Football prepares for crucial road test
Late on Tuesday afternoon, a roar could be heard from the west side of University Park. It wasn’t from the brass of the Trojan Marching Band or from a swim meet at Uytengsu Aquatics Center or a baseball game at Dedeaux Field.
Instead, the deafening cheer came from speakers at Howard Jones Field mimicking crowd noise at USC’s afternoon football practice.
The Trojans are simulating stadium noise to prepare for what’s expected to be a raucous and hostile environment when they face No. 17 Washington at Husky Stadium this weekend.
Washington is coming off a 45-19 victory over BYU, a team that upset head coach Clay Helton’s Trojans in overtime Week 3. The Trojans are coming off an impressive win of their own, having just defeated Utah at the Coliseum.
Utah was the No. 10 team in the nation and a favorite to win the Pac-12 before No. 21 USC’s Friday night victory. Prior to the game, it had been two years since USC last won a game as an underdog. In 2016, USC upset the No. 4 ranked Huskies 26-13 in Seattle, and they’ll be looking to upset Washington again this weekend.
More of the Same
After only two passes against Utah, freshman quarterback Kedon Slovis was tackled to the ground and knocked out of the game with a concussion. Redshirt junior quarterback Matt Fink stepped in for Slovis and had a breakout performance, orchestrating USC’s upset victory to the tune of 351 passing yards and 3 touchdowns through the air.
Fink’s breakout performance revived what many feared was a lost season for USC after losing to BYU the previous week.
Still, despite the attention and new concerns over USC’s health at quarterback, Fink isn’t changing anything about his play.
“My game hasn’t changed whatsoever … you know, my game is my game, and I’m going to play to the best of my ability,” Fink said after practice. “Obviously, I’m going try to protect myself because I know the situation, but like I said, I’m going to keep playing the way I play.”
USC is once again the underdog this week against Washington. Despite the Huskies being favored to win by more than a touchdown, redshirt sophomore offensive tackle Jalen McKenzie said the team isn’t going to change what it does.
“We don’t care if we’re the underdog and we don’t care if we’re supposed to beat them. We’re going to get every team’s best because of who we are,” McKenzie said after practice. “We have to bring that same intensity every week.”
Quarterback Depth
Slovis’s injury means USC now has only one healthy scholarship quarterback available in Fink. Behind Fink on the depth chart is redshirt junior quarterback Brandon Perdue. Perdue joined USC in Fall 2018 after transferring from junior college, where he finished with a career completion percentage of 53.3 and two touchdowns.
Despite Perdue’s inexperience and less than stellar junior college career, the quarterback still has the confidence of his head coach.
“He was the quarterback on our service team last year as well as this year, and I watch all the tape,” Helton told reporters after practice. “He’s done a tremendous job and he’s a competitor. “He’s a good athlete that not only was a quarterback but also helped us out at safety. Now, he’s being asked to be a backup quarterback for this game. He’s over here mentally getting reps and physically getting reps, and he said, ‘Coach, if I’m called upon, I’ll do my best for my brothers.’”
Helton and offensive coordinator Graham Harrell also confirmed that redshirt junior wide receiver Tyler Vaughns received reps at quarterback during practice.
Injuries
Sophomore safety Talanoa Hufanga is currently in concussion protocol and recovering from an AC sprain. Sophomore cornerback Olaijah Griffin ran around at practice and looked good, according to Helton. Griffin left last Friday’s game with back spasms and a slightly bulging disk. The cornerback’s status will be evaluated day to day. Slovis, meanwhile, is still not medically cleared for Saturday.