Out of all of USC’s nonconference opponents, Fresno State may be the one best prepared to play in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Bulldogs coach Matt Entz has first-hand experience after coaching the Trojans’ linebackers in 2024.
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“You talk about a historical facility,” Entz told reporters. “It’s pretty iconic to be able to play a game there. We’ve tried to talk through all these things with our team so when we get there, we understand it’s a big event. But it’s still 120 yards by 53⅓. No different from what you played on in high school.”
Entz returns for a 6 p.m. matchup Friday between the Trojans and Bulldogs that’s filled with mutual respect.
“He’s a really good football coach and took over a proud program that’s got a lot of great history and tradition in the way that they play,” USC head coach Lincoln Riley said.
“That’s one of the schools that, other than a week when we’re playing them, we all root for around here. I hope they win every other game except this one.”
Entz coached North Dakota State to two FCS national championships, then moved on to help improve the Trojans. USC’s total defense jumped from 119th to 70th from 2023 to 2024, and the scoring defense rose from 121st to 56th.
Fresno State is in its first season as a Pac-12 team as part of a major overhaul to the conference. Ten teams left the Pac-12 in 2022, including USC and UCLA, and the conference was unable to fully flesh itself out again until this season.
It’ll be another week of lopsided talent for the Trojans, but the Bulldogs are still going to bring the toughness that Entz has been known for at every coaching stop.
“One of the most overlooked and underutilized words in the English language is ‘belief,’ and so we’ve been talking about it for the last 10 days,” Entz said. “There has to be a belief.
“We’re going to trust our process and our approach. Doesn’t necessarily guarantee victory, but it’ll guarantee that we’re going to be competitive.”
When Fresno State has the ball
The Bulldogs named Jayden Mandal as their starting quarterback this week. Mandal – a hometown player from Buchanan High – missed the 2025 season due to an elbow injury and didn’t even throw a pass at practice. Nevertheless, Entz and the coaching staff were impressed with his timing, decision-making and accuracy during fall training camp.
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Fresno State will likely lean on its run game as Mandal gets re-acclimated. Returning running backs Rayshon “Speedy” Luke and Bryson Donelson ran for 731 yards and 624 yards last season, respectively. They will test the Trojans’ run defense and front seven, which saw a drop off in performance after the starters left the game against San José State.
The defense might get a boost if edge rusher Braylan Shelby and defensive tackle Jahkeem Stewart return from injury this week. More experienced players have been coaching up the younger, second- and third-string players, too.
“It’s key details,” USC defensive tackle Floyd Boucard said. “Making sure you stay focused on knowing everything that’s going on, making sure you get your call, know your call, and then also just know who you’re playing with.”
When USC has the ball
The coaching staff sent out three freshmen receivers to start the season opener: Kayden Dixon-Wyatt, Trent Mosley and Tron Baker. Tight end Mark Bowman was another freshman starter.
If Tanook Hines doesn’t return from injury this week, the Trojans could dial up the same combination. The updated depth chart indicates that Baker, Hines and Corey Simms are all possibilities at outside receiver.
Tobias Raymond will get his second consecutive start at center, and Hayden Treter will start again at left guard. The offensive line performed well against San José State in spite of the changes, and helped quarterback Jayden Maiava to a 286-yard, two-touchdown performance.
Maiava surpassed 5,000 career passing yards as a Trojan in the game and now has 5,198 passing yards.
Fresno State will want to make Maiava uncomfortable and test his patience by prioritizing defensive leverage, using disguises and changing its looks often.
“We’re going to have to be really sharp on defense,” Entz said. “We’ve got to be able to hold up on some of the isolation plays and we’ve got to get hats to the ball. And we’ve got to tackle well and try to find ways to get (Maiava) off schedule at different times.”
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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)/ESPN 710