Fresno State at No. 7 USC Prediction for Week 3
Odds, best bets and analysis for this college football matchup
Matthew Horner - Sep 14, 2022, 7:20pm EDT
Fresno State Bulldogs
I will say this, Jeff Tedford has the Bulldogs playing at a level the program has not seen for some time. He's 26-14 in his four years there as the head coach, and he has QB Jake Haener playing well so far this season. Haener has completed 74.7 percent of his passes and racked up 737 passing yards against Cal Poly and Oregon State, although the Beavers game resulted in a disappointing 35-32 loss last weekend. Tedford's defense is going to have to be at its very best for USC's dynamic rushing attack that has been unstoppable against its opponents entering Week 3.
The Bulldogs have a good secondary, so they should be able to hold their own against the passing attack. Fresno State has not played elite competition but they did hold Oregon State under 220 passing yards and only one touchdown. It's on the ground where they got slammed, which could be cause for major concern against this Trojan team.
No. 7 USC Trojans
All the talk of the offseason revolved around the arrival of Lincoln Riley to South California, and so far through two games, it has been a success. QB Caleb Williams joined Riley via the transfer portal after he departed from Oklahoma and he's looked every bit the part of a superstar in the making. RB Travis Dye is averaging 6.6 YPC and has 165 total yards, so this offense of Riley's looks like it is starting up right where it left off with the Sooners.
Defensively, USC plays a similar style to Fresno State, in that they play the pass exceptionally well. They held Rice and Stanford to 220 passing yards or less with only one total touchdown in the first two games through the air. Teams have been trying to beat the Trojans with their rushing attack, with both of their opponents attempting 34 or more carries. It still hasn't worked. USC's defense is really good. They have six interceptions and three fumble recoveries already this season, and you can bet they will be feeding off of that home atmosphere in So-Cal.
My Prediction
These two teams last met in 2019, when USC won 31-23. Tedford was just beginning his tenure with the Bulldogs, but he still kept them competitive in the game. Fresno State racked up over 200 rushing yards and added another 256 passing yards in that one, but they couldn't stop turning the ball over. That certainly cannot happen against the 2022 version of USC if they want to have any success. Caleb Williams is young, but he has been awesome for the Trojans so far. He has only ten incompletions, 590 passing yards, and six touchdowns entering this game, while also being able to utilize his legs.
I'll take USC to cover the spread here of -12.
