There will be no excuses afforded to the USC Trojans' defense on Saturday night following this latest injury update. Arizona football quarterback Jayden de Laura, who has been sidelined since suffering a leg injury in a Week 4 versus Stanford, is “unlikely” to give it a go at the LA Coliseum, according to ESPN's Pete Thamel.

This is disheartening news for a Wildcats team that has surely been eyeing this conference showdown with No. 9 USC on their calendar. They narrowly fell at home last week to No. 7 Washington, 31-24. Backup QB Noah Fifita played well in that contest, though, throwing for 232 yards and three touchdowns. So, there is some hope for Arizona.

The program continues to progress under the leadership of head coach Jedd Fisch, who is looking to lead the 3-2 Wildcats to their first winning season since 2017-18. But de Laura figures to be a big part of that plan. The 2021 Pac-12 Freshman of the Year has an interception problem but threw for over 3,600 passing yards last season. He is a definite difference-maker.

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The show goes on, though. Arizona football have a grueling task ahead of them. It will be imperative for offensive coordinator Brennan Carroll to exploit the Trojans' notoriously lax defense with short and intermediate passes. Chewing up the clock with long drives can make this a more favorable matchup for Fifita and company. Tiring out an already questionable unit is Fisch's best chance.

Unfortunately, that game plan does not account for reigning Heisman winner Caleb Williams. USC's star quarterback will be especially motivated to keep his foot firmly on the gas after last weekend's near-collapse versus Colorado.