1 week Ago
As the Nebraska Cornhuskers and USC Trojans prepared to kickoff for a Big Ten class, players met at midfield for a heated discussion in pregame warmups. Both programs are fighting for a bowl bid in the final weeks of the regular season. Lincoln Riley's Trojans sit at 4-5 in their first season in the Big Ten following an 8-5 season in the Pac-12 a year ago.
On the other side, Matt Rhule and the Cornhuskers (5-4) are on pace for a commendable year after finishing 5-7 in 2023. The two last met in 2014, a 45-42 win by USC. Though not exactly familiar with each other, the pregame meeting on the USC logo at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum told a different story.
Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Nebraska players walked directly to the the Trojans' logo hours ahead of kickoff, prompting a heated response by USC players and staff members. Though punches weren't thrown, there was plenty of talk between the two teams as eerie music echoed through the stadium speakers. Nebraska walked right onto USC’s logo and some USC players and analysts took exception.
Bryson Allen-Williams and Sam Greene are involved. Lots of yelling and clapping. pic.
twitter.com/imbXu4LIGY Though the matchup may not hold a lot of weight in national terms, there have been some intriguing developments between the two. USC is slated to start quarterback Jayden Maiava in place of Miller Moss.
The Nevada transfer has seen limited action this season, but Riley and company felt there needed to be a change to propel the struggling Trojans offense. Maiava, a sophomore, threw for 3,085 yards with 17 touchdowns to 10 interceptions for Nevada last season. Nebraska's offense will rely on play calling from recently hired Dana Holgorsen.
The former Houston head coach was fired in 2023 before joining Rhule and the Cornhuskers in November as an offensive consultant. Holgorsen has been bumped to offensive coordinator ahead of Saturday's matchup. Kickoff is set for 4 p.
m. ET (Fox). USC is listed as a 7-point home favorite, per ESPN BET .
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