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No. 9 USC football hosts Arizona on Saturday night in Los Angeles. The Wildcats enter the week 3-2 after a narrow loss to Washington. Meanwhile, USC returns to the Coliseum for the first time in a month. Lincoln Riley knows Caleb Williams and the Trojans have a good amount to clean up after a poor second half showing in their 48-41 win over Colorado last week.
Arizona has played above expectations this season, including giving Washington its biggest test so far. The bad news for the Wildcats is their next six opponents are all Pac-12 foes that have been ranked this season. Four of them still are.
For USC, a team with playoff aspirations, the goal on Saturday isn't just to win, but to dominate. The Trojans led Colorado 41-14 with two minutes left in the third quarter. They need to learn to keep the foot on the gas and finish games, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. USC's apparent weaknesses on Saturday were all the same ones that plagued them in 2022. So what can we expect from the Trojans this week?
1. USC Football's high scoring streak continues
USC has scored 40+ points in each of its last six games. That's the longest such active streak in the FBS, and it should extend by another game this Saturday. No other team's offense has played up to this level so far in 2023, and it's mostly because of Caleb Williams. Williams has been almost perfect this season, committing his first turnover against Colorado. He has 25 total touchdowns through five games. 25!
Arizona did a nice job of limiting Washington's offense last week. That's saying a lot, because Washington's offense is perhaps the only in the country that measures up to USC's. Still, Washington finished with 31 points and nearly 500 yards of offense. Arizona just won't have the personnel to match up with USC's array of playmakers.
Caleb Williams shreds every defense he plays, and this will be no different. Plus, USC's run game, on the legs of Marshawn Lloyd, has looked very strong at times this year. Expect the Trojans to easily eclipse 40 points against the Wildcats.
2. Zachariah Branch bounces back
Freshman phenom Zachariah Branch unexpectedly did not suit up against Colorado. USC did not disclose what injury kept him off the field, but Riley said Tuesday they hope to have him back this weekend. He was a limited participant at practice.
If Branch plays, which it looks like he will, expect him to pick up right where he left off. In the Trojans' stacked receiver room, Branch doesn't get a huge share of targets, but he makes the most of the ones he gets. Through four games he has just 13 catches, but those have gone for 178 yards and two touchdowns.
Perhaps his more dangerous role is as a return specialist. On 13 total returns, Branch has gained 329 yards and scored two more touchdowns. He averages a ridiculous 22.6 yards per punt return.
Branch might be the single hardest player in the country to contain. Once he gets the ball in space, the chances of six points going on the board skyrocket. He and Caleb Williams make such a lethal duo in Riley's offense. Branch averages a touchdown per game, so expect him to find the end zone again this week, perhaps even on a special teams play.
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3. The defense… doesn't really change
Look, I'm not going to sit here and tell you that USC's defense is all of a sudden going to be lights out against Arizona. I'm not even going to tell you adjustments will be made, because history tells us there won't be. But maybe, just maybe, USC's personnel is able to elevate the holistic performance against one of the weakest opponents left on the schedule.
So what does all this mean for Saturday? Well, the Trojans are probably going to struggle to contain Arizona's talented receivers, particularly if Jayden de Laura is a full go. This quarterback can sling it, and Tetairoa McMillan and Jacob Cowing are total mismatches against USC's weak secondary.
Just look at last year's game. Arizona scored 37 points and de Laura threw for 380 yards. Ironically, Dorian Singer, who now plays for the Trojans, was the biggest problem for USC in that one.
Most likely, USC's front four will create lots of pressure all night. They'll stuff the Wildcats with a couple of big plays for loss early. Then, an overly-aggressive game plan, combined with the wrong choice of defensive personnel, will allow Arizona to open up the offense, and USC will struggle to get off the field. Arizona is probably going to score a lot of points, but it won't matter because Caleb Williams will bail the Trojans out. That's how it always goes, and Arizona just isn't good enough to punish USC for it.
Still, it's not going to feel good with a trip to Notre Dame on the horizon.
4. The Heisman quest continues
Caleb Williams has embarked on the mountainous task of winning a second Heisman Trophy. His six touchdowns against Colorado apparently weren't enough for some people, who weren't impressed because the Trojans' defense folded like a lawn chair in the second half. The offense scored 48 points though, so Williams did his job.
Anyways, Williams is averaging 337 yards and five total touchdowns per game, while completing just under 75% of his throws. And he's rarely had to participate in the fourth quarter.
Expect more of the same from the reigning Heisman winner. Probably something like 20/23 for 290 yards and three touchdowns, with one more on the ground. Williams will add more icing to his impressive season, and people still probably won't care because it's Arizona. Regardless, when Sunday comes around, any Heisman ballot should have Williams at the top.
