The No. 20 USC football team returned from its Nebraska trip before the sun came up Sunday morning. There was no time to waste in preparing for Friday’s home game against Northwestern.
“Thankfully, the Big Ten took care of us schedule-wise,” head coach Lincoln Riley joked after beating Nebraska, “so we’ll get home at 3 o’clock in the morning and we’ll turn this thing over and we’ll go play on Friday.”
A team that relies on meticulous scheduling and routine had one fewer day than usual to prepare for the Wildcats (5-3 overall, 3-2 Big Ten), who are one of the four Big Ten opponents left on the schedule for a USC team (6-2, 4-1) with eyes on a playoff bid.
Sleep and recovery continue to be a priority, especially as the wear and tear of a long season lingers. Practice time and repetitions are intentionally balanced with rest.
“A lot of us have been through some of these short weeks,” Riley told reporters Wednesday. “And we’ve certainly leaned on some of our guys that have spent real time in the NFL, because the NFL does this with older bodies, and then they do occasionally some Sunday to Thursdays, which is a whole different animal.”
Meanwhile in Evanston, Illinois, Northwestern was embracing a bye week after losing 28-21 at Nebraska on Oct. 25. The Wildcats have been dealing with many nagging injuries, and head coach David Braun said the bye gave them much-needed recovery time. There is a flip side, however.
“I think you can play that a lot of different ways,” Braun said. “Sometimes it’s like, ‘Oh, great, we got to come off a bye week.’ But sometimes, you can acquire some rust throughout the bye week. Sometimes, a short week can almost be a good thing. You don’t overthink it and you get out there and you get your guys prepared to play.”
There will be little time for USC to fully relax – and not just because of the shortened week. The final four games of the season will require maximum effort as a bid to the College Football Playoff hangs in the balance.
If the Trojans can wipe the floor with the Wildcats, it’ll be a good look for the CFP and bowl game selection committees. The first CFP rankings were released this week, and USC was No. 19.
Representatives from the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl and the Pop Tarts Bowl were at USC’s game at Notre Dame, although the latter game doesn’t typically feature Big Ten teams. A Cheez-It Citrus Bowl representative attended the Trojans’ game in Nebraska.
The competition ramps up again Nov. 15 when Iowa comes to Los Angeles. But with a shortened week and a fresh Northwestern squad coming to down, the Trojans can’t look past what’s in front of them.
When Northwestern has the ball
The Wildcats have leaned on their run game all season, even though starting running back Cam Porter endured a season-ending leg injury in Week 2. Northwestern ranks fifth in the Big Ten in team rushing yards with 187.9 per game. Caleb Komolafe is rushing for 76 yards a game.
At 6-foot-4 and 310 pounds, Evan Beerntsen leads the offensive line from the interior. Pro Football Focus lists him as the only guard in the Big Ten who has a minimum of 500 blocking snaps without giving up a sack or quarterback hit.
“They are a very physical group,” Trojans defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn told reporters. “They’re probably going to be the best offensive line we’ve played all year. They do an outstanding job in pass protection and are good in the run game. They’re very experienced; they’ve seen a lot of ball. That’s going to be the biggest challenge up front that we’ve had so far.”
The Trojans’ defense is giving up 143.1 rushing yards per game and only seven rushing touchdowns in eight games.
Kameryn Crawford and Braylan Shelby are two of the top performers up front on the USC defensive line. Each has recorded 20 tackles and four sacks; Crawford has eight tackles for loss and Shelby has five.
The linebacking corps had one of its best performances of the season against Nebraska and the cornerback rotation is finally settling in with DeCarlos Nicholson and Marcellus Williams playing the majority of snaps.
When USC has the ball
Quarterback Jayden Maiava had his worst passing performance of the season – 9 of 23 for 135 yards and an interception – at Nebraska, but also his best rushing performance of the season with 62 yards and a touchdown. USC traded the explosive offense that has produced chunk plays all season for bootlegs and gritty gains.
The Trojans will likely get Maiava’s arm going again against a Northwestern defense that allows roughly 172 passing yards per game, but also have options in the run game with downhill runner Bryan Jackson and home-run hitter King Miller.
The offensive line could look different again after an injury forced Alani Noa to leave the Nebraska game early. Kaylon Miller – King’s twin brother – took his place at right guard even though he had been taking repetitions at center in practice that week.
Northwestern’s defense has given up roughly five yards of offense per play and defensive back Robert Fitzgerald leads the team with 69 total tackles. Linebacker Mac Uihlein is right behind him with 59 total tackles in addition to five tackles for loss and four interceptions.
“Defensively, they don’t give you much,” Riley said. “They don’t give up a lot of big plays; they play really sound. When somebody makes a play against them, they really earned it. And that’s a sign of really good defensive play.”
Northwestern (5-3 overall, 3-2 Big Ten) at No. 20 USC (6-2, 4-1)
When: 6 p.m. Friday
Where: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
TV/radio: FOX (Ch. 11)/ESPN LA 710
