Nebraska Football Faces Pivotal Test vs. No. 23 USC at Memorial Stadium

Nebraska faces off against USC on Saturday night in what should be an electric atmosphere at Memorial Stadium. Both teams come into the game with only two losses, and the matchup serves as a pivotal contest with regard to the outlook for each squad the remainder fo the season. With the Trojans ranked #23 in the AP poll, the Huskers will have yet another chance to knock off a ranked opponent for the first time in nearly a decade.

I talked to Brandon Jones, host of the Light the Torch Podcast, to get the USC perspective on the upcoming game.

INTERVIEW WITH BRANDON JONES, HOST OF THE LIGHT THE TORCH PODCAST

Nebraska and USC fans seem to have formed a bond in USC’s short time in the Big Ten. What do you attribute that to?

Because Nebraska fans are too nice to hate. I think it’s also because Nebraska fans have been advisors as far as getting “the initiation treatment” from the Big Ten officials.

Both teams were in worse shape coming into last year’s game. The Huskers were 5-4 and in the midst of a three game skid, while the Trojans were 4-5 and going through something of a quarterback controversy. Both teams are in better shape this season, with Nebraska at 6-2 and USC at 5-2 and ranked #23 in the country. What’s the vibe among USC fans right now?

I think we can attribute our improvement to Lincoln Riley trusting our running back room more. Also we have a little more depth in the trenches as opposed to last year.

Quarterback Jayden Maiava leads one of the best offenses in the nation this season. What has he done since taking over the starting job last year, and do you think the offense can keep it up as the Big Ten calendar turns to November?

Jayden has been great this season, coming out of last year when he was thrust into the starting role with only a few games left. He was very raw, still learning the offense and didn’t have much continuity with the wide receivers. He received a lot of criticism this past offseason but to his credit he did a great job of blocking out the noise and putting his head down and going to work. Jayden hired a private trainer that helped him with his mechanics and of course having quarterback guru Lincoln Riley as your coach also helps. I think the offense has a great chance of keeping up the play despite losing our two starting running backs. We still have very capable backs in Brian Jackson and walk-on King Miller who has been a pleasant surprise for us this season. Lincoln Riley said on Jayden Maiava's performance so far this season: “He's largely playing well. He continues to grow with every situation that he's in, every game that he's in. He continues to give our team opportunities to win.”

What should the Nebraska Common Fan know about USC’s defense?

Our defense started the season a little banged up in the secondary but is now coming back to good health. The defensive line has been inconsistent this year. We’ve seen some greatness from them (i.e. vs Michigan), and we’ve seen them look lackluster (i.e. Notre Dame). And the only reason I’m not mentioning the Illinois game is because half the team had food poisoning that game. We have a young linebacker room that likes to remind us that they are young outside of our All-American caliber senior Eric Gentry who has been incredible. And you can’t forget our two starting safeties, Bishop Fitzgerald who was recently named a midseason All-American as well as Kamari Ramsey, who has just moved back to his original (and more natural) position. He’s a guy who had earned a day 2 draft grade after last season.

What have you seen from Nebraska and does it make you feel better or worse about the Trojans’ chances on Saturday?

Nebraska’s offense has shown real progress in Year 2 under Raiola — the passing attack ranks 25th nationally and the team sits 31st in scoring offense. Emmett Johnson has been a major bright spot with 1,000+ all-purpose yards and 9 rushing touchdowns, proving to be a consistent playmaker despite the team’s struggles on the ground.

However, the rushing offense still ranks just 101st in the nation, and Raiola hasn’t quite made that jump into being one of the Big Ten’s elite quarterbacks. He continues to put the ball in harm’s way and often holds onto it too long, resulting in unnecessary sacks. Nebraska has already allowed 26 sacks this season — 126th nationally — which could spell trouble against USC’s improving pass rush. If the Trojans can limit Emmett Johnson’s impact, they’ll likely force Raiola into costly mistakes or take him down themselves.

USC wins if ______.

USC wins if we can contain the run game and stay balanced on offense.

Nebraska wins if ______.

Nebraska wins if they run the ball efficiently and force turnovers.

Final score prediction?

34-28 USC

Author’s note: Thanks to Brandon Jones, Host of the Light the Torch Podcast, for sharing his expertise with the Common Fans. Both the Common Fan Podcast (Nebraska) and the Light the Torch Podcast (USC) are members of The College Huddle, the largest fan-led online college sports podcast community, made up of one podcast from each fan base represented.

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