USC (2-0) at PURDUE (2-0)
When: 12:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Ross-Ade Stadium, West Lafayette, Indiana
TV/radio: CBS/ESPN LA 710
Line: USC by 20.5
NOTABLE INJURIES
USC: OUT: CB Prophet Brown (lower body); QUESTIONABLE: WR Prince Strachan (ankle), K Caden Chittenden (undisclosed), CB Alex Graham (undisclosed), RB Bryan Jackson (undisclosed).
Purdue: OUT: WR Jalil Hall (leg); QUESTIONABLE: TE Jon Grimmett (foot), LB Winston Berglund (undisclosed), WR De’Nylon Morrissette (undisclosed), Chauncy Magwood (undisclosed).
What’s at stake? This is an opportunity for the Trojans to prove they can show up on the road after winning only one away game last season. The team has made intentional adjustments to avoid replicating that result in terms of preparation and travel. For one, USC hired a new strength coach in Trumain Carroll, who has received rave reviews from coaches and players for his ability to teach discipline. The practice schedule has also been shuffled, sleep is being emphasized and the team will travel on a larger plane.
Who’s better? Purdue is a step up in competition from USC’s first two opponents, but the Trojans should still handle their business with ease. They face an opponent in themselves, however. USC is the second-most penalized team in the Big Ten Conference and gave up 93 yards in penalties last weekend against Georgia Southern.
Matchup to watch: USC’s edge rushers against Purdue’s passing game. The Boilermakers’ offense is guided by offensive coordinator Josh Henson, who spent the previous seasons as the Trojans’ offensive coordinator, but head coach Lincoln Riley told reporters on a Thursday Zoom call that he expects Saturday to be a “players’ game” that comes down to execution. That being said, USC has allowed an average of 394 passing yards through two games this season. The competition from Missouri State and Georgia Southern wasn’t intense, but it did show that the Trojans are able to produce pressure off the edge and there is depth at the position. Purdue quarterback Ryan Browne is averaging 240.5 passing yards per game.
USC wins if: This is another game that USC should easily win due to an advantage in overall talent, especially at the skill positions. If progress is something the Trojans are after, they’ll want to play disciplined football that avoids penalties on defense and takes care of the ball on offense. USC’s quarterbacks have yet to throw an interception and the offense as a whole has committed only two turnovers. Continuing that pattern will bode well as competition ramps up.
Prediction: USC 49, Purdue 17. The Trojans begin to redeem themselves after last year’s road game woes and set themselves up for a confident return to the Coliseum against Michigan State the following week.