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No. 9 USC Football Returns To Coliseum, Hosts Arizona On Trojan Family Weekend
October 02, 2023 | Football
SATURDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
*USC returns home to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to challenge Arizona during Trojan Family Weekend.
*Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. PT, and the game will be broadcast on ESPN.
*The Trojans are ranked No. 9 in the latest AP Poll.
COLORADO RECAP
*Defending Heisman Trophy winner QB Caleb Williams continues to show why is he the greatest player in the nation as he led the USC Trojans to defeat Colorado 48-41 in Boulder, Colo. at Folsom Field.
*Leading Lincoln Riley's electric offense, Williams has put up incredible numbers while playing only 16 quarters of football through 5 games this season.
*Against the Buffs, Williams went 30-of-40 for 403 yards and 6 TDs and 1 INT. He also rushed for 12 yards on 5 carries.
*Williams' 6 TDs tie his single game career-high (also throwing 6 TDs against Texas Tech in 2021).
*He is the first FBS player in the last 25 years to throw for 6 passing TDs in a game for multiple schools.
*Williams spread the ball out to 10 different receivers against Colorado.
*Williams earned Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week for his performance.
*USC scored on its first drive of the game today, a 6-play, 75-yard drive which ended as RB MarShawn Lloyd rushed 27-yards for a TD. •USC has scored on its first drive in all 5 games this season. •WR Brenden Rice, a transfer from Colorado in 2022, scored 2 TDs against his former team. He scored a 26-yard TD in the second quarter and a 6-yard TD in the third. He wrapped up the night with 5 receptions for 81 yards.
*Rice now has 7 TDs throughout 5 games.
*Rice has recorded a TD in 6 straight games (Tulane, San José State, Nevada, Stanford, Arizona State, Colorado).
*Rice is ranked No. 7 nationally in receiving TDs (7).
*WR Tahj Washington led the Trojans with 117 receiving yards on 8 receptions. He also scored 1 TD.
*WR Mario Williams and WR Dorian Singer each also scored TDs.
*TE Jude Wolfe scored a 3-yard TD in the third quarter. After battling through multiple injuries throughout his career, this was his first TD of the season and the first of his career.
*RB MarShawn Lloyd netted 84 rushing yards and 1 TD.
*ILB Mason Cobb led the Trojans with 13 tackles today.
*RUSH Jamil Muhammad, DL De'jon Benton and RUSH Romello Height each recorded a sack.
*ILB Eric Gentry blocked a CU punt in the second quarter, and it was recovered by RUSH Romello Height.
*This was USC's first blocked punt since former WR Jake Russell blocked a punt versus UCLA in 2018.
*CB Christian Roland-Wallace intercepted CU QB Shedeur Sanders in the first quarter. This was his first INT of the season and the third of his career.
*RUSH Solomon Byrd recorded 3 tackles and 1 PBU. He is No. 3 in the nation in forced fumbles (0.60).
*ILB Mason Cobb, CB Domani Jackson and CB Ceyair Wright each had 1 PBU.
*USC is tied for No. 1 in the nation in tackles for loss (41.0) and third nationally in sacks (16.0).
*P Eddie Czaplicki recorded his longest punt of the season, a 57-yarder.
*USC is now 5-0 on the season, doing so back-to-back seasons under Lincoln Riley.
CALEB BY THE NUMBERS
*QB Caleb Williams has played 262 snaps compared to Washington's Micahel Penix Jr. (285 snaps), Oregon's Bo Nix (288 snaps), Notre Dame's Sam Hartman (340 snaps) and Colorado's Shedeur Sanders (394 snaps).
*This season, Williams is 105-of-141 for 1,603 yards with 21 TDs and 1 INT. He has also rushed for 83 yards this season with 3 TDs – all within 16 quarters of football throughout 5 games.
*Compared to his first five games of his Heisman winning season in 2022 (107-of-159 for 1,402 yards with 12 TDs and 1 INT and 144 rushing yards with 3 TDs – playing 19 quarters of football), Williams has thrown 9 more TDs through 5 games this year, all while playing 3 fewer quarters than he did to begin the 2022 season.
*He is currently No. 1 in the nation in passing efficiency (217.7), No. 1 in the nation for passing TDs (21), No. 1 in the nation in points responsible for (146), No. 1 in the nation in points responsible for per game (29.2), No. 1 in the nation in yards per pass attempt (11.37), No. 6 in the nation for passing yards (1,603), No. 7 in passing yards per game (320.6), No. 8 in the nation in total offense (337.2) and No. 9 in the nation for completion percentage (0.745).
*He is the first FBS player in the last 25 years to throw for 6 passing TDs in a game for multiple schools.
RILEY'S ELECTRIC OFFENSE
*The Trojan offense is No. 1 in the nation for scoring offense (53.6), No. 2 in the nation for team passing efficiency (204.66), No. 3 in the nation in total offense (555.0), and No. 4 in the nation for passing offense (382.4).
BREATHTAKING BRANCH
*WR Zachariah Branch continues to impress the college football world with his shifty moves and electric returns. Against Stanford, he returned a punt for a 75-yard TD in the second quarter . He had a 96- yard kickoff return for a TD vs. San Jose State on Aug. 26.
*He also has 2 TD receptions this season and is the first Trojan since Adoree' Jackson in 2016 to have a punt return and kickoff return for a TD, as well as at least one receiving TD in the same season. Jackson had 2 punt returns and 2 kickoff returns for TDs and 1 TD reception during the 2016 season.
*Since 1971 (when records are available) Branch is one of just 3 USC players to accomplish the feat, joining Jackson and Curtis Conway (1992 – 1 kickoff return TD, 1 punt return TD, 5 rec TD). He also had 4 receptions for 30 yards and 1 carry for 2 rushing yards against Stanford.
*Branch is currently No. 1 in the nation in punt returns (22.6), tied for No. 1 in the nation for kickoff return TDs (1), tied for No. 1 in the nation in punt return TDs (1) and No. 9 in the nation in combined kick returns (329).
ARIZONA SCOUTING REPORT
*Arizona is 3-2 overall and 1-1 in Pac-12 Conference games.
*On Saturday Sept. 30, the Wildcats lost 24-31 to Washington in Tucson, Ariz.
*QB Jayden de Laura did not compete against Washington due to an ankle injury. On the season, he is 87-of-125 for 1,069 yards with 9 TDs and 5 INTs. A dual-threat QB, de Laura has recorded 131 rushing yards on 20 attempts with 3 TDs.
*QB Noah Fifita threw for 232 yards and 3 TDs in his first career start against Washington. He went 35-of-47 with 1 INT.
*RB Jonah Coleman is Arizona's leading rusher with 220 yards on 32 attempts.
*Arizona senior RB Michael Wiley was also out against Washington with a lower-body injury. He has netted 176 rushing yards on 40 attempts with 1 TD.
*WR Tetairoa McMillan leads the Wildcats with 5 receiving TDs this season. He has 27 receptions for 386 yards.
*Four other Wildcats have caught TDs: WR Jacob Cowing (36 receptions for 299 yards and 4 TDs), TE Tanner McLachlan (16 receptions for 214 yards and 1 TD), RB Jonah Coleman (12 receptions for 154 yards and 1 TD) and WR Montana Lemonious-Craig (11 receptions for 129 yards and 21 TD).
*LB Jacob Manu leads the team with 49 tackles.
*Edge Taylor Upshaw has recorded 4.5 sacks for minus 26 yards to lead the Wildcats.
RANKINGS
*USC is ranked No. 9 in the latest AP Poll and 7th in the USA Today Coaches Poll. Arizona is not ranked.
SERIES
*USC holds a 37-8 record over Arizona (not including 1 win vacated due to NCAA penalty; original record: 38-8-0).
*The Trojans have won the last 6 meetings in Los Angeles.
*Troy has lost just twice to the Wildcats since 2001.
VERSUS PAC-12 CONFERENCE
*USC has won 69.9% (493-204-29) of its games against current Pac-12 opponents (does not include 9 wins later vacated due to NCAA penalty; original record: 502-204-29, 70.3%).
IN OCTOBER
*USC has a 316-125-19 (.708) all-time record while playing in the month of October (not including 5 wins vacated due to NCAA penalty; original record: 321-125-19, .711).
USC-ARIZONA CONNECTIONS
*USC has 8 players from Arizona (CB Jacobe Covington of Saguaro HS, S Daniel Jimenez-Fulton of Chandler HS, OL Andrew Milek of Brophy Prep, WR Brenden Rice of Hamilton HS, DL Anthony Lucas of Chapparal HS, WR Duce Robinson of Pinnacle HS, OL Elijah Paige of Pinnacle HS and WR Ja'Kobi Lane of Red Mountain HS), while the Wildcats have 42 Californians on their roster.
*USC WR Dorian Singer, CB Christian Roland-Wallace and DL Kyon Barrs all previously played at Arizona before transferring to USC earlier this year.
*USC CB Ceyair Wright's father, Claudius Wright, was a cornerback at Arizona.
*USC defensive backs coach Donte Williams was the cornerbacks coach at Arizona in 2016.
*USC WR Brenden Rice was high school teammates with Arizona LB Taye Brown, S Genesis Smith and OL Grayson Stovall at Hamilton high school in Arizona.
*USC S Daniel Jimenez-Fulton was a high school teammate with Arizona S Gunner Maldonado at Chandler high school in Arizona.
*USC WR Josiah Zamora, CB Domani Jackson, WR Corey Nerhus, ILB Raesjon Davis, WR Kyron Hudson, DL Solomon Tuliaupupu and WR Raleek Brown were high school teammates with Arizona DL Ta'ita'i Uiagelelei, LB Leviticus Su'a and DL Jacob Kongaika at Mater Dei.
*USC RB Matt Colombo, TE Jude Wolfe, P Will Rose and DL Kobe Pepe were high school teammates with Arizona RB Rayshon Luke at St. John Bosco.
*USC WR Brenden Rice was a college teammate with Arizona WR Montana Lemonious-Craig at Colorado.
*USC QB Miller Moss and S Jaylin Smith were high school teammates with Arizona RB Nazar Bombata, CB Ephesians Prysock, OL Rhino Tapa'atoutai and WR Kevin Green Jr. at Bishop Alemany.
*USC WR Ty Shamblin and PK-P Garth White were high school teammates with Arizona LB Sterling Lane II and QB Cole Tannenbaum at Oaks Christian.
*USC SNP Nathan Weneta and Arizona WR Rex Haynes both prepped at Cathedral Catholic HS in San Diego, Calif.
*USC DL Korey Foreman and Arizona WR Malachi Riley both prepped at Centennial HS in Corona, Calif.
*USC CB L Simpson and Arizona OL Elijha Payne both prepped at Sierra Canyon HS in Chatsworth, Calif.
*USC WR Michael Jackson III and Arizona DL Tiaoalii Savea both prepped at Desert Pines HS in Las Vegas, Nev.
*USC swimming associate head coach Peter Richardson held a similar role at Arizona from 2020-22.
*USC swimming assistant coach Brooks Fail was an 11-time All-American swimmer and Pac-12 champion at Arizona.
*Arizona offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Brennan Carroll was a USC graduate assistant and then assistant coach (2002-09) and is the son of former USC head coach Pete Carroll.
*Arizona defensive coordinator Johnny Nansen spent six seasons on the coaching staff at USC. In 2017, Nansen was named the Pac-12 Recruiter of the Year by 247Sports.com and helped guide the USC defense that ranked fourth nationally in red zone defense (.712) and fifth in sacks (3.3).
*Arizona defensive line coach Ricky Hunley began his coaching journey as a graduate assistant at USC from 1992-93 under head coaches Larry Smith and John Robinson.
*Defensive analyst Brett Arce held a similar position at USC from 2016-21.
*Arizona senior associate director of athletics for student athlete development, John Mosbach previously worked in USC's Student-Athlete Academic Services.
