When critics were not harping on USC's sparse attendance in its opener, they were ripping the 16-point margin against San Jose State. The gap is misleading. Trojans starters built a 35-3 lead through three quarters, then gave way to second- and third-stringers who yielded 23 points. Fresno is a cut above San Jose, so look for the regulars to log more snaps. New Bulldogs QB Jayden Mandai has launched just 17 career passes, and his supporting cast is shaky. Fresno hangs its hat on defense, but the unit will be stressed. The Trojans own the better Jayden at QB; J. Maiava was 25 of 29 in the debut. USC escaped it with no significant injuries, while Fresno is disadvantaged by not having played.
Where USC found dominance last weekend vs San Jose State was in the trenches on both sides of the ball. Fresno State is a much better matchup in that area and will not relent as easily as the Spartans did. I can see this score being a bit similar to last weekend's SJSU/USC game. The Bulldogs have hopes of crashing the playoff party and will need to bring their A-game in a non-conference matchup like this one.
I'm playing the early-season Trojans Over trend once again. Including the Week Zero 42-26 win over San Jose State, Lincoln Riley has coached eight games at home against non-conference opponents in August / September. In those games, the average score has been USC 57, Opponents 17. USC has never scored less than 42 points in any of those contests. I was less than impressed with the Trojans' defense on Saturday, while their offense was crisp and in midseason form led by quarterback Jayden Maiava. Expect points galore once again in the L.A. Coliseum on Friday night. USC 44, Fresno State 21.
