Under the Saturday evening Los Angeles sky, No. 15 Michigan will take on Southern California in the Colosseum.
The last time the Wolverines trekked to California to take on the Trojans in a true road game — not the neutral site Rose Bowl — was 1957. But now in the new Big Ten, Michigan and USC will become familiarized with each other’s home turf.
The Trojans have had a bounceback year after last season’s disappointment, and they appear poised to give much of the Big Ten a run for its money. Michigan, on the other hand, would love a repeat of last year’s 27-24 victory in Ann Arbor, although perhaps it’d like a wider margin this time around.
Here are five things to watch for in Saturday’s battle between the Wolverines and the Trojans…
Is Michigan’s Air Attack Legit?
After struggling to find consistency in the passing game for much of the season, Michigan freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood alongside graduate wide receiver Donaven McCulley finally figured it all out last week against Wisconsin.
The Badgers pass defense wasn’t very strong, however, so the Wolverines will have a chance to prove that their improvement was no fluke against USC. While the Trojans’ secondary isn’t top-tier itself, it should provide more staunch protection than Wisconsin’s.
For Underwood and his receivers, this matchup is a type of ‘prove it’ game.
USC Can Sling it
USC’s quarterback Jayden Maiava can really sling the pill. He ranks second in the nation in passing yards per game with 317.4 and has tossed 11 touchdowns to just one interception.
He also has two game-changing receivers in Makai Lemon and Ja’Kobi Lane at his disposal. Lemon has taken on a larger role since Lane has battled through injury, but the bye week should’ve helped Lane get his feet back under him.
Between Maiava, Lemon, and Lane, the Wolverines will have a lot on their hands come Saturday.
USC Allows Points
While the Trojans offense is high-powered, their defense is still vulnerable. In its three Big Ten games thus far, USC has allowed an average of 26.7 points per game compared to Michigan’s 18.5 through two games.
It’s certainly a small sample size for both squads, but the Wolverines should have ample opportunity to put points on the board, and they’re going to need to. With an offense as good as the Trojans’ is, Michigan will need to take advantage of each opportunity it has to light up the scoreboard.
Can Michigan Contain The Pass Rush?
USC’s pass rush is quite good, currently ranking seventh in the nation with 3.4 sacks per game. On the contrary, Michigan is adept at pass protection, allowing just one per game. Certainly, the Wolverines’ lack of drop-back passes aids this number, but they’ve still proven capable.
If Michigan wants to continue its success through the air, the pass protection will need to play its best game of the season so far.
Travelling Out West
Penn State’s shocking loss to then-winless UCLA reminded the entire country the role that coast-to-coast travel can play in football games. The three-hour time difference is certainly not the only reason the Nittany Lions lost, and it’s not the only reason the Bruins won, but it does play a role.
Michigan is traveling down to Los Angeles Thursday night, allowing all of Friday to acclimate to the time difference in hopes of mitigating its effects. Still, it’s just one more factor that the Wolverines will have working against them Saturday evening.
