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No. 17 USC Football Hosts Washington State In Rare Sunday Game
November 29, 2020 | Football
THEMES
*After a week's pause in play due to COVID-19 issues in the Trojan program, No. 17 USC returns to action when it welcomes Washington State — the Trojans' only regular season North Division crossover opponent in 2020 — to the Coliseum in a rare Sunday game for Troy.
*The contest on FS1 was originally to be played on Friday night, but was postponed 2 days to Sunday to allow for the return of USC players in isolation due to COVID positive tests or in quarantine from contact tracing. It's not the first time in USC history that a game has been cancelled or postponed.
*USC has played on a Sunday just 4 times in history (most recently 20 years ago). And Troy has played only 80 times in December (this is the first time doing so in the regular season since 2010).
WSU only has beaten USC 10 times in 73 overall tries (and its past 3 wins came on late field goals). The teams didn't play in 2019.
*USC, although it too is coming into the game rested, now will have faced a rested opponent in all 4 of its games in 2020, as the Cougars' last 2 games (including the Apple Cup home game last week versus Washington) were cancelled due to COVID issues.
*Coach Clay Helton's undefeated Trojans posted a defensively-dominant performance at Utah (its first win there since 2012) the last time they took the field 2 weeks ago. USC's offense, in the Top 20 nationally in total and passing yards per game, is guided by QB Kedon Slovis, ranks atop the country in completions and among the Top 12 in passing yards, completion percentage (nearly 71%) and total offense. Troy's wideouts are some of the game's best: WRs Amon-Ra St. Brown and Tyler Vaughns (both in USC's Top 20 career receiving list) along with 2-sporter Drake London and Bru McCoy. A pair of 1,000-yard career runners, TBs Stephen Carr and Vavae Malepeai, along with TBs Markese Stepp and speedy Kenan Christon, man the rushing attack. The Trojan defense, which had 5 takeaways at Utah, features vets such as Ss Talanoa Hufanga and Isaiah Pola-Mao, DL Marlon Tuipulotu and ILB Kana'i Mauga, along with impressive youngsters like OLB Drake Jackson, ILB Ralen Goforth and DL Tuli Tuipulotu (Marlon's brother). Stronglegged freshman PK Parker Lewis nailed 4 field goals at Utah (one shy of the USC record) and none of his 8 kickoffs were returned.
*Washington State, under new coach Nick Rolovich, is celebrating its 125th season. Freshman QB Jayden de Laura, the first Cougar frosh signalcaller to start a season opener, has been impressive. RB Deon McIntosh, who is 10th nationally in rushing (119.5), has filled in capably for injured RB Max Borghi (817 rushing yards with 11 TDs in 2019 and 86 receptions for 597 yards with 5 TDs). WRs Renard Bell and Travell Harris are both eighth in the nation in receptions, while Bell is 12th in receiving yards and Harris is ninth in all-purpose running. FS Daniel Isom and ILB Jahad Woods are WSU's tackle leaders. PK Blake Mazza was a 2019 All-Pac-12 first teamer and Groza Award finalist, while P Oscar Draguicevich is second nationally in punting (48.6).
RANKINGS
*USC is ranked No. 17 in the current AP sports media poll and 16th in the Amway coaches poll. Washington State is not ranked.
SERIES
*USC leads its series with Washington State, which dates back to 1921, 59-10-4 (not including 1 win vacated due to NCAA penalty; original record: 60-10-4). The Trojans have won 36 of the last 42 meetings (and 42 of the past 49), but have dropped 2 of the last 4 after an 8-game winning streak.
*USC is 39-6-2 versus WSU in Los Angeles (not including 1 win vacated due to NCAA penalty; original record: 40-6-2). The Cougars have lost 29 of the last 33 in L.A.
*In the teams' last meeting, which occurred in Los Angeles in 2018, QB JT Daniels threw 3 touchdowns, TB Vavae Malepeai ran for 2 scores and DL Jay Tufele blocked a late potential game-tying field goal as USC overcame a 13-point third quarter deficit to defeat Washington State, 39-36, on a Friday night in the Coliseum. It was USC's 18th consecutive home victory, including its 12th straight at home against Pac-12 foes. See page 4 for a complete recap of that most recent matchup.
SUNDAY GAMES
*In its history, USC has played only 4 games on a Sunday, going 2-2: the 1993 opener versus North Carolina in the Disneyland Pigskin Classic (USC lost, 31-9), the 1996 opener against Penn State in the Kickoff Classic (USC lost, 24-7), the 1998 opener versus Purdue in the Pigskin Classic (USC won, 27-17) and the 2000 opener versus Penn State in the Kickoff Classic (USC won 29-5).
PREVIOUS CANCELLED/POSTPONED/MOVED USC GAMES
*Before the Pac-12 announced that last week's USC-Colorado game would not be played because of COVID-10 issues in the Trojan program, USC's only other modern-day in-season game cancellation involved Stanford in 1924. At the Trojans' 1924 game at California on Nov. 1, USC was informed that beginning in 1925 Cal and Stanford would no longer be playing USC. So, USC decided not to wait the year, cancelling its home game the following week (Nov. 8) against Stanford. USC instead hosted—and lost to—St. Mary's that day. As it turned out, Stanford was back on USC's schedule in 1925, and the teams have played every year since then except during the war years of 1943-44-45 (they are not scheduled to meet in 2020).*The 1963 USC-UCLA game was originally scheduled to be played on Nov. 23 but was postponed a week to Nov. 30 because of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
*USC's 1989 opener against Illinois was originally scheduled to be played in Moscow, USSR, as the Glasnost Bowl, but the site was changed to the Coliseum because of "contract difficulties" with the game's organizers.
IN DECEMBER
*USC has a 42-29-7 (.583) all-time record while playing in the month of December (not including 2 wins vacated due to NCAA penalty; original record: 44-29-7, .594).DECEMBER REGULAR SEASON GAMES
*This is USC's first regular season game in December since 2010 (a 28-14 win at UCLA on Dec. 4). The Trojans have played regular season December contests in 48 seasons: 1893-95-97-98-1901-05-07-15-16- 18-21-24-25-26-27-28-29-30-31-33-34-35-36-37-38-39-40-41-42-45-46-47-48-50-51-56-62-72-78-80- 2003-04-05-06-07-08-09-10. Troy had 4 December regular season games in 1918, while it had 3 in 1935 and 1942 and 2 in 1893-1905-25-31-33-34-39. Also, USC played bowl games and conference championship games in December in 1924-75-77-85-90-92-93-98-2001-09-12-13-14-15-17-19.
NIGHT
*USC is 182-67-4 (.727) at night, including 107-30-4 in the Coliseum, 60-29 on the road and 15-8 at neutral sites. (Does not include 5 wins and 1 loss vacated due to NCAA penalty; original record: 187-68-4, .730 overall, 110-30-4 in the Coliseum, 17-9 at neutral sites, USC had a school-record 32-game win streak at home at night from 1997 to 2010.)
IN COLISEUM
*USC has a 451-140-27 (.752) all-time record in the Coliseum since the stadium opened in 1923 (not including 6 wins vacated due to NCAA penalty; original record: 457-140-27, .754). USC's 624 games played in the Coliseum (including the 6 vacated wins) is the third most that any school has played in its home stadium (behind Georgia Tech's 706 in Bobby Dodd Stadium and Tennessee's 626 in Neyland Stadium).
VERSUS PAC-12
*USC has won 70.1% (477-195-29) of its games against current Pac-12 opponents (not including 9 wins later vacated due to NCAA penalty; original record: 486-195-29, 70.5%).
USC-WASHINGTON STATE CONNECTIONS
*USC has 1 player from Washington (OL Caadyn Stephen of Camas HS), while Washington State has 39 Californians on its roster.
*USC offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Graham Harrell was an offensive analyst (2014) and outside receivers coach (2015) at Washington State.
*USC wide receivers coach Keary Colbert played for the Seattle Seahawks in 2008.
*USC women's soccer head coach Keidane McAlpine and associate head coach Jason Lockhart held similar positions at Washington State in 2012 and 2013, while the Trojans' director of soccer operations Carla Hayden was an event manager at WSU from 2010 to 2014.
*USC women's rowing head coach Josh Adam came to USC after serving as an assistant at Washington State (2011-17).
*USC assistant director of event management Garrett D'Angelo is a Washington State graduate who worked in athletic event management at WSU as a student.
*WSU DB Ayden Hector's father, Zuri Hector, was a safety at USC (1989-92),
*WSU WR Carter Kamana's grandfather, John Kamana (center in 1953-54), and uncle, John Kamana (fullback and wide receiver in 1980-83), played at USC.
*WSU DB Pat Nunn's uncle, Ronald Nunn, was a cornerback at USC (2002-04) and his aunt, Natalie Nunn, was on the Women of Troy's soccer team.
*WSU SNP Simon Samarzich's father, Dave Samarzich, attended USC, where he roomed with Trojan and NFL offensive line great Bruce Matthews.
*WSU safeties coach Mark Banker was a USC assistant in 1996.
*WSU offensive analyst Dan Ferrigno was a USC assistant was a USC assistant in 2000.
