Trojans and Buffs to tangle on Friday the 13th

After a win against Arizona at home last week, the Trojans are taking a three-game win streak —their longest of the season — to Boulder, Colorado, to face the Buffs in a Friday night matchup. The Trojans improved to 6-3 with the win while Colorado’s loss to Stanford last week dropped them to 4-6.

USC’s three-game win streak has been led by redshirt senior quarterback Cody Kessler, who has completed 70.9 percent of his passes with three touchdowns and no interceptions. In the face of mounting injuries, tailback Ronald Jones II has also stepped up to help the Trojans win, rushing for a USC freshman record 177 yards on 19 carries against Arizona to help the team overcome an early 14-0 deficit.

“This is a different Colorado team than we’ve faced over the last couple of years,” interim head coach Clay Helton said. “I just look at them, and I know the wins aren’t coming to them like they would like. But you look at the way they’re competing against some really quality teams right now, and they seem like they’re in every game.”

Meanwhile, Kessler’s counterpart, junior quarterback Sefo Liufau, has completed just 61.7 percent of his passes with nine touchdowns to six interceptions. He has a lot of help on offense, however, in the form of senior wide receiver Nelson Spruce. Spruce leads Colorado and the Pac-12 with 272 career receptions. He has 67 receptions this season alone. Sophomore Shay Fields complements Spruce with 36 catches and a team-high four touchdowns. Colorado’s rushing offense is spread among a lot of backs, with six different players having at least 40 carries. The run game has been diminished as of late due to injury.

On the other side of the ball, Colorado’s defense is the worst in the Pac-12 in rushing defense, allowing 208.9 yards per game. In pass defense, however, the Buffs are fourth in the conference and eighth in the conference in total defense.

For the Trojans, a slowed down tempo more reliant on running the ball has seemed to work after starting the season 3-3. Since they’ll be facing the worst rushing defense in the Pac-12, it’s hard to see that changing. Colorado has allowed 200 rushing yards in five of its last six games, and USC’s rushing has been the difference for the team. Running back Tre Madden will again be sidelined with injury, but the duo of Justin Davis and Jones is more than enough to make up for the loss of Madden.

“This team, no matter what happens, no matter what’s coming, they keep fighting back,” Kessler said. “We know how to handle adversity.”

Sophomore wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster finished last week’s game against Arizona with eight catches for 138 yards despite fracturing his hand the week before. He will be a nice complement to the Trojans’ slow and steady run game.

The Trojan defense held Arizona to a season-low 60 rushing yards last week with a season-high six sacks. The biggest threat to the defense is Spruce, but if the Trojans can take Spruce out of the equation and force Colorado to run the ball, Jones and Davis can outmatch the Buffs on the ground and Kessler can do so in the air.

“If you can keep the ball away from a very powerful offense like Colorado, it will help you,” Helton said. “Offensively, that’s our responsibility to our defense.”

Perhaps the biggest threat to the Trojans’ success is the projected below freezing temperatures. If the Trojans can beat the cold, however, they should be able to notch their 10th all-time win against Colorado.

Kick off is set for 6 p.m. in Boulder, Colorado.