Utah State (1-0, 0-0 MWC) at No. 13 USC (1-0, 0-0 Big Ten)

• Start: Saturday, 9 p.m. MDT
• Venue: The LA Memorial Coliseum
• TV: Big Ten Network
• Radio: KZNS 1280 The Zone
• series: USC holds a 6-0 lead over USU. The last game – played in 2016 – was a 45-7 victory for the Trojans.
• Weather: Clear skies with temperatures around 27 degrees at kick-off.

The trends

For the state of Utah: The Aggies are 1-0 after a 36-14 win over Robert Morris in their season opener. Utah State started slowly against the Colonials but overcame a first-half deficit to win convincingly. USU finished the game with 646 yards of offense — 343 passing and 303 rushing — which is tied for the ninth-most yards in school history.

For USC: The Trojans are 1-0 after a thrilling 27-20 win over LSU in Las Vegas. USC, now ranked 13th nationally, was led by quarterback Miller Moss, who threw for nearly 400 yards (378) and a touchdown and completed 75% of his pass attempts. More importantly, the Trojans seem to have rediscovered defense under new defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn. USC held LSU to 421 total yards of offense, including just 117 rushing yards.

What you should pay attention to

Self-inflicted wounds.

If there was one thing the Aggies struggled with against Robert Morris, it was correctable mistakes.

USU lost the ball three times – all interceptions – and all three were avoidable. The first, an interception by Spencer Petras, was the result of wide receiver Jalen Royals falling on a timed route. The second, another interception by Petras, came when a Robert Morris defensive back skipped a route and USU wide receiver Otto Tia was a little too slow to get to the point. The third and final turnover, an interception by backup quarterback Bryson Barnes, came on an aggressive lob just before halftime.

However, it was not just the ball losses.

The Aggies also had to endure a lot of penalties, many of them at inopportune times. USU received 10 penalties for 105 yards and had to interrupt several promising offensive plays by holding on to the offensive line.

Then there were the big plays that the defense allowed.

Overall, USU has shown significant defensive improvement in its season opener compared to the end of the 2023 season. USU was able to shut down Robert Morris in the second half, limiting the Colonials to just 362 yards of offense and holding RMU to an average of 4.9 yards per carry and 7.8 yards per pass reception.

The Aggies only made mistakes in a few key sequences. A play-action pass where a cornerback lost sight of a tight end. A screen pass where several Aggies defenders took bad angles and missed tackles.

These and a few other mistakes were the reason why Robert Morris was able to score any points at all.

If we can get those three areas – turnovers, penalties and big plays allowed on defense – under control, the Aggies will go from a team that briefly struggled against an FCS opponent to the kind of team that can pose a threat to virtually anyone.

Of course, USC is no ordinary team. The Trojans are one of the most talented teams in the country — they’re ranked in the top 15 according to 247 Sports — and with the defense appearing to have improved dramatically, USC will be a big challenge.

Key players

Zachariah Branch, USC wide receiver: The Trojans have no shortage of specialty position players who can make a real difference, but perhaps the best of them is Branch, not only because of his abilities as a receiver, but also because of his impact as a punt/kick returner.

There is probably no better returner in the country than Branch, who was selected as a first-team All-American (returner specialist) as a true freshman in 2023, the first in USC history. The numbers speak for themselves.

As USC’s return specialist, he returned 24 kickoffs for 442 yards (18.4 avg), including 96 yards and a touchdown. He also returned 16 punts for 332 yards (30.8 avg), including 75 yards and a touchdown.

Branch is the type of player who could decide the game with a single run, so it’s all the more important that the Aggies – and especially punter Stephen Kotsanlee – don’t put the ball in his hands.

“That’s (our) number one priority, right? That’s probably the fastest player in the country,” USU interim coach Nate Dreiling said. “We need Elliott Nimrod to play as well on the kickoff as he did (against Robert Morris). He’s got to make sure the ball is out of the end zone and they can’t punt it back. And then Stephen and the rest of the punt team have to get to the point. He (Branch) is such a phenomenal player and they do a good job, not just on special teams. When the defense is on the field, you have to stop his touches. He can make (one) whenever he wants. We have to get to the point.”

Quote

“I think it’s never about the opponent. Whether you’re playing Auburn, SC or the Dallas Cowboys, as long as you get better and focus on what you need to do to be successful, you’ll always have a chance. We’ve got to slow the game down a little bit, take advantage of some turnovers and force them to make some bad throws. Ultimately, if we have the right mindset, we’ll be fine. I’m excited for the world to see what kind of team is going to come out and be resilient. It just has to be the team we saw in the second half. We don’t have time to drag out the first half, we have to come out with momentum.” – Utah State coach Nate Dreiling.

“They obviously had some coaching changes and turnover, but it looked like they handled it well and really settled in and played a good first game, especially in the second half. … (Bryson Barnes is a) really good player. We obviously know that. I saw him last year. They (Utah State) have some really good guys around them at the skill positions. Were very productive offensively in their first game.” — USC coach Lincoln Riley.

Next

State of Utah: against No. 11 Utah; USC: in Michigan

Utah State Schedule

• August 31: Utah State 36, Robert Morris 14
• September 7: at USC (9 p.m., Big Ten Network)
• September 14: Utah (2:30 p.m., CBS Sports Network)
• September 21: in the temple (to be announced)
• 28 September: Bye
• Oct. 5: at Boise State (TBA)
• October 11: UNLV (7 p.m., CBS Sports Network)
• October 19: New Mexico (2 p.m., TruTV)
• October 26: in Wyoming (5 p.m., CBS Sports Network)
• November 2nd: Bye
• November 9: in Washington State (TBA)
• November 16: Hawaii (1 p.m., Spectrum Sports)
• November 23: San Diego State (1:30 p.m., CBS Sports Network)
• November 29: at Colorado State (TBA)

All times are in the Mountain Time Zone.