Trojans going for sixth season win against Washington State

After beating the Arizona State Sun Devils 42-25 at home last Saturday, the Trojans will look to secure another victory at home against the Washington State Cougars. In last season’s meeting between the two teams, USC beat Washington State 45-14, and entering Saturday’s game, the Trojans have a 63-10-4 all-time record against the Cougars.

The Trojans have taken their last three matchups against the Cougars, averaging 40.7 points per game in the process.

In Saturday’s victory over the Sun Devils, it was a tale of two halves for USC’s defense, as the Trojans gave up 17 points in the first half to Arizona State but surrendered only one touchdown with 6:19 remaining in the game. The Trojans enter Saturday’s game with three of their five victories coming against Pac-12 teams. 

Teams continue to have no answers for the Trojans’ offensive attack as USC is averaging 42.2 points per game on offense, good for No. 1 in the Pac-12 and No. 10 in the nation. USC’s offense has been on a roll all season but will face another tough defense on Saturday; the Cougars are second in the Pac-12 in scoring defense, giving up only 18.2 points per game this season. Head Coach Lincoln Riley spoke Tuesday on the challenges Washington State’s defense presents to USC’s high-powered offense.

“They do a lot of things like our defense does,” Riley said. “They’re aggressive up front and they move enough to cause you problems… They fly around and cause a lot of havoc.”

Washington State’s defense sits only behind Utah in the conference in points per game allowed this season.

A player that will be critical for the Trojans not only against Washington State but also going forward will be redshirt senior offensive lineman Justin Dedich. Riley spoke on Dedich’s status against Washington State after missing Saturday’s game against Arizona State with a leg injury.

“We’ll keep evaluating him throughout the week, we’re trying to be smart,” Riley said. “Obviously we’d love for him to be able to play but then the flip side of it is we have a lot of season left. You gotta be smart with him.”

The USC defense will have to prepare for the unique challenges the Washington State offense presents to them. Sophomore defensive back Calen Bullock spoke on the unique qualities of Washington State’s offensive personnel and, in particular, sophomore quarterback Cameron Ward.

“[He’s] a real good passer,” Bullock said. “He has a real good arm and he’s a talented quarterback. He likes to scramble a lot and throw on the scramble.”

Bullock also spoke about how the Cougars’ offense compares to other units they have faced.

“It’s a really talented offense,” Bullock said. “It’s probably one of the best offenses we’re going to play.”  

The play calling of Washington State’s Offensive Coordinator Eric Morris has been a key component of Washington State’s success on offense. The Cougars are averaging 29.6 points per game in their five games played so far. 

“It’s a good system,” Riley said. “It’s a tough system to stop with the combination of what they run and their quarterback making it go.”

Two units that could ultimately be a deciding factor in the outcome of the game are USC’s offensive line and Washington State’s defensive line. The Cougars are second in the nation in tackles. One player making a big impact for their defensive unit is senior linebacker Daiyan Henley, who leads the Cougars in tackles with 44 on the season. Henley has also recorded four sacks and two forced fumbles this year.

USC will look to match Washington State’s defense with production from their prominent offensive stars. Senior running back and Oregon transfer Travis Dye has averaged 6.8 yards per carry this season and has 422 yards rushing with five touchdowns. Junior wide receiver Jordan Addison is coming off eight catches and 105 yards against Arizona State, and for the season Addison has 442 yards and six touchdowns.

Other wide receivers that will look to continue to make an impact for the Trojans against Washington State are junior Brenden Rice and redshirt freshman Kyron Hudson. Rice is coming off a 72-yard game, his highest of the season and Hudson caught three passes for 46-yards and a touchdown against the Sun Devils.

Addison spoke after practice about Hudson and what he brings to the wide receiver room.

“He comes out here and competes everyday,” Addison said. “It was good to finally see him get his shot. He got his one opportunity and he made the most of it.”

As the Trojans look to stay perfect, beating Washington State will take a team effort. The game is set to kickoff tomorrow, Oct. 8, at 4:30 p.m. at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.