Rutgers is headed into a steep early-season climb against No. 12 USC, and the betting market wasted little time showing just how wide the gap looks.
The Scarlet Knights opened as 25.5-point underdogs before the number quickly shifted to 24.5 points at FanDuel. The over/under is set at 58.5.
That line makes sense after the way Rutgers has started. The Scarlet Knights dropped their opener 37-21 to UMass, then fell 28-21 at Boston College in Week 2. Across those two games, the problems have piled up on offense and defense alike, with inconsistency at quarterback, trouble up front, and uneven defensive play all showing up early.
USC, meanwhile, arrives with a very different resume. The Trojans rolled through their first three games, beating Louisiana, Fresno State and San Diego State by blowout margins. Saturday’s matchup with Rutgers will be their first Power Four test of the season.
In their latest game against the Rajin Cajuns, USC quarterback Jayden Maiava completed 261 passing yards and five touchdowns. On the ground, King Miller handled 28 carries for 128 yards and a score, while Mark Bowman led the receiving group with six catches for 83 yards and two touchdowns.
The one concern for USC has been its defense, which has given up more than expected in spots. Louisiana scored 30 points and San Diego State put up 26, even though those are the kinds of games the Trojans should be controlling more cleanly.
Both of those opponents had quarterbacks who led them in both passing yards and rushing yards. Rutgers does not have that kind of mobile quarterback threat, so that particular avenue to stress USC’s defense may not be there.
Still, the matchup looks rough for Rutgers. Both Dylan Lonergan and AJ Surace have thrown more interceptions than touchdowns in the games they’ve played, and the Scarlet Knights haven’t shown enough stability to suggest they can keep pace if USC starts rolling. The Trojans have scored at least 39 points in each of their last three games, and if that trend holds, this one could turn into the kind of shootout Rutgers is not built to survive.
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