After a Week 7 bye, No. 16 USC is heading back on the road Oct. 24 to face Wisconsin, and redshirt freshman safety Alex Graham says the Trojans’ secondary has a clear job to do: help in the run game.
“They're a super physical team, so just us coming down, making tackles, taking on blocks, keeping our leverages. Just playing ball at the end of the day. Having fun with it,” Graham said.
Wisconsin’s offense has leaned on the ground game this season. The Badgers run the ball on 53.43 percent of their snaps, which ranks No. 57 nationally, and they average 32.8 rushes per game, good for No.
- Their numbers on the ground also include 4.1 yards per carry, ranked No. 76, and 136 rushing yards per game, which puts them No.
Dual-threat quarterback Colton Joseph leads the team with 69 carries for 333 yards and four touchdowns. Behind him, senior back Abu Sama III has 224 yards on 34 touches, while junior running back Darrion Dupree has added 215 yards on 49 carries and two scores.
“At the end of the day, remember you have to do your one job, your 111. Do your job. Continue to play as a team and stay together.”
The Trojans have also been preparing for the noise that comes with Camp Randall Stadium. The Bloom Football Performance Center’s crowd noise simulator has been part of that work, just as it was when USC got ready for Penn State’s White Out.
“I think, like, definitely, ever since one of the first practices. Really, when they first installed it, we've been using them. Yeah, kind of used to it now,” Graham said.
House of Pain’s “Jump Around” has been playing throughout the week at the Bloom, and Graham says he’s all in on it.
“It's been amazing. You know just to hear that - I actually like the song, so it turns me up.
I really be jumping on the sideline when I'm in a game,” Graham said about Wisconsin’s fourth quarter song. “I jump around literally, but you know, I enjoy hearing that.
I think it's going to be a fun one this week.”
He added, “I don't think so,” when asked whether he’ll get tired of it by the end of the week. “I really like that song.”
For Graham, the message around Wisconsin is simple.
“It's the next one,” Graham said about the importance of the Wisconsin game. “Like I said, take it week by week.
It's a team in front of us [that’s] trying to mess our record up. But you know, two good teams ready to play.”
USC’s stretch run is shaping up to be a demanding one. The Trojans already handled Penn State at home, and now they’ll try to deliver another strong effort in Madison before No.
3 Ohio State comes to town in Week 9 on Oct. 31.
Graham said the bye week was about recovery and staying locked in.
“Just keeping my body right. Making sure I'm recovering the right way … watching film and you're preparing for the next game,” Graham said.
“Yeah, of course. More recovery, like you said, got more time.
It's really the same schedule, though, with us still practicing everything. But overall, just keep the routine and routine, you know.
Don't change it up. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.”
Graham missed time earlier in the season after getting hurt in the first half of the Rutgers game in Week 3 and sitting out the Oregon game. He returned against Washington in Week 5 and finished with three total tackles.
At the halfway point of the season, he has 15 tackles, including eight on defense, along with three tackles for loss, two sacks and a quarterback hurry.
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