University Southern California Trojans
USC Football Hosts Arizona In Homecoming Game
November 01, 2015 | Football
It's Homecoming/Reunion Weekend at USC, as the on-the-rise Trojans begin November play by hosting Arizona under the Coliseum lights. Troy has captured more than 75% of its games against the Wildcats—with just 2 losses since 2001—in a series that dates to 1916. Arizona has only beaten USC 4 times in Los Angeles. However, nearly half of the USC-Arizona games, including the last 8, have been decided by a touchdown or less. The Trojans, under interim head coach Clay Helton, are riding a 2-game winning streak (including at California last weekend) after a bumpy first half of the season that included a coaching change. Troy has been living by Helton's mantra of "run the ball, stop the run and don't turn over the ball." Offensively, USC is productive and efficient, leading the Pac-12 (and in the national Top 10) in completion percentage and passing efficiency and ranking in the nation's Top 25 in passing yards, scoring and total yards. QB Cody Kessler, whose passing efficiency and completion marks are above his Trojan season records, tops the Pac-12 this week in completion percentage and passing efficiency (both in the national Top 10). He is in USC's all-time Top 4 in TD passes, completions, passing yards and total offense (he also is above Matt Leinart's school records for career completion percentage and interception rate). Biletnikoff Award candidate WR JuJu Smith-Schuster remains in the national Top 25 in receiving yards (best in the Pac-12), receiving TDs and receptions. Three-way star CB-WR-RET Adoree' Jackson, who turned his first career interception last week at Cal into a 46-yard TD, is the only player in the country with 300 yards receiving, 300 yards in kick runbacks, 100 punt return yards and 10 tackles. Explosive TB Ronald Jones II, among 15 Trojan true freshmen who have played in 2015 (3 have started), continues to lead USC in rushing, and there's also dependable veteran TBs Tre Madden and Justin Davis (all 3 came up big at Cal). The USC defense, which has scored 4 TDs (second nationally) and is +1.3 in turnovers, is led by Butkus nominee OLB Su'a Cravens and ILB Cameron Smith, who remains on pace to be the first true freshman to lead Troy in season tackles. Head coach Rich Rodriguez's Arizona club has dropped 4 of its past 6 games, including being on the wrong end of a rout last Saturday at Washington. The Wildcats' potent offense is in the Top 20 nationally in rushing, scoring and total yards (all second-best in the Pac-12). QB Anu Solomon is UA's primary passer and QB Jerrard Randall sees action mainly as a runner (he has 458 rushing yards); they've thrown just 4 picks. RBs Nick Wilson and Jared Baker also provide yardage on the ground. Five Wildcats have 25-plus receptions: WRs Cayleb Jones (40), Johnny Jackson (34), Nate Phillips (30), David Richards (29) and Samajie Grant (25). The Wildcats' defense is allowing more than 450 total yards and 34 points per game, evidence that it misses the play and leadership of injured LB Scooby Wright, the 2015 Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year. Now leading UA's defense are S Will Parks, S Jamar Allah and CB DaVonte' Neal. The game will be shown live nationally on ESPN. Among those saluted on-field during the game will be former Trojan tailback great Mike Garrett on the 50th anniversary of his Heisman Trophy, former Women of Troy soccer All-American Amy Rodriguez for helping the USA win the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup and ex-Trojan All-American Garrett Stubbs for winning the 2015 Johnny Bench Award as the top collegiate catcher. Several other USC sports—men's water polo, women's volleyball, women's basketball and baseball—are in action at home during the weekend.
