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No. 24 USC Football Visits Longtime Foe California In Final Scheduled Weekender Trip
October 24, 2023 | Football
THE WEEKENDER
*USC visits long-time opponent California for what could be the final Weekender for the foreseeable future.
*The game will be shown live nationally on Pac-12 Network.
*It will be USC's 110th meeting with Cal, the team the Trojans have played more than any other opponent.
*USC tries to avoid a three-game losing streak. Last time the Trojans lost three in a row was in 2021 when USC fell to California, BYU and UCLA at the end of the season.
*USC is ranked No. 24 in the AP Poll and No. 22 in the USA Today Coaches Poll.
UTAH GAME RECAP
*Defending Heisman Trophy winner QB Caleb Williams went 24-of-34 for 256 yards with 0 TDs and rushed for 27 yards on 10 carries with 1 TD in a heartbreaking loss against Utah at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
*USC had its 11-game home winning streak snapped. USC's last home loss was a 35-31 loss vs. BYU on Nov. 27, 2021.
*The 32 points USC scored were the most Utah has allowed in a game this season. The previous high surrendered by Utah was 21 in a 21-7 loss at Oregon State on Sept. 29. Utah entered the game allowing 12.2 points per game, second in the country.
*USC scored 14 points on its first two drives of the first quarter. Utah had not allowed more than 7 points to its opponents in the first quarter of any game this season. The 14 points scored were also the most surrendered by Utah in any quarter this season, until USC scored 15 in the fourth quarter.
*USC also had 100 rushing yards in the first quarter, nearly 34 yards more than Utah has allowed per game this season (66.8), which was tops in the country entering today's action. USC finished with 145 rushing yards, the most the Utes have surrendered in a game this season (previous high was 131 at Oregon State on Sept. 29).
*The last time USC lost on the final play of the game was a 38-34 loss to Arizona State on Oct. 4, 2014 when ASU's Mike Bercovici threw a 46-yard Hail Mary pass to Jaelen Strong. The last time USC lost a game on a last-second field goal was a 37-35 loss at Stanford on Oct. 9, 2010 (a 30-yard FG by Nate Whitaker).
*RB MarShawn Lloyd scored the first TD of the game, a 45-yard rush, in the first quarter.
*WR Zachariah Branch also scored a 1-yard rushing TD, his first of the season.
*Williams scored his 7th rushing TD of the season in the fourth quarter to push the Trojans ahead 32- 31.
*S Calen Bullock intercepted Utah QB Bryson Barnes and ran it back 30-yards for a TD. This was the first Trojan pick-six of the season and Bullock's second INT.
*PK Denis Lynch was 2-for-2 in FGs (44 and 36 yards) and was perfect in both PATs.
CALEB BY THE NUMBERS
*Williams is currently points responsible for (184), points responsible for per game (23.0), No. 2 in the nation in passing TDs (23), No. 4 in the nation in passing efficiency (179.4), No. 5 in the nation in passing yards (2,277) and No. 7 in the nation in yards per pass attempt (9.61).
*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. 3 in the nation for scoring offense (45.4), No. 4 in the nation for first downs offense (192), No. 7 in the nation for team passing efficiency (175.25) and No. 9 in the nation for passing offense (323.2).
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.
*He also has a rushing TD this season (against Utah).
*Branch is currently No. 1 in the nation in combined kick returns (613) and punt returns (21.6), No. 2 in the nation in kickoff return TDs (1) and punt return TDs (1) and No. 4 in the nation in all-purpose yards (143.17).
CAN'T BRING DOWN LLOYD
*RB MarShawn Lloyd leads the nation in rush yards per carry (7.94).
CALIFORNIA SCOUTING REPORT
*The California Golden Bears are 3-4 overall and 1-3 in Pac-12 Conference play.
*They are coming off a bye week after losing to Utah 14-34 in Salt Lake City.
*Redshirt freshman QB Fernando Mendoza has earned the starting nod the last two games for the Golden Bears. He is 31-for-50 (.620) and has thrown 4 TDs and 2 INTs. QBs Sam Jackson V and Ben Finley have each played in 5 games this season for Cal as well.
*RB Jaydn Ott (104 carries for 601 yards for 5 TDs) is California's top back.
*RB Isaiah Ifanse, another threat from the ground, leads the team in rushing TDs with 7.
*WR Jeremiah Hinter is Cal's top pass catcher with 30 receptions for 333 yards and 4 TDs.
*WR Taj Davis, another aerial weapon, has scored 3 TDs for the Golden Bears on 27 catches for 303 yards.
*ILB Kaleb Elarms-Orr leads the team with 65 tackles.
*OLB Xavier Carlton is the top sack man for the Golden Bears with 2.0 sacks for minus 7 yards.
*DB Nohl Williams has collected 2 INTs this season while, and ILB Elarms-Orr, DB Matthew Littlejohn, DB Lu-Magia Hearns III, ILB Blake Antzoulatos and DB Jeremiah Earby each have 1.
*Two Golden Bear kickers have kicked field goals this season: Michael Luckhurst is 3-of-9 with a long of 39, and Mateen Bhaghani is 2-of-3 with a long of 37.
RANKINGS
*USC is ranked No. 24 in the latest AP Poll and 22nd in the USA Today Coaches Poll.
*California is not ranked.
SERIES
*USC holds a 71-32-5 lead in its series with California, (not including 1 win vacated due to NCAA penalty; original record: 72-32-5).
*In Trojan-Golden Bear games in the Bay Area, USC is 36-14-1 (not including Troy's 2005 victory that was vacated due to NCAA penalty; original record: 37-14-1).
VERSUS PAC-12 CONFERENCE
*USC has won 69.8% (493-205-29) of its games against current Pac-12 opponents (does not include 9 wins later vacated due to NCAA penalty; original record: 502-205-29, 70.2%).
IN OCTOBER
*USC has a 317-127-19 (.705) all-time record while playing in the month of October (not including 5 wins vacated due to NCAA penalty; original record: 322-127-19, .708).
ARTIFICIAL TURF
*USC is 49-36-1 in its last 86 games on artificial turf (not including 3 wins vacated due to NCAA penalty; original record: 52-36-1).
USC-CALIFORNIA CONNECTIONS
*USC has 7 players who previously attended a Bay Area high school: DL De'jon Benton (Pittsburg HS), OL Andres Dewerk (Los Gatos HS), CB Prophet Brown (Monterey Trail HS), RB Austin Jones (Bishop O'Dowd HS), OL Alani Noa (Grant Union HS), ILB Deuce Palmer (San Ramon Valley HS) and OL Amos Talalele (Santa Clara HS).
*TE Jude Wolfe's cousin, Ryan Gutierrez, was a safety at California (2001-04).
*USC WR Josiah Zamora, CB Domani Jackson, ILB Raesjon Davis, WR Kyron Hudson, WR Raleek Brown, WR Corey Nerhus and Cal DB Cam Sidney all prepped at Mater Dei in Santa Ana, Calif.
*USC ILB Carson Tabaracci and Cal OLB Xavier Carlton previously spent time at Utah.
*USC PK-P Garth White, WR Ty Shamblin and Cal DB Kaylin Moore prepped together at Oaks Christian in Westlake Village, Calif.
*USC DL Jack Sullivan, SNP Nathan Weneta and Cal RB King Doerue previously spent time at Purdue.
*USC CB Fabian Ross, RUSH Garrett Pomerantz, WR Zachariah Branch, S Zion Branch and Cal RB Jaydn Ott all prepped at Bishop Gorman high school in Nevada.
*USC QB Miller Moss and S Jaylin Smith were high school teammates with Cal OLB Myles Williams at Bishop Alemany.
*USC TE Jude Wolfe, P Will Rose, RB Matt Colombo, DL Kobe Pepe, Cal LS Jake Arguello, DL Ieremia Ieremia and DL Nate Burrell all prepped at St. John Bosco in Bellflower, Calif.
*USC CB L Simpson and Cal OL Dashaun Harris prepped at Sierra Canyon in Los Angeles.
*USC head women's basketball coach Lindsay Gottlieb spent eight seasons (2012-19) as the head coach of the Cal women's program. She also had a previous stint with the Golden Bears in assistant and associate coach roles from 2006-08.
*Cal's head coach Justin Wilcox served two seasons as USC's defensive coordinator (2014-15).
*Cal's defensive coordinator/inside linebackers coach Peter Sirmon spent two campaigns from 2014- 15 at USC as the recruiting coordinator, linebackers and associate head coach.
*Cal's special teams coordinator/outside linebackers coach Vic So'oto previously served as USC's defensive line (2020) and defensive line/outside linebackers coach (2020-21).
*Cal's Director of Player Personnel Marshall Cherrington previously served as USC's Director of Recruiting Strategy (2021) and was a football operations intern and student manager while in school at USC from 2017- 2018.
*Cal ILB Muelu Iosefa is the younger brothers of former USC ILB Jordan Iosefa.
*Cal DB Tyson McWilliams is the son of former USC tight end Johnny McWilliams (1993-95).
*Cal women's basketball special assistant to the head coach Kai Felton previously was an assistant coach at USC.
*Cal athletic academic advisor Cassidy Raher formerly held a similar position at USC.
*Cal men's tennis head coach Kris Kwinta spent 10 seasons at USC as an assistant coach (2012-13) and associate head coach (2014-21).
*USC assistant swim coach Kevin Rapien previously served in a similar role for the Cal men's swimming team.
*USC associate director of sports brands and communications Jeremy Wu formerly held a similar position at Cal.
*Cal's running backs coach Aristotle Thompson and USC Director of Football Communications Katie Ryan worked together at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
