Trojans end with Notre Dame in 2018 football schedule


Senior linebacker Uchenna Nwosu celebrates after wrapping up a sack in a game against Arizona State. Photo by Matt Karats | Daily Trojan

As the No. 11 Trojans prepare to wrap up the 2017 regular season against UCLA this weekend, the football team’s 2018 schedule was released on Thursday.

USC opens its campaign at the Coliseum against UNLV next Labor Day weekend, hosting the Rebels on Sept. 1 in the second-ever meeting between the two programs. The Trojans then enter a two-game road stretch, first opening Pac-12 play at Stanford. The Trojans beat the Cardinal 42-24 in Los Angeles in Week 2 of this season, and the two sides could rematch in the conference championship on Dec. 1 if Stanford wins out and No. 18 Washington takes down No. 14 Washington State next week.

USC then travels to Austin for a matchup against Texas. The Trojans and Longhorns clashed in Week 3 this fall for the first time since the two programs’ classic national championship game in 2006: Redshirt sophomore quarterback Sam Darnold led USC to a comeback victory, and freshman kicker Chase McGrath converted his first career field goals — one to tie the game as time expired and another to win in double overtime.

After their tilt in Austin, the Trojans return home on a short week to face off against Washington State — much like this season, when the team took on the Cougars on a Friday coming off a trip to Berkeley. Unlike September’s trip to Pullman, however, USC will be at home next year as the team seeks revenge for its first loss of the season at Washington State this year. The Cougars’ visit to the Coliseum will be their first since 2013, when they pulled off a 10-7 upset thanks to a late field goal.

USC then travels to Tucson for a game versus Arizona. The Trojans edged the Wildcats 49-35 at the Coliseum two weeks ago after blowing a 22-point lead. However, Arizona will be bolstered by the expected return of quarterback Khalil Tate, who stood out on a national scale after exploding onto the scene midway through the 2017 season.

Unlike this season, USC will enjoy a bye in 2018. The lack of a bye was a thorn in the side of the Trojans from the start of the season. As injuries continued to pile up, coaches and players stressed that the lack of break — paired with a short turnaround on a road game in Pullman, Wash., to play Washington State — was one of the more difficult factors of the season. The team will host Colorado coming off its break on Oct. 13. The Trojans clinched the Pac-12 South title with a 38-24 victory over the Buffaloes last weekend.

After taking on Colorado, head coach Clay Helton will set his sights on a trip to Utah (the Trojans squeaked by the Utes 28-27 at home last month), before welcoming Arizona State to the Coliseum, when USC will look for a repeat of this season’s 48-17 blowout victory in Tempe.

The Trojans travel to Corvallis, Ore., for the first time since 2013 after facing the Sun Devils. USC breezed by Oregon State 38-10 this year, and it will host Cal after facing the Beavers. Finally, the Trojans wrap up the regular season with back-to-back rivalry games — first at the Rose Bowl versus UCLA, then a tilt at the Coliseum against Notre Dame.

If USC returns to the Pac-12 Championship, the title game will take place in Santa Clara on Nov. 30.