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USC Football Goes to Cal to Conclude Two-Game Road Trip
November 10, 2019 | Football, Features
THEMES
*USC closes out a 2-game road trip when it visits long-time foe California in a late night contest on FS1 that is Troy's final regular season road game.
*USC will be looking to avenge its 1-point loss to Cal last year, its first loss to the Golden Bears since 2003 (that game 16 years ago also was the last time Troy dropped a game in Berkeley).
*It will be USC's 107th meeting with Cal, the team the Trojans have played more than any opponent.
*It will be Troy's eighth night game of 2019, two shy of the school season record.
*Both schools' football programs have staff members who previously worked at the other school, including Cal head coach Justin Wilcox (the one-time USC defensive coordinator).
*Both teams have used 3 different starting quarterbacks this year because of injuries.
*USC, under head coach Clay Helton, is coming off a start-fast-and-hold-on victory at Arizona State that made the Trojans bowl eligible after missing post-season play in 2018. USC has fought through an injury-marred season in which 26 starters or key backups have missed action. Freshman All-American candidate QB Kedon Slovis, who threw for 297 of his 432 yards and all 4 TDs in the first quarter at ASU, is in the national Top 25 in completion percentage (just under 70%), passing TDs (20), passing efficiency and completions. He throws to the best trio of wide receivers in the country: WRs Michael Pittman Jr. (the Biletnikoff Award candidate had 13 catches at ASU and is in the national Top 20 in receptions, receiving TDs and receiving yards), Tyler Vaughns (10th on USC's career receiving list) and Amon-Ra St. Brown (he had 173 receiving yards at ASU, including a 95-yard TD that was USC's longest since 1996). The trio has 188 receptions and 18 TDs this year (and 433 career catches for 5,836 yards and 40 scores). Fleet true frosh TB Kenan Christon, who began 2019 as a fifth stringer, has emerged as a top-flight runner and catcher (he had 2 TD receptions at ASU, including a 58-yard grab-and-scamper). OT Austin Jackson and OG Alijah VeraTucker continue to shine on Troy's fine offensive line. USC's young defense (9 freshman and sophomore starters, including the entire secondary) is guided by senior captains ILB John Houston Jr., the team's tackle leader, and DL Christian Rector, whose point-blank late interception sealed the Arizona State victory. Sophomore defenders like Ss Isaiah Pola-Mao (picks in the past 2 games) and Talanoa Hufanga and ILB Kana'i Mauga have also opened eyes, along with Freshman All-American candidate DL Drake Jackson (9.5 tackles for loss). Nearly half of Australian P Ben Griffiths' punts have pinned foes within the 20-yard line, including on ASU's final 2 drives.
*California snapped a 4-game losing skid with its home win over Washington State last Saturday. The Golden Bear defense is led by the nation's top tackler, ILB Evan Weaver. Fellow ILB Kuony Deng is not far behind him at 20th nationally in stops. Cal's offense, however, ranks in the national bottom 25 in total offense, scoring offense, rushing offense and passing offense. Three quarterbacks have started this year: Chase Garbers, Devon Modster (the one-time UCLA signalcaller who started last week versus WSU) and Spencer Brasch. RBs Christopher Brown Jr. and Marcel Dancy are the leading runners, while the receiving corps--no Bear has more than 18 catches in 2019--is topped by WRs Jordan Duncan and Nikko Remigio, who is also an effective punt returner.
*The USC men's water polo and women's volleyball teams play at Cal this weekend, too.
SERIES
*USC leads the series with California, which dates back to 1915 (and is uninterrupted since 1926), 69-31-5 (not including Troy's 2005 victory that was vacated due to NCAA penalty; original record: 70-31-5). The Trojans have lost just once to the Bears since 2003, and that was last season. *In Trojan-Bear games in the Bay Area, USC is 35-13-1 (not including Troy's 2005 victory that was vacated due to NCAA penalty; original record: 36-13-1). USC's last road loss to Cal was in 2003 in triple overtime.
*In 2017 in the last meeting in Berkeley, No. 5 USC forced 6 turnovers and converted them into 17 points-- including a pair of TD passes by QB Sam Darnold and 3 field goals by PK Chase McGrath--en route to a 30- 20 road-opening victory at California.
*Last year in the Coliseum in the most recent meeting, USC built a 14-0 halftime lead behind a pair of second quarter TD passes from QB JT Daniels to WR Tyler Vaughns, but California scored 3 times within the first 9 minutes of the second half--including getting a crucial safety--and the Golden Bears held on for a 15-14 victory. It was Cal's first victory over USC since 2003 (and first in the Coliseum since 2000). See page 4 for a complete recap of that most recent matchup.
VERSUS PAC-12
*USC has won 69.9% (472-195-29) of its games against current Pac-12 opponents (not including 9 wins later vacated due to NCAA penalty; original record: 481-195-29, 70.3%).
IN NOVEMBER
*USC has a 261-134-20 (.653) all-time record while playing in the month of November (not including 3 wins vacated due to NCAA penalty; original record: 264-134-20, .656).
AT NIGHT
*USC owns a 180-66-4 (.728) all-time record at night, including 107-30-4 in the Coliseum, 58-29 on the road and 15-7 at neutral sites. (Does not include 5 wins and 1 loss vacated due to NCAA penalty; original record: 185-67-4, .730 overall, 110-30-4 in the Coliseum, 17-8 at neutral sites.) Including this week's game at California, the Trojans will have played 8 night games in 2019 (the school season record is 10, in 2010 and 2017).
ARTIFICIAL TURF
*USC is 43-30-1 in its last 74 games on artificial turf (not including 3 wins vacated due to NCAA penalty; original record: 46-30-1).
INJURIES
*USC has had a number of starters and key backups miss games with injuries in 2019. They include (with games missed): ILB Jordan Iosefa, knee (10), ILB Solomon Tuliaupupu, foot (10), DL Jacob Lichtenstein, knee (10), OT Clayton Bradley, hand (10), QB JT Daniels, knee (9), OG-OT Andrew Vorhees, ankle (8), OLB Eli'jah Winston, ankle (6), OLB Abdul-Malik McClain, knee/shoulder (4/1), S Talanoa Hufanga, concussion/ shoulder (1/2), TB Vavae Malepeai, knee (4), DL Christian Rector, ankle (3), CB Olaijah Griffin, back (2), CB Max Williams, knee/ankle (2/1), TB Markese Stepp, ankle (3), TB Stephen Carr, hamstring (3), WR Munir McClain, knee (3), ILB Palaie Gaoteote IV, ankle (3), TE Josh Falo, ankle (2), DL Drake Jackson, ankle (2), CB Greg Johnson, shoulder/concussion (1/1), OT Liam Jimmons, concussion/elbow (1/1), QB Kedon Slovis, concussion (1), CB Isaac Taylor-Stuart, concussion (1), CB Chris Steele (1), knee, DL Marlon Tuipulotu (1), back, and OLB Hunter Echols (1), shoulder. In 2019, USC has started 3 different quarterbacks and has entered games down to a fourth string tailback or with 4 defensive starters out or missing both starting cornerbacks or both starting defensive ends.
USC-CALIFORNIA CONNECTIONS
*USC has 8 players who previously attended a Bay Area school: DL De'jon Benton (Pittsburg HS), CB Jack Drake (De La Salle HS), ILB Grant Jones (De La Salle HS), TE Sean Mahoney (Archbishop Mitty HS), OT Jalen McKenzie (Clayton Valley HS), TE Erik Krommenhoek (Monte Vista HS), DL Caleb Tremblay (Vintage HS) and OG Alijah Vera-Tucker (Bishop O'Dowd HS).
*TE Jude Wolfe's cousin, Ryan Gutierrez, was a safety at California (2001-04).
*USC defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast held a similar position at California from 2010 to 2012.
*USC secondary coach Greg Burns held a similar position at California from 2014 to 2016.
*Two USC coaches have connections with the Bay Area's NFL teams: defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast was the San Francisco 49ers linebackers coach in 2015 and running game and pass protection coordinator/offensive line coach Tim Drevno was the San Francisco 49ers offensive line coach for 3 years (2011-13).
*Also with Bay Area ties: USC running game and pass protection coordinator/offensive line coach Tim Drevno was an assistant at Stanford, handling the tight ends (2007-08) and offensive line (2009-10), and also was San Jose State's offensive line coach in 1999 and USC defensive graduate assistant Michael Hutchings prepped at De La Salle High in Concord (Calif.).
*California head coach Justin Wilcox was USC's defensive coordinator in 2014 and 2015.
*Cal co-defensive coordinator/associate head coach/inside linebackers coach/recruiting coordinator Peter Sirmon was an assistant coach at USC in 2014 and 2015.
*Cal tight ends coach Marques Tuiasosopo was USC's tight ends coach/associate head coach offense in 2014 and 2015.
*Cal offensive line coach Steve Greatwood held a similar job at USC in 1998 and 1999.
*Cal head football athletic performance coach Torre Becton was an assistant at USC in 2016.
*Cal director of recruiting strategy Marshall Cherrington was the head student manager for the 2017 USC football team.
*USC associate athletic director Hatcher Parnell is a Cal graduate who previously worked in event management for the Golden Bears.
*USC director of equipment operations Todd Hewitt and assistant sports information director Jeremy Wu formerly held similar positions at Cal.
*The California women's swim team is coached by Teri McKeever, who was an All-American swimmer at USC in 1980-81 and later an assistant coach at Troy (her late father, Mike, was an All-American guard for the 1959 USC football team, while her late uncle, Marlin, was a Trojan All-American end in 1959 and 1960).
*Cal women's basketball assistant coach Kai Felton previously held that position at USC.
*Cal athletic academic advisor Cassidy Raher formerly held a similar position at USC.
