s to follow. USC, cross country, Rutgers, next week is Oregon. Better get your mind on Rutgers, guys.”
When Rutgers has the ball
Duff seems like the only guarantee when it comes to Rutgers’ offense. The Scarlet Knights have used two quarterbacks this season, starting Dylan Lonergan in the season opener and then bringing in AJ Surace when Lonergan left the game due to an undisclosed injury.
Surace went 18 of 27 for 230 yards, three touchdowns and four interceptions against Boston College. He was sacked three times. Lonergan did not dress for that game, and it’s unclear if he’ll play against USC.
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“Right now, I’m not ready to announce anything as far as who the quarterback will be,” head coach Greg Schiano told reporters Tuesday. “Hopefully, they’ll both be active along with Sean (Ashenfelder) and then we’ll figure out who does what.”
Rutgers is still looking for consistency along the offensive line, and Schiano said “there’s a solid three or four” starting linemen. Now, he’s looking for the best matchups against a USC pass rush that gives up just 174.3 yards a game and is ranked fourth in the FBS by Pro Football Focus.
USC has a powerful defensive front with players like Jide Abasiri and Alex VanSumeran on the interior and Luke Wafle on the edge. Their next step in leveling up this defense is stopping the run and improving the Trojans’ red-zone defense, which has allowed five touchdowns in the first three games.
“You look at great defenses and the number one thing they do is they don’t give up rushing touchdowns in the red,” Riley said. “Once a great defense can eliminate that, then it allows you to focus in on some of the other areas.”
When USC has the ball
Leading receiver and true freshman Trent Mosley will miss this game due to an undisclosed injury, which gives the Trojans the opportunity to flex its depth at the position. Zacharyus Williams, who is second on the depth chart, could start at slot receiver or the coaching staff may choose to move an outside receiver.
Tight ends Mark Bowman, Carson Tabaracci and Tucker Ashcraft – who is now healthy – also give quarterback Jayden Maiava options.
Maiava, who is reaping the benefits of his offseason work, leads the FBS with 896 passing yards and is completing passes at an 81% rate.
“There’s not a weakness in this offense,” Schiano said, “and that’s going to be a challenge that we have to defensively scrap and claw. The key is going to be, we need to do our job and worry about doing our job and see where we match up.”
Rutgers gives up 224.5 passing yards and 175 rushing yards a game under defensive coordinator Travis Johansen, a former South Dakota head coach who’s in his first year with the Scarlet Knights.
He and Schiano are still using Rutgers’ 4-2-5 defense and play in zone coverage 86.5% of the time, according to Hudl IQ analytics. The Scarlet Knights are in Cover 4 nearly half the time it uses that coverage.
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No. 12 USC (3-0) at Rutgers (0-2)
When: 12:30 p.m. PT Saturday
Where: SHI Stadium, Piscataway, New Jersey
TV/Radio: CBS/710 AM