USC football coach Lincoln Riley explained the school's decision to face Colorado football, coach Deion Sanders and quarterback Shedeur Sanders in an early kickoff at 9 a.m. PT Saturday, Sept. 30, in Boulder, Colorado.

“The only draw-back was playing it after the late-night kickoff at Arizona State, but he didn't feel like it was a big deal coming off the bye week,” USCFootball.com's Shotgun Spratling said on X.

Riley's Trojans are expected to have a high-scoring game against Sanders' Buffaloes. USC football has the highest-scoring offense in the country (59.3 points per game) and reigning Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams.

Colorado's offense is led by Shedeur, who through three games has completed 78.7 percent of his passes and thrown for 1,251 yards and 10 touchdowns against one interception. Both Williams and Shedeur are considered to be Heisman favorites along with Notre Dame quarterback Sam Hartman.

Colorado football won one game last season but is 3-0 and ranked No. 19 in the AP Top 25. USC football is also 3-0 and ranked No. 5.

Last season, the Trojans were seemingly one win away from reaching the College Football Playoff. USC was ranked No. 4 before it faced Utah in the Pac-12 Championship but lost the game, 47-24.

The Trojans still made a New Year's Six game, the Cotton Bowl, but lost that contest against Tulane, 46-45.

Colorado football has not been to a bowl game since 2014. The Buffaloes have already outperformed their 2022 season, when they had one win, and they have a chance to match their win total from 2020 and 2021 (four) Saturday against No. 10 Oregon.