Utah State Aggies vs. Southern California Trojans Pick & Prediction SEPTEMBER 7th 2024

Preview and Prediction

After an impressive victory in their season opener, Miller Moss will make his debut as the starting quarterback for No. 13 Southern California this Saturday as they host Utah State in Los Angeles.

Moss is coming off a stellar performance, throwing for 378 yards in the Trojans' 27-20 win over LSU in Las Vegas. He completed 27 of 36 passes and helped set up the game-winning touchdown by running back Woody Marks with just 8 seconds left on the clock.

This game was Moss' time to shine, taking over the starting role from last year's Heisman Trophy winner and 2024 NFL No. 1 draft pick, Caleb Williams.

With Moss at the helm, USC has a perfect 2-0 record, including a 42-28 victory over Louisville in last year's Holiday Bowl. With a strong quarterback in place, the Trojans are now focused on improving their offensive line in Week 2.

According to USC coach Lincoln Riley, the young offensive line showed promise in their first game, but there is still room for improvement. Against LSU, the Trojans only managed 69 rushing yards, so the offensive line will need to step up in order to keep the offense moving.

Despite some struggles, Utah State interim coach Nate Dreiling is well aware of the threat that USC's offense poses. He praised Moss for his ability to make quick decisions and highlighted the talented receiving corps, including 6-foot-6 Duce Robinson, 6-4 Ja'Kobi Lane, and the fastest receiver in the country, Zachariah Branch.

The Aggies also have a strong receiving threat in Kyrese White, who had 131 yards and two touchdowns in their 36-14 win over Robert Morris. The team also saw solid performances from quarterbacks Bryson Barnes and Spencer Petras, who combined for over 300 passing yards and three touchdowns.

In addition to their passing game, Utah State also had a strong showing on the ground, with 303 rushing yards in their season opener. Barnes was a key contributor, matching running back Robert Briggs Jr. with 88 yards and scoring a touchdown on a 63-yard run.

Despite a slow start and a halftime deficit, the Aggies were able to rally and secure the win in their first game under interim head coach Dreiling, who was originally hired as the defensive coordinator but was elevated to head coach after the firing of Blake Anderson in July.

PREDICTION

Utah State Aggies

Southern California Trojans

Utah State Aggies vs. Southern California Trojans Recap SEP 7TH 2024

Miller Moss passed for 229 yards and one touchdown as No. 13 Southern California notched its first shutout in nearly 13 years while rolling to a 48-0 victory over Utah State on Saturday night in nonconference play at Los Angeles.

Woody Marks rushed for 103 yards and one touchdown on 13 carries and Quinten Joyner added 84 yards and two scores on 10 rushes for the Trojans (2-0). Moss completed 21 of 30 passes, including a scoring toss to Makai Lemon.

The shutout was the first for USC since a 50-0 trouncing of UCLA on Nov. 26, 2011.

Backup quarterback Jayden Maiava scored his first career touchdown for the Trojans, who had advantages of 544-190 in total yards of offense and 28-10 in first downs. A'Marion Peterson rushed for a score and Easton Mascarenas-Arnold had an interception for USC.

Bryson Barnes was 18-of-27 passing for 103 yards and one interception for the Aggies (1-1). Ike Larsen and Jordan Vincent had 11 tackles apiece for Utah State.

The Aggies tried to spoil the USC shutout bid, but Elliott Nimrod's 52-yard field-goal attempt was wide left and short with 1:08 left in the game.

There were problems with the banks of lights at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum throughout the contest. The issues caused a short delay with 10:12 left in the game, but play resumed when the lights on USC's side of the field came back on.

The Trojans drove at least 77 yards on each of their first three possessions while taking a 17-0 lead.

Michael Lantz kicked a 23-yard field goal to cap a nine-play, 77-yard drive on USC's first possession. Joyner added a 9-yard rushing score to finish an eight-play, 88-yard excursion to make it 10-0 with 4:23 left in the opening quarter.

The Trojans again traveled 77 yards, this time on 11 plays, to move ahead by 17 on a 2-yard scoring run by Marks with 13:06 remaining in the first half.

Lantz tacked on a 24-yard field goal with 1:41 left in the half. Moss added a 6-yard scoring pass to Lemon with four seconds to go, and USC led 27-0 at the break.

Joyner added a 2-yard rushing score to boost the Trojans' lead to 34 with 5:31 left in the third quarter. Moss exited the game at this point.

Maiava scrambled for 7 yards for a touchdown with 14:15 remaining in the contest to make it 41-0. He completed 8 of 11 passes for 66 yards. Peterson added a 9-yard touchdown run with 6:32 left.