FRESNO STATE (0-0) at No. 14 USC (1-0)
When: 6 p.m. Friday
Where: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
TV/radio: FOX (Ch. 11)/710 AM
Line: USC by 23.5 points
NOTABLE INJURIES
USC: OUT: C Kilian O’Connor (knee); QUESTIONABLE: DT Jahkeem Stewart (foot), S Marquis Gallegos (undisclosed), S Kendarius Reddick (undisclosed), WR Tanook Hines (undisclosed), DE Braylan Shelby (undisclosed)
Read more Orange County bagel maker heads east to compete at New York BagelFest
Fresno State: OUT: G Edward Fonua (lower leg)
What’s at stake? Coming off a season-opening victory over San José State, USC needs to show early that it can play a complete four quarters of football without any drop-off in execution if it wants to make the College Football Playoff, even if it’s missing a few of its regular starters. The coaching cliché that the biggest improvements happen from the first game to the second could work in the Trojans’ favor. Beyond the game itself, they’ll have to draw a big, excited crowd if they want to erase the discourse about attendance from Saturday’s scorching home game.
Who’s better? This game will be a talent mismatch, similar to last weekend’s win over San José State. The Bulldogs are in their second season with coach Matt Entz, who was USC’s assistant head coach for defense and linebackers coach in 2024. Expect Fresno State to pound the rock using its one-two punch of Bryson Donelson and Rayshon “Speedy” Luke. Junior quarterback Jayden Mandal looks to make the second start of his career for the Bulldogs after the junior missed all of last season with an injury. USC will continue to play complementary football using quarterback Jayden Maiava and its stable of running backs in a strategic way.
Matchup to watch: USC’s defensive line vs. Fresno State’s run game. The Trojans’ starting D-line is imposing, but the second- and third-string players who rotated in last week didn’t match their level of play. How well they stop the run against the Bulldogs could be an important barometer for the rest of the season.
Read more Cooking with Judy: Sweet memories return with Rosh Hashanah honey cake
USC wins if: Expect lots of freshmen on the field again in this game, and they’ll show major improvements if the right adjustments are made in a shortened week. First-game jitters are also out of the way. The Trojans are already heavily favored to win this game, and seeing a bump in freshman output will be an added bonus.
Prediction: USC 36, Fresno State 14. The Trojans keep up their balanced offense and defensive coordinator Gary Patterson keeps the defense moving in the right direction.
Read more Anaheim Hills briefs: Celebrate Fiesta with San Antonio Catholic Church