No. 12 USC is heading into Big Ten play with the kind of game that can expose a team that’s feeling good about itself. Rutgers is 0-2 and expected to land near the bottom of the conference, but this is also the first opponent the Trojans have seen this season with a receiver who looks like a potential first-round NFL draft pick.
That receiver is KJ Duff, and he’s already put up numbers that demand attention. After a breakout season that earned him AP Preseason All-American Second Team honors, Duff opened this year with 17 catches for 333 yards and five touchdowns.
Last season, he finished with 60 receptions, 1,084 yards and seven scores. USC safety Christian Pierce made clear the challenge he presents.
“He’s a big body,” USC safety Christian Pierce told reporters. “He’s showcased a lot of range, a lot of being able to go up and grab the ball, of course, being a bigger receiver. And yeah, just ability to be able to score, ability to be able to get open.”
The Trojans are also dealing with a different kind of test: travel. All three of their nonconference games came at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, and the trip to Piscataway, New Jersey, is their longest of the season.
Another long flight is coming soon, with Penn State waiting on Oct. 10.
USC left Los Angeles on Thursday and will practice Friday, with Lincoln Riley saying the program has adjusted its routine for the road trip. He didn’t spell out every change, but he said the approach has evolved.
“From Year One to Year Two (in the Big Ten), I thought our travel plan was way better and, honestly, I thought we played quite a bit better and were more prepared,” he said. “But even with that, there’s definitely a few changes that’ll be different from last year that we feel are going to help.”
CBS analyst Charles Davis sees the setup as one that could catch USC’s attention drifting toward next week’s showdown with Oregon.
“And who do (the Trojans) play next week? Oregon,” Davis said.
“We could say that - trap game - in a sense. I don’t think that’s an insult to Rutgers by any sense of the imagination.
It’s just what we’ve seen in the early going based on record, based on ranking, based on what’s to follow. USC, cross country, Rutgers, next week is Oregon.
Better get your mind on Rutgers, guys.”
Rutgers’ offense has been unsettled, with two quarterbacks already used this season. Dylan Lonergan started the opener before leaving with an undisclosed injury, and AJ Surace took over against Boston College.
Surace finished that game 18 of 27 for 230 yards, three touchdowns and four interceptions, and he was sacked three times. Lonergan did not dress for that matchup, and Greg Schiano said Tuesday he still hadn’t settled the quarterback picture.
“Right now, I’m not ready to announce anything as far as who the quarterback will be,” Schiano told reporters Tuesday. “Hopefully, they’ll both be active along with Sean (Ashenfelder) and then we’ll figure out who does what.”
The Scarlet Knights are also still searching for stability up front. Schiano said there are “a solid three or four” starting offensive linemen, and he’ll be trying to find the best combinations against a USC pass rush that allows just 174.3 yards a game and ranks fourth in the FBS by Pro Football Focus.
That front includes Jide Abasiri and Alex VanSumeran inside and Luke Wafle on the edge. USC’s next defensive step, Riley said, is finishing drives and cleaning up the run defense, especially in the red zone, where the Trojans have allowed five touchdowns in three games.
“You look at great defenses and the number one thing they do is they don’t give up rushing touchdowns in the red,” Riley said. “Once a great defense can eliminate that, then it allows you to focus in on some of the other areas.”
On the other side, USC will be without leading receiver and true freshman Trent Mosley, who is out with an undisclosed injury. That opens the door for more depth at receiver, with Zacharyus Williams in position to start at slot or possibly shift an outside receiver. The Trojans also have tight ends Mark Bowman, Carson Tabaracci and Tucker Ashcraft, who is now healthy, as more options for Jayden Maiava.
Maiava has been rolling through the first three games, leading the FBS with 896 passing yards while completing 81% of his throws.
“There’s not a weakness in this offense,” Schiano said, “and that’s going to be a challenge that we have to defensively scrap and claw. The key is going to be, we need to do our job and worry about doing our job and see where we match up.”
Rutgers’ defense, under first-year coordinator Travis Johansen, is allowing 224.5 passing yards and 175 rushing yards per game. The Scarlet Knights are still using a 4-2-5 scheme and are in zone coverage 86.5% of the time, according to Hudl IQ analytics. Nearly half the time, they’re in Cover 4.
No. 12 USC (3-0) at Rutgers (0-2) is set for SHI Stadium in Piscataway, New Jersey. The game will be on CBS and 710 AM.
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