Football season is heating up for the No. 21 Trojans as they prepare to face their first ranked challenge of the season against No. 23 Illinois on the road, with a chance to prove they are a College Football Playoff contender. 

“Our battle is going to be our ability to do it from a consistency standpoint,” Head Coach Lincoln Riley said in a post-practice news conference Tuesday. “Cutting out some of the errors that have kept a couple of these games closer than they really felt on the field would be important for our growth as a team.”

The first of many big challenges to come, USC (4-0, 2-0 Big Ten) has the momentum heading into a critical matchup against Illinois (3-1, 0-1) ahead of a bye week. The undefeated Trojan squad continues to build confidence, but the Fighting Illini are looking to redeem themselves from a crushing 53-point loss last week in a matchup that could be season-defining on both sides.

Lemon fresh off award-winning performance

Without standout junior wide receiver Ja’Kobi Lane in Saturday’s 45-31 victory over Michigan State (3-1, 0-1), many Trojan skill players had to step up. Eight different targets brought in at least one reception, demonstrating the depth of an offense with the third-most yards per game in Division I. 

An “inconclusive” Lane injury became apparent in the middle of the week, according to Riley.

“I don’t think it’ll be super long, but certainly I can’t sit here today and say he’s for sure going to play next week or in the coming weeks,” Riley said in a post-game news conference Saturday. 

Lane returned to practice on Tuesday, according to The Los Angeles Times, but when asked about his status, Riley said information would be in the Big Ten availability report, which is released two hours before every game.

It was junior wide receiver Makai Lemon that stole the show with his 127 receiving yards, receiving touchdown and rushing touchdown. It gave him the boost he needed to earn the Paul Hornung National Player of the Week, which is presented to college football’s most versatile player that week. 

“[I’m] blessed to receive any award,” Lemon said in a post-practice news conference Tuesday. “[I’ll] keep doing what I gotta do on the field, let the accolades talk for me.”

On Saturday, freshman wide receiver Tanook Hines caught his first receiving touchdown and redshirt senior wide receiver Jaden Richardson secured 23 yards on two receptions to contribute to the Trojan attack.

“[Wide receivers] got the confidence. That’s all I need,” redshirt junior quarterback Jayden Maiava said in a post-practice news conference Tuesday. “We all got that relationship and that bond that we built during the offseason, and that’s going to take us a long way.”

Maiava’s magic continues to impress

Maiava’s magic has led USC to its 4-0 start, and he leads the Big Ten with 1,223 passing yards, with second place trailing behind by 73 yards. Against Michigan State, he threw for 234 yards and three touchdown passes on top of rushing for 2 touchdowns. Maiava is now tied for the sixth-best odds to win the Heisman Trophy, according to CBS Sports.

USC’s backfield has also continued to tear through defenses, averaging 252.2 yards per game. Junior running back Waymond Jordan leads the team with 443 rushing yards, the second most in the Big Ten, and 3 rushing touchdowns.

“When I look to my right and left, and a couple of inches away, I see Waymo, I’m good,” Maiava said. “We are about to go score this drive.”

In addition to Lane, redshirt sophomore offensive lineman Elijah Paige’s injury status is unclear after he left during the second quarter of the Michigan State game and did not return. Paige was not seen at practice Tuesday, according to The Los Angeles Times, and Riley also directed questions toward the upcoming availability report. 

“We’re never really built around one person,” Riley said. “We try not to be for reasons like that … We just went and ran our offense, and the guys did the job producing.” 

‘We got to get a lot better’

In his second year, Defensive Coordinator D’Anton Lynn has appeared to turn the Trojan defense around, but a high-flying Illinois offense could bring up major red flags. Explosive plays, such as the 75-yard touchdown pass allowed by the Trojans during the fourth quarter against Michigan State and the eight defensive penalties surrendered against the Spartans, could give the Fighting Illini the edge.

“We’ve had either one busted coverage or one miscommunication in all the games, and I think that’s the biggest thing that has shown up,” Riley said. “We own it. We got to get a lot better.”

The Fighting Illini, who are averaging 36.25 points per game, do most of their damage in the air, averaging 220.5 receiving yards per game. Senior wide receiver Hank Beatty leads the way for Illinois with 302 yards and a touchdown this season. Junior wide receiver Justin Bowick, who has 3 receiving touchdowns, is another threat in the aerial attack.

Following a 63-10 loss to No. 11 Indiana (4-0, 1-0) on Saturday, Illinois dropped 14 positions from No. 9 in The Associated Press’ Top 25 rankings. Despite this momentum destroyer, Illinois senior quarterback Luke Altmyer has performed well this season, completing 70% of his passes and averaging 213.75 yards per game. 

USC’s run defense has looked steady thus far, holding opponents to 92.8 yards per game, and the Trojans have forced 139 yards lost so far this season. The defense’s combined 16 sacks are also tied for the most in the country.

But Illinois has three different backs with over 100 rushing yards this season. The shared workload is led in total rushing yards by junior running back Kaden Feagin, a 6-foot-3, 255-pound power back, who has an average of 60 rushing yards per game. 

“All their backs have different skill sets,” Lynn said in a post-practice news conference Wednesday. “We have to recognize who’s in the game and what their playstyle is.”

‘Great team, great coaching, great defense’

Two standout defensive Trojans are Big Ten tackle for loss leader redshirt senior linebacker Eric Gentry and Big Ten interception leader redshirt senior safety Bishop Fitzgerald. Gentry also leads the team with 27 total tackles. 

“The real leader that I look up to is Eric Gentry,” standout freshman defensive tackle Jahkeem Stewart said in a post-practice news conference Wednesday. “He stands out to me because he comes from the heart, and that’s where I’m from.”

Illinois also has defensive powerhouses, such as senior linebacker Gabe Jacas, who leads the team with 3.5 sacks and two forced fumbles. Junior defensive back Matthew Bailey has also been essential to the team, leading with 18 solo tackles and 22 total.

“Great team, great coaching, great defense,” Lemon said of Illinois. “We’re going to go out there on Saturday and do what we need to do.”

A Big Noon Kickoff begins the first meeting between USC and Illinois since 2008, when the Trojans came out on top 49-17 to win the Rose Bowl. USC is 11-2 all-time against the Fighting Illini, with the last loss being in 1989. 

USC hopes to prove itself against Illinois on Saturday at 11 a.m. in Champaign, Illinois.