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No. 8 USC Football Visits Colorado In 'Big Noon Kickoff' Showdown
September 26, 2023 | Football
BREAKFAST IN BOULDER
*USC stays on the road for the second week in a row and travels to Boulder, Colo. to challenge Colorado.
*Kickoff is set for 9 a.m. PT / 10 a.m. MT, and the game will be broadcast on FOX.
*The Trojans are ranked No. 8 in the latest AP Poll.
BIG NOON KICKOFF
*FOX's Big Noon Kickoff is set to take place in Boulder. This is the second time the show has taken place at the site of a USC game. The first was at the Coliseum in 2019 when USC defeated Utah 30-23.
ARIZONA STATE 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 Arizona State 42-28 in Tempe, Ariz.
*Leading Lincoln Riley's electric offense, Williams has put up incredible numbers – and has not yet played an entire game for the Trojans, as backup QB Miller Moss has come in to take over in 3 out of 4 games this season.
*Williams has played 12 quarters of football through 4 games this season.
*Against the Sun Devils, Williams went 20-of-31 for 322 yards and 3 TDs and no INTs. He also rushed for 10 yards and scored 2 TDs.
*This was the fourth time he has scored multiple rushing TDs in a game in his career (2 vs. Fresno State and Colorado in 2022, and 3 versus Notre Dame in 2022).
*USC scored on its first drive of the game, a 12-play, 75-yard drive which ended as QB Caleb Williams rushed 1-yard for a TD. This is the second game in a row that Williams has scored on the first drive of the game.
*USC has scored on its first drive in all four games this season.
*USC had 535 total yards of offense tonight and has had over 500 total yards in all four games this season. USC now has 13 games of 500 or more total yards under Lincoln Riley (18 games).
*WR Brenden Rice scored 2 TDs for the Trojans (a 43-yard TD reception in the first quarter and 29-yard reception in the fourth quarter). He now has 5 TDs on the season. He wrapped up the night with 7 receptions for 133 yards.
*Rice has recorded a TD in 5 straight games (Tulane, San José State, Nevada, Stanford and Arizona State).
*Rice's 5 TDs this season rank No. 6 in the nation and are tied for No. 1 in the Pac-12. Rice is No. 3 in the Pac-12 in yards per reception (21.42).
*WR Tahj Washington scored a 45-yard TD on his 1 reception of the night.
*Washington is ranked No. 3 in the nation and No. 1 in the Pac-12 in yards per reception (27.80).
*RB MarShawn Lloyd was unstoppable from the Trojan backfield. He rushed for 154 yards in 14 carries averaging 11.0 yards per carry.
*Lloyd is ranked No. 2 in the Pac-12 in rushing yards (349) and. No. 3 in the Pac-12 in rushing yards per game (87.2).
*ILB Eric Gentry led USC with 9 tackles tonight.
*RUSH Romello Height, ILB Tackett Curtis, RUSH Solomon Byrd, RUSH Jamil Muhammad and DL Bear Alexander each collected a sack, while Curtis, Height and Byrd each tallied 2.
*RUSH Solomon Byrd is currently ranked No. 6 in the nation in sacks and No. 7 in TFLs.
*ILB Tackertt Curtis was named Pac-12 Player of the Week for his performance.
*USC currently leads the nation in tackles for loss (41.0) and third nationally in sacks (16.0).
*S Calen Bullock intercepted ASU QB Drew Pyne. This was Bullock's first INT of the season and the 8th of his career.
*CB Ceyair Wright and S Max Williams each had 1 PBU.
*PK Denis Lynch was 2-for-2 in FGs (53 and 36 yards). His 53-yarder, which set his career-long, also ties for third-longest FG in USC history with Andre Heidari at Stanford in 2014 and Steve Jordan at Washington State in 1984.
CALEB BY THE NUMBERS
*QB Caleb Williams has played 195 snaps compared to Washington's Micahel Penix Jr. (214 snaps), Oregon's Bo Nix (233 snaps), Notre Dame's Sam Hartman (274 snaps) and Colorado's Shedeur Sanders (300 snaps).
*This season, Williams is 75-of-101 for 1,200 yards with 15 TDs and 0 INTs. He has also rushed for 71 yards this season with 3 TDs – all within just 12 quarters of football throughout 4 games.
*Compared to his first four games of his Heisman winning season in 2022 (80-of-122 for 1,054 yards with 9 TDs and 100 rushing yards with 2 TDs – playing 15 quarters of football), Williams has thrown 6 more TDs and rushed for 1 more TD through 4 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 for yards per pass attempt (11.88), No. 1 in the nation in points responsible for per game (27.5), No. 1 in the nation in passing efficiency (223.1), No. 1 in the nation in points responsible for (110), No. 2 in the nation in passing TDs (15), and No. 10 in the nation in passing yards per completion (16.00).
RILEY'S ELECTRIC OFFENSE
*The Trojan offense is No. 1 in the nation for scoring offense (55.0), No. 3 in the nation in total offense (569.2), No. 3 in the nation for team passing efficiency (204.82) and No. 3 in the nation for passing offense (377.2).
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.
*Branch is currently tied for No. 1 in the nation for kickoff return TDs (1), tied for No. 1 in the nation in punt return TDs (1), No. 2 in the nation in combined kick returns (329) and No. 3 in the nation in punt returns (22.6).
COLORADO SCOUTING REPORT
*Colorado, under new head coach Deion Sanders, is 3-1 overall and 0-1 in Pac-12 Conference games.
*On Saturday Sept. 23, the Buffs lost 42-6 to Oregon in Eugene, Ore.
*QB Shedeur Sanders is 130-for-169 with 11 TDs and 1 INT.
*RB Dylan Edwards is Colorado's leading rusher with 28 carries for 157 yards and 1 TD.
*Five Buffs have caught TDs this season: WR Xavier Weaver (34 receptions for 461 yards and 2 TDs), WR Jimmy Horn Jr. (27 receptions for 243 yards and 2 TDs), RB Dylan Edwards (17 receptions for 169 yards and 3 TDs), WR Tar'Varish Dawson (14 receptions for 124 yards and 1 TD) and TE Michael Harrison (14 receptions for 135 yards and 3 TDs).
*ILB Juwan Mitchell leads the team with 28 tackles.
*OLB Jordan Domineck has recorded 5.5 sacks for minus 22 yards this season.
*Two-way player CB/WR Travis Hunter was hurt in the Colorado State game and had to be taken to the hospital. He will miss multiple weeks.
RANKINGS
*USC is ranked No. 8 in the latest AP Poll and 6th in the USA Today Coaches Poll. Colorado is not ranked. SERIES
*USC is undefeated against the Buffs, holding a 16-0 record.
*USC has won 69.9% (492-204-29) of its games against current Pac-12 opponents (does not include 9 wins later vacated due to NCAA penalty; original record: 501-204-29, 70.2%).
IN SEPTEMBER
*USC has a 196-55-8 (.772) all-time record while playing in the month of September (does not include 3 wins vacated due to NCAA penalty; original record: 199-55-8, .775).
*This is USC's first pre-noon kickoff since a 9 a.m. home start against Arizona State to open their 2020 season.
VERSUS PAC-12 CONFERENCE
*USC has won 69.9% (492-204-29) of its games against current Pac-12 opponents (does not include 9 wins later vacated due to NCAA penalty; original record: 501-204-29, 70.2%).
IN THE MORNING
*This is USC's first pre-noon kickoff since a 9 a.m. home start against Arizona State to open their 2020 season.
USC-COLORADO CONNECTIONS
*USC has 2 players from Colorado, OL Grant Tucker (Rampart HS) and OL Emmanuel Pregnon (Jefferson HS), while the Buffaloes have 17 Californians on their roster.
*USC WR Brenden Rice previously played at Colorado.
*USC WR Josiah Zamora, CB Domani Jackson, ILB Raesjon Davis, WR Kyron Hudson, WR Raleek Brown, WR Corey Nerhus, DL Solomon Tuliaupupu, Colorado ILB Juwan Mitchell and WR Jordan Onuvughe all prepped at Mater Dei High School in Calif.
*USC WR Brenden Rice's father, Jerry Rice, and Colorado head coach Deion Sanders were teammates on the 49ers 1995 Super Bowl-winning team. Former USC football players Derrick Deese and Tim McDonald were also on the squad.
*USC CB Jacobe Covington and Colorado DE Sav'ell Smalls were teammates at Washington.
*USC ILB Shane Lee, CB Tre'Quon Fegans and Colordao S Jahquez Robinson were all at Alabama in 2020.
*USC OL Michael Tarquin and Colorado OL Daivid Conner were teammates at Florida.
*USC RUSH Romello Height, ILB Chris Thompson Jr. and Colorado WR Tar'Varish Dawson all transferred from Auburn.
*USC SNP Nathan Weneta and Colorado ILB Victory Johnson both played at Catherdral Catholic in San Deigo, Calif.
*USC DL Bear Alexander, Colorado SN Gabe Landers and CB Isreal Solomon all prepped at IMG Academy.
*USC's Director of Football Operations Clarke Stroud attended Overland High School in Aurora, Colorado.
*Colorado Football Senior Art Director Derek Marckel held a similar position at USC in 2021.
*USC Director of Sports Brands and Communications Darcy Couch is a 2000 graduate of Colorado.
