USC Football to Face Texas A&M in SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl

LOS ANGELES--USC (6-6) will face Texas A&M (8-4) in the 33^rd SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas at 7:30 p.m. PT on Friday, Dec. 27 on ESPN.

The matchup involves two nationally recognized programs who are set to meet for the first time in 47 years.

This will be USC's third appearance in the Las Vegas Bowl. USC fell to Utah 6-10 in the 2001 Las Vegas Bowl in Pete Carroll's first season as head coach, but then defeated Fresno State, led by Bulldog Derek Carr, 45-20 in the 2013 Las Vegas Bowl. Trojan QB Cody Kessler was the 2013 Game MVP after throwing 4 TD passes, the current Las Vegas Bowl-record and his then single-game career-high.

This will mark the first time that Texas A&M has played in the state of Nevada.

USC is bookending its 2024 campaign at Allegiant Stadium after opening the season with a 27-20 win over LSU on Sept. 1. The Trojans are 1-1 all-time in Allegiant Stadium.

USC is 3-0 all-time versus Texas A&M. The Trojans defeated the Aggies 31-7 in the teams' first meet up in 1964 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. In the 1975 Liberty Bowl in Memphis, Tenn., USC claimed a 20-0 victory over Texas A&M. In their most recent encounter in the 1977 Bluebonnet Bowl in Houston, the Trojans won 47-28.

USC is among the nation's premier bowl teams with an overall postseason record of 35-20 (not including 1 win and 1 loss later vacated due to NCAA penalty; original record 36-21). This will be USC 58^th all-time bowl appearance. The Trojans are tied for the nation's eighth highest bowl winning percentage (.636) among the 103 schools that have made at least 10 bowl appearances. USC's 35 bowl victories are third behind Alabama's 45 and Georgia's 38 for the most in the nation (not including 1 win for both teams vacated due to NCAA penalty;  original record:  36 for USC, 46 for Alabama).

USC has won 11 national championships, Texas A&M 3. USC is 35-20 in bowl games (not including 1 win and 1 loss vacated due to NCAA penalty; original record: 36-21), while Texas A&M has a 20-23 postseason record. Both schools have produced Heisman Trophy winners (USC has 8 [the most of any college football program], Texas A&M 2). The Trojans claim 176 All-American first teamers, while the Aggies have 56. USC has 881 all-time wins with a .694 winning percentage, while Texas A&M boasts 778 all-time wins with a .603 winning percentage (not including USC's 14 wins and 1 loss vacated due to NCAA penalty; original record: 895, .696.).

Leading the Trojans is QB Jayden Maiava who took over the starting role late in the season. Through his first three starts (weeks 12-14), Maiava has recorded a 77.3 grade per PFF to rank No. 18 among all Power 4 QBs with a minimum of 50 passing attempts. In that same time frame, he is also tied for No. 7 among all Power 4 QBs with 7 passing TDs and is No. 3 in big time throws (8) per PFF. After the Notre Dame game, Maiava had a 91.2 grade per PFF to mark the third best grade among Power 4 quarterbacks in Week 14. He also recorded 6 big time throws, the most among Power 4 QBs in Week 14. He is 79-of-130 (.608) for 906 yards and 7 TDs. He has also rushed for 49 yards on 17 carries (2.9 avg.) for 4 TDs.

USC finished the regular season first in the Big Ten and No. 11 in the nation in passing offense (291.7), third in the Big Ten and 19^th in the nation in all-purpose yards (121.17), third in the Big Ten and No. 23 in the nation in total offense (440.3) and fourth in the Big Ten and No. 18 in the nation in first downs offense (287).

From the Trojan backfield, RB Woody Marks has been a consistent impact player. Marks, an All-Big Ten Second Team selection, recorded 1,133 rushing yards on 198 attempts (5.7 avg.) with 9 TDs. He sits at 24^th among USC's all-time single-season rushing leaders with 1,133 yards this season. He surpasses Anthony Davis who had 1,112 rushing yards in the 1973 season. Marks is USC's first 1,000-yard rusher since Ronald Jones II rushed for 1,550 yards in 2017. Since Reggie Bush and LenDale White were 1,000-yard rushers in 2005, just five USC RBs have been 1,000-yard season rushers: Joe McKnight (2009), Curtis McNeal (2011), Javorius Allen (2014), Ronald Jones II (2016 & 2017) and now Woody Marks. He also tied with WR Zachariah Branch for USC's 2024 receiving leader with 47 catches for 321 yards (6.83 avg.). He is the first Trojan running back with 40+ catches in a single season since Javorius Allen recorded 41 in 2014. Marks has collected 47 receptions with at least 2 games remaining. When he left early in the first quarter against Notre Dame, he snapped his streak of consecutive games with at least one catch at 56. It was the longest active streak in the nation. He finished the regular season ranked No. 4 in the Big Ten among all positions (and No. 11 in the Power 4) with 37 explosive runs throughout the season per PFF. Marks averaged 121.17 all-purpose yards per game, which rank fourth in the Big Ten and 18^th in the nation. His 1,133 rushing yards are fourth in the Big Ten and 24^th in the nation, and his rushing yards per game (94.4) rank No. 4 in the Big Ten and 25^th in the nation.

Maiava has a wide variety of talented receivers at his disposal. WR Makai Lemon has been USC's most versatile player of the 2024 season. Lemon recorded 46 receptions for a team-leading 665 yards (14.5 avg.) and 3 TDs. Lemon also fielded kickoff returns, recording 18 returns for 468 yards (26.0 avg.) with a long of 80 yards. He leads the Big Ten in kickoff returns and ranks No. 10 in the nation. He was also a crucial member of the punt coverage team downing punts for P Eddie Czaplicki. Most notably against UCLA, he downed a punt at the UCLA 1-yard line. He was selected to the All-Big Ten Third Team as a returner and named an honorable mention at wide receiver. WR Zachariah Branch is tied with Marks to lead the Trojans with 47 receptions for 503 yards (10.7 avg.) and 1 TD. WR Kyron Hudson, a steady presence for USC, has tallied 38 catches for 462 yards (12.2 avg.) and 3 TDs. Flashy WR Ja'Kobi Lane leads the Trojans with 9 TDs and 36 catches for 398 yards (11.1 avg.). WR Duce Robinson has utilized his large frame to capture 23 receptions for 396 yards (17.2 avg.) and 5 TDs. Finally, WR Kyle Ford, just 1 of 13 players across the nation who returned to their previous school after spending one or more seasons at another NCAA institution, has recorded 20 receptions for 258 yards (12.9 avg.) and 2 TDs during his final year at Troy.

On the Trojan defense, Big Ten honorable mention LB Easton Mascarenas-Arnold leads the team with 89 tackles and is also the USC sack leader with 3 for minus 14 yards. Seven Trojans have intercepted passes this season Mascarenas-Arnold (2), Big Ten honorable mention LB Mason Cobb (2), All-Big Ten Third Team CB Jaylin Smith (2), CB Greedy Vance Jr. (1), CB John Humphrey (1), LB Desman Stephens II (1) and WR Duce Robinson (1).

After completely rehauling the defensive coaching staff with defensive coordinator D'Anton Lynn at the helm, the USC defense has made a significant improvement from 2023 to 2024. Under Lynn, a Broyles Award nominee, the Trojans currently rank No. 15 in the nation and No. 2 in the Big Ten Conference in third-down conversion percentage defense (0.322), compared to ranking No. 106 (0.436) in 2023.  At the end of the 2023 season, USC ranked 116 in total defense (432.8). In 2024, USC has jumped to No. 70 in total defense (371.6).

The USC defense is holding opponents to an average of just 22.7 points per game. In 2023, the USC defense allowed an average of 34.4 points per game.

USC's defense ranked No. 83 in turnovers gained in 2023 (16), and USC now ranks No. 68 in the same category (16). In 2023, USC was No. 116 in the nation in red zone defense (0.909), and this season, USC is currently ranked No. 69 (0.829). In 2023, USC was No. 107 in fourth-down conversion percentage defense (0.607), and in 2024, USC is No. 83 (0.559).

USC ranked No. 124 in first downs defense in 2023 (295), and in 2024, USC is ranked No. 68 (238). In 2023, USC was No. 116 in rushing defense (186.5), compared to ranking No. 54 (140.4) in 2024. The Trojans were No. 118 in scoring defense in 2023 (34.4), and now are No. 56 (23.5). USC was No. 116 in team passing efficiency defense in 2023 (149.72), and now, USC is No. 70 (132.31). Finally, USC ranked No. 109 in passes intercepted in 2023 (7), and USC is No. 62 in the same category in 2024 (10).

Specials teams has been important this season for the Trojans and P Eddie Czaplicki has been a superstar in USC's third phase of the game. Czaplicki, a Ray Guy Award finalist and All-American candidate, is the best punter in the nation. He not only earned All-Big Ten First Team honors by the coaches and the media, but he was named the Big Ten Eddleman-Fields Punter of the Year. USC ranks first in the nation in net punting (45.54). He leads the nation in percentage of punts inside the 20 for punters with a minimum of 30 attempts. Twenty-four of his punts have been inside the 20, 9 have been inside the 10 and 4 inside the 5. He has recorded just 1 touchback the entire season. He has averaged over 50-yards in 4 games this season (55.3 vs. LSU, 53.1 vs. Michigan, 56.0 vs. Minnesota and 51.8 vs. Nebraska). He has been named a Ray's 8 Award recipient three times this season. Twenty-one of Czaplicki's 40 punts have been over 50 yards (.525), including a season-long of 62 yards against Minnesota. He also recorded a career-high single game punting average of 53.1 yards against Michigan. Czaplicki has been instrumental in flipping the field and giving the Trojan defense great field position all season long.

In year one under head coach Mike Elko, the Texas A&M Aggies are 8-4 overall and 5-3 in SEC play, most recently falling 7-17 to Texas in the revival of the Lone Star Showdown. The have lost three of their last four regular season games.

Two quarterbacks took snaps for the Aggies throughout the 2024 season. After coming back from a season-ending injury in 2023, redshirt sophomore QB Conner Weigman battled a shoulder injury that sidelined him for three games. Redshirt freshman QB Marcel Reed stepped in for Weigman when he was pulled during the Oct. 26 game against LSU. The Aggies went on to win the game 38-23 behind Reed, a dual-threat signal-caller who ran for 62 yards and 3 TDs. Elko announced Reed as the starter for the remainder of the season ahead of A&M's game against South Carolina on Nov. 2. Last week, Weigman announced his intentions to enter the transfer portal. Reed is 121-of-198 (.611) for 1,572 yards and 12 TDs. He also has rushed for 501 yards on 107 carries (4.7 avg.) and 6 TDs.

The Aggies lost their star running back Le'Veon Moss to a season-ending lower body injury that occurred in the team's game versus South Carolina. Before his injury, Moss finished with 765 yards and 10 TDs, averaging 6.3 yards per carry (which ranks 17^th in the nation and No. 2 in the SEC). Redshirt junior RB Amari Daniels is now Texas A&M's most utilized back with 139 carries for 661 yards (4.8 avg.) and 8 TDs. Junior WR Noah Thomas regularly finds the end zone in Texas A&M's aerial attack. He's collected 34 receptions for 545 yards (16.0 avg.) and 6 TDs to lead the team in each of those three categories. In addition to Thomas, 7 other Aggies have scored TDs through the air this season.

Texas A&M finished the regular season ranked No. 18 in the nation and No. 3 in the SEC in red zone offense (.915). No. 21 in the nation and No. 2 in the SEC in rushing offense (199.2).

On the defensive side of the ball, LB Taurean York leads the team with 75 tackles. DL Shemar Turner is the team's leading sack-man with 5 sacks for minus 21 yards. Eight Aggies have collected INTs this season: DB Marcus Ratcliffe (3), DB BJ Mayes (3), DB Will Lee III (2), LB Taurean York (1), LB Scooby Williams (1), DB Bryce Anderson (1), DB Dezz Ricks (1) and DB Jayvon Thomas (1).

The defense finished the regular season ranked No. 16 in the nation and No. 5 in the SEC in team tackles for loss (7.2).

On special teams, K Randy Bond has made 19-of-22 field goals (.864) with a long of 55. He finished the regular season ranked 15^th in the nation and fourth in the SEC in field goals per game (1.58) and 23^rd in the nation and third in the SEC in field goal percentage. The Aggies are also fifth in the nation and tied for first in the SEC in blocked punts with 2.

Trojan Athletic Fund members and USC season ticketholders will receive information via email starting today (Dec. 8) about the opportunity to purchase Las Vegas Bowl game tickets. All other USC fans should click here for more ticket information.

Players Mentioned

Zachariah Branch

Mason Cobb

Eddie Czaplicki

Kyle Ford

Kyron Hudson

John Humphrey

Ja'Kobi Lane

Makai Lemon

Jayden Maiava

Woody Marks

Easton Mascarenas-Arnold

Duce Robinson

Jaylin Smith

Desman Stephens II

Greedy Vance Jr.