USC’s Friday-night date with Fresno State already has the oddsmakers leaning hard toward the Trojans.
Lincoln Riley’s team will meet the Bulldogs on Sept. 4 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in what stands as USC’s only Friday game of the regular season. It comes a week after the Trojans open in Week 0 against San Jose State on Aug. 29, also at the Coliseum.
DraftKings Sportsbook has USC listed as a 22.5-point favorite over Fresno State, putting the Trojans among the more lopsided favorites on their early schedule. USC is also a 38.5-point favorite against San Jose State in the season opener. The over/under for the Fresno State game is 51.5 points.
The Bulldogs will be making their debut in USC’s former conference, the Pac-12, this season after finishing 2025 with a 9-4 record. Fresno State closed that year with an 18-3 win over Miami (OH) in the Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl.
This will be the Trojans’ first meeting with Fresno State since Sept. 17, 2022, when USC won 45-17 at the Coliseum. USC owns a 4-1 edge in the all-time series, with Fresno State’s lone victory coming in the 1992 Freedom Bowl, a 24-7 Bulldogs win.
A big reason USC is drawing such confidence early is quarterback Jayden Maiava. In his first full season as the Trojans’ starter last year, Maiava led the Big Ten in passing with 3,711 yards, 24 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He also finished with the second-best QBR in the country at 89.9.
He was especially sharp in USC’s three non-conference games last season against Missouri State, Georgia Southern and Notre Dame, combining for 1,035 passing yards, eight touchdowns and two interceptions.
With non-conference games against San Jose State, Fresno State and Louisiana on deck, Maiava has a clear runway to start fast again as he tries to lead the Big Ten in passing for a second straight year and position himself as an underrated Heisman Trophy contender.
Maiava has also been working on his leadership with help from former USC quarterbacks Matt Leinart and Caleb Williams, both Heisman winners for the Trojans.
Kickoff for USC-Fresno State is set for 6 p.m. PT on FOX.
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