Saturday Spotlight
(7) USC Trojans at (16) UCLA Bruins
USC: The minute Lincoln Riley decided to leave Norman, Oklahoma for California, I was shocked because if I remember, he said he was committed to staying with the Oklahoma Sooners. I guess money talks. Bash him all you want, but he’s become one of the best coaches in the country and he’s also one of the best offensive minded guys in the game of college football. Look at the magic he created with the Sooners. Baker Mayfield in 2017, he wins the Heisman and a year later in 2018, Kyler Murray comes in and they didn’t miss a beat. He also won the Heisman and both of those Quarterbacks ended up being selected first overall in their draft classes. It should be no surprise he’s the mastermind behind this offense now in Southern California. This offense continues to improve and get better by the week. It hurts that they lost Travis Dye with a leg injury, but it’s been the next man up. The Offensive Line is great, they can hurt a defense in so many ways and Caleb Williams continues to play at a prominent level. He’s a Heisman candidate. The Trojans have been great because they take such good care of the ball. On the year, they’ve only turned the football over a total of three times. That’s incredible. Say whatever you feel about their defense. They’re awful against the run and they give up way too many yards, but their offense bails them out each and every time. Tonight, they have an instate showdown.
UCLA: They lost a tough game last weekend against the Arizona Wildcats. Once again, this should go to show you that there’s no such thing as an easy game in this sport and anyone can be defeated on any given Thursday, Saturday, Sunday or Monday. They’ve been able to succeed this year due to the simple fact they’ve been able to run the football and basically get whatever they want with the ground attack. Zach Charbonnet has been one of the best Running Backs in the Pac-12 this year. Here’s what could blow your minds: I don’t consider them to be a physical football team, but I label them more as a group that grinds games out and plays a tough brand/style of football. Let’s look at these numbers. As a team against the Arizona State Sun Devils, the Bruins ran for over 400 yards rushing. Against the Stanford Cardinal, over 300 yards on the ground. Also, as a football team, they average six yards per carry. Their formula is as simple as it gets for them to win. Ground and pound, then let Dorian Thompson-Robinson do the rest. Give Chip Kelly credit. I know his tenure in the NFL wasn’t the best, but that goes to show that some coaches are meant to coach the college game while some can be successful at the next level in the NFL, but not always. Tonight, they’ll welcome the Trojans of Southern California to town.
USC X-Factor: Mario Williams– He’s another player that joined Lincoln when he took the job to be the next Head Coach at USC. Wherever you line Mario up on the field, he’s an explosive threat. Jordan Addison isn’t the only receiver that does damage down the field. Mario is also an effective threat that can catch the screen pass and in the open field, he has the mindset of a Running Back. He isn’t trying to run around you, he’ll power through you. Mario is expected to return after missing the last two games.
UCLA X-Factor: Jake Bobo– What a transfer he’s been for the Bruins this year. Jake has become their best Wide Receiver. He has an exceptionally clean release off the line of scrimmage to free himself. It’s nothing special or fancy. These are the receivers you want on your team. Jake is 6’5 and weighs 215 pounds. Can you say possession receiver? He’s so physical and has more than enough strength to handle physicality or a jam at the line. Jake knows how to free himself to get open. This is who DTR will target any chance he gets in the red zone.
Final Thoughts: This is my first time previewing the “Victory Bell” showdown. In this game, we’ll be seeing two of the best Quarterbacks in the Pac-12 in Dorian Thompson Robinson and Caleb Williams. If you are a fan of high-flying offenses moving up and down the field, this is the game for you because a lot of that will happen in this game. Stopping the run must be the key for USC tonight. Make them a passing team by all means. Not only does this mean limiting Charbonnet, but DTR is also a threat with his mobility. Both offenses are explosive in their own way, and you’ll see that on full display here. UCLA may not be as explosive as USC, but they take such great care of the football, they’re a balanced unit and I don’t see them having an issue matching the Trojans scoring drives. This Bruins defensive front will be active and ready for Caleb. I see lots of stunts and pressures from the front seven.
Prediction: UCLA 40, USC 37
