No. 11 USC showcased its second-half magic the past two weeks and won one game in the process. But back on the road, and with eyes on the College Football Playoff race, the Trojans hope to play more complete games.

USC (3-1, 1-1 Big Ten) initially appeared to be outmatched last Saturday when the Wisconsin Badgers (2-2, 0-1) took an overwhelming 21-10 lead at halftime, but right out of the break, the Trojans fired back and scored 28 unanswered points to win big.

The clutch performance brought USC’s overall second-half scoring advantage to 87-23 in four games thus far, showing the team’s true potential when adjustments are made.

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“We’ve had a few stretches, but you want to be able to start and sustain [offensive production],” said Head Coach Lincoln Riley at practice Tuesday. “If we don’t have it, we’ve got to be able to snap out of it and find it a little bit quicker.”

Set for another 1,000-mile-plus trip to the heart of the Big Ten, USC will face the Minnesota Golden Gophers (2-3, 0-2) next. They’re a squad coming off back-to-back losses, with earlier wins over FCS and Group of Five foes.

Like USC, Minnesota went toe-to-toe with Michigan (4-1, 2-0) and made a second-half statement by scoring 21 fourth-quarter points before narrowly losing. The Gophers’ rushing attack faltered in their recent losses, as they’ve only tallied 117 ground yards over the past two weeks, dropping to No. 108 nationally in total offense with 327.2 yards per game as opposed to the Trojans’ 459.8.

Minnesota has also been dormant to begin games this season, only notching 9 total points across five first quarters. While USC is also a second-half team, the Trojans can at least say they’ve been somewhat productive early in games.

Redshirt junior quarterback Miller Moss catalyzed USC’s first Big Ten win over Wisconsin, tossing 3 touchdowns and running 1 in himself. Moss — who’s spread his targets across various pass-catchers this season — connected with sophomore wide receiver Ja’Kobi Lane for two scores and found sophomore wide receiver Duce Robinson for a third-quarter touchdown amid the comeback.

The Trojans’ offensive line was a glaring issue against the Wolverines — and while it was more stable against the Badgers — it still allowed four tackles for loss and couldn’t help establish an efficient run game.

USC’s defense made mistakes in the first half but flipped the script as the game progressed and only missed four tackles, its lowest all season. Redshirt sophomore safety Kamari Ramsey compiled two tackles for loss and stepped up in place of usual standout senior linebacker Eric Gentry, who left the game early with an injury and will be questionable to play against Minnesota.

Despite Minnesota’s recent woes, graduate quarterback Max Brosmer has been a bright spot. The sixth-year signal-caller ranks No. 7 in the Big Ten in passing yards — two spots behind Moss — and has 6 touchdown passes.

While the Gophers’ run game has regressed lately, sophomore running back Darius Taylor has still made a handful of end-zone trips, scoring in three of his four appearances this season. As USC’s run defense has struggled at times, it will aim to force Minnesota to throw the ball as much as possible and emulate its success in the final 30 minutes against Wisconsin.

Minnesota’s total defense ranks fifth in the country, limiting opponents to only 226.8 yards per game with the lowest passing yards allowed.

“They’re a really veteran group, and a group that’s taken on a new defensive system really well,” Moss said. “[It’s] an exciting challenge for us.”

Upon heading northeast, news broke that senior linebacker Raesjon Davis intended to redshirt, following junior defensive tackle Bear Alexander’s decision to do the same. Sophomore wide receiver Makai Lemon and redshirt senior safety Akili Arnold returned to practice Tuesday after both suffered injuries against Michigan. USC will hope both make timely recoveries.

The Trojans are 6-1-1 all-time against the Gophers with five straight wins. The teams most recently faced each other in the 2011 season opener.

USC’s season has been rocky at times through four bouts, but the team has found ways to make late statements and adjust to the new conference. In Minneapolis, the Trojans will look for their first road victory in the Big Ten before they return home for a big test against No. 7 Penn State (4-0, 1-0) the following week.

“Our goal is to start faster,” Robinson said. “When we’re going, we’re a really good football team.”

USC’s final trip to flyover country will kick off Saturday at 4:30 p.m. at Huntington Bank Stadium, and the Trojans will aim to tune out the ruckus road environment.