Louisiana’s trip to the Coliseum gives USC one more tuneup before the Trojans leave nonconference play behind and head to Rutgers for the start of Big Ten action.
USC enters Saturday night at 2-0, with Louisiana arriving at 1-0. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, with Big Ten Network carrying the game on TV and 710 AM on radio. The Trojans are favored by 30.5 points.
This is the final nonconference game on USC’s schedule, and it also serves as one last chance to sort out some lingering issues - especially the chance to get players returning from injury into live action. That matters most if defensive tackle Jahkeem Stewart and defensive end Braylan Shelby remain unavailable, because their status could hint at depth problems down the line.
USC’s injury list includes center Kilian O’Connor, who is out with a knee injury. Also questionable are tight end Tucker Ashcraft, wide receiver Terrell Anderson, quarterback Sam Huard, Shelby, Stewart and safety Marquis Gallegos, all listed with undisclosed injuries except Stewart, who has a foot issue.
Louisiana has several absences of its own. Wide receivers Landon Strother, Trenton Chaney and Shelton Sampson are out, along with linebacker Hayden Darbonne and safety Peyton Dyer.
On paper, USC is the stronger team, but the Trojans still have to prove it over four quarters. They didn’t finish their season opener the way they wanted once the starters came out, then followed that with a much cleaner showing in a shutout of Fresno State. That kind of progression is exactly what they’ll want to keep building on, particularly if a few of the injured players are able to return.
Louisiana comes in off a 6-7 season that ended with a 20-13 loss to Delaware in the 68 Ventures Bowl in Mobile, Alabama.
The key matchup worth watching is Louisiana’s passing game against USC’s defensive front. Ragin’ Cajuns coach Michael Desormeaux said earlier this week that he wants dual-threat quarterback Lunch Winfield completing 70% of his passes.
Winfield reached that number in Louisiana’s 38-7 win over Lamar in the opener, though he also threw two interceptions. If Jide Abasiri and the rest of USC’s defensive line can control the line of scrimmage, the Trojans’ secondary should have chances to make plays on the ball.
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USC May Have Found The Missing Piece In Its Passing Game
Freshman tight end Bowman gave USC a much-needed spark in its 49-30 win over Louisiana, leading the Trojans in receiving with six catches for 83 yards and scoring the first two touchdowns of his college career. It was the kind of performance that can change how an offense looks, especially for a team still trying to sort out its passing-game identity early in the season.
Bowman became the first USC tight end to score multiple touchdowns in a game since 2022, and his presence was impossible to ignore before he was held out in the second half after taking a big hit. Lincoln Riley praised his playmaking ability afterward, and Bowman pointed to the offensive line and quarterback Jayden Maiava for helping create those chances, a promising sign for a Trojans offense that may have found a new layer to lean on. [Read more 🡒]
USC Suddenly Has A New Availability Question Before Louisiana
A few days out from Louisiana, USCs injury picture has taken on a different look, with defensive lineman Stewart back at practice after last seasons stress fracture and surgery. His return adds a notable layer to the Trojans prep, especially on a defensive front that could use more healthy bodies as the week moves along.
Stewart is not the only one trending in the right direction, either, as defensive backs Peyton Dyer and Marquis Gallegos, tight end Tucker Ashcraft and receiver Terrell Anderson all have a chance to suit up. The one spot that has shifted the other way is long snapper, where senior Dylan Black is unavailable after a medical setback, prompting USC to bring in transfer Caleb Moser to fill the gap. [Read more 🡒]
USCs Fast Start Comes With One Big Question Fans Cant Ignore
Southern California kept its perfect start rolling with a 49-30 win over Louisiana, and the offense again looked every bit like a Lincoln Riley unit should. Jayden Maiava directed a night that produced 494 yards for the Trojans, while the team got contributions from across the roster as it moved to 3-0. Riley pointed to the way the group performed and how new players are being folded into the mix, which only adds to the sense that this start has been built on more than one hot stretch.
The bigger question now is how sustainable this early burst really is once the schedule stiffens and opponents force USC to keep answering in different ways. There was no shortage of fireworks against Louisiana, from explosive passing-game production to special-teams help and another clean step forward in the standings, but this is the point of the season when early momentum starts to get measured against depth, consistency and how quickly the Trojans can keep everyone in sync. [Read more 🡒]