Jide Abasiri has spent the first part of USC’s season looking like a lineman who plays with an edge, and there’s a reason for that. The Minnesota native has turned into a problem for opposing offenses through three games, and part of the foundation traces back to his high school wrestling days at Prior Lake.
Abasiri said the move to wrestling came after a suggestion from his football coach, Matthew Gegenheimer, when he was a sophomore.
“My football coach said it might be good, so I gave it a shot,” Abasiri said. “I felt like I’m definitely more flexible because of wrestling, and it definitely help with conditioning.”
That background has shown up quickly for the Trojans. In three games, Abasiri has piled up 10 tackles and one sack, becoming one of USC’s key defensive leaders as the team heads into its Big Ten opener against Rutgers on Saturday.
For Abasiri, the focus against the Scarlet Knights starts with the ground game and works its way back from there.
“I feel like their overall athletic abilities, we just have to focus on shutting the run game first and then get to their quarterback,” Abasiri said.
Rutgers has spent its first two games rotating Dylan Lonergan, the Boston College transfer, and AJ Surace at quarterback. Lonergan is listed as probable in the Big Ten Availability Report after an undisclosed injury in week 1 during a loss to UMass. The Scarlet Knights also have star running back Antwan Raymond listed as questionable.
Abasiri had plenty of respect for Raymond’s ability to create problems after contact.
“(Raymond) is an athletic back, he can make guys miss a lot,” Abasiri said. “We just have to stuff the offensive line, stuff the run and be able to stop it.”
USC will have some availability questions of its own on Saturday, including freshman receiver Trent Mosley and safety Kendarius Reddick.
Rutgers coach Greg Schiano has seen enough on film to know the challenge in front of his team is steep. He singled out USC’s defensive front and Abasiri in particular while talking about the matchup.
“I think it’s time to start locking in a little bit more, see where we can be. I think we’re headed there, now we better be because this defensive front they have is freakish,” Schiano said.
“Jide Abasiri, he is a force to be reckon with. This guy is explosive, he’s strong, great motor.”
Schiano also praised USC freshman Luke Wafle and compared him to San Francisco 49ers star Nick Bosa. Wafle is a familiar name for Schiano and his staff, since Rutgers was among the schools recruiting the New Jersey native.
The Trojans enter Saturday as 23.5-point favorites over Rutgers, according to DraftKings, and the game will be USC’s first road test of the season. Lincoln Riley is hoping his team can move past last year’s road issues, while defensive coordinator Gary Patterson wants another shutdown effort after the shutout against Fresno State.
Abasiri said Patterson’s message has stayed consistent.
“It’s the same message it always was, play to our standards, try to hold the opponent to zero points, and take over the game,” Abasiri said on Patterson’s expectations. “We can definitely take the next step in our pass rush and all of our abilities. We’re definitely working on getting to the quarterback more.”
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The concern is less about one uneven night than the larger pattern around Moores first-year run as the Ducks starter. There have already been moments when he has not quite matched the level expected of him, and that leaves a real question for a trip to Los Angeles: can he make the decisive throws when Oregon needs them most? USC will have plenty to sort out on its own before the Ducks arrive, but this is the kind of quarterback issue that can shape a Big Ten showdown long before kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
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Oregon Walks Into A Much Bigger USC Test Than Expected
USCs fast start has turned the Sept. 26 home date with Oregon into one of the seasons hottest tickets, with the school announcing the game is sold out. A 3-0 beginning has helped lift interest around the program, and the buzz has been fueled by quarterback Jayden Maiavas strong play and a wave of freshmen stepping into meaningful roles early in the year.
The matchup now carries a little more intrigue than the rankings might suggest, since Oregon is listed as a 1.5-point favorite even with USC sitting higher in the AP Poll. Both teams are expected to take care of business in the immediate lead-up, which only adds to the sense that this one could say a lot about where the Trojans really stand when a top opponent shows up in the Coliseum. [Read more 🡒]