10 Things to Know: USC Trojans vs. Colorado Buffaloes

A win for USC would all but wrap up a Pac-12 South title.

Ready to gobble up a battle of undefeated Pac-12 Conference South Division teams?! Get your leftover turkey sandwich ready for the 3-0 Trojans to host Colorado on Saturday of Thanksgiving week. 

USC leads the south division and is looking to build off a 33-17 win over Utah in Salt Lake City. Colorado is 2–0 under new head coach Karl Dorrell and after last week's game against Arizona State was cancelled because of COVID issues with the Sun Devils. 

A win for USC would all but wrap up a Pac-12 South title. Here are 10 things you need to know about the matchup:

STREAKING

USC has never lost to the Buffaloes in 14 meetings.    

RANKINGS

USC moved up one spot in the AP Poll, from No. 20 to No. 19. The No. 9 Oregon Ducks are the only other Pac-12 team to make the Top 25. 

HELLOOOO, DEFENSE!

The Trojan defense had five takeaways at Utah, holding the Utes scoreless in the second half. Inside linebacker Ralen Goforth led the defense with career- high 12 tackles plus two passes broken up. Kana'i Mauga's added 11 tackles and a sack.

SIZZLING SLOVIS

Trojan quarterback Kedon Slovis completed 24 of 35 passes for 264 yards and two touchdowns is USC's victory on Saturday. Slovis continues to lead the country in completions with 94. 

[READ: Helton Gives An Injury Report Following Utah Game]

[READ: Where Was Markese Stepp During The Utah vs. USC Game?]

GROUND POUND BUFFALOES

Colorado averaged only 3.9 yards per carry in their win over Stanford last Saturday, but stayed committed to the run all day, rushing on 45 of their 69 plays.

TURNOVER FREE

Colorado has opened its season scoring 35 or more points in back-to-back games and even more impressively, finished both games without any turnovers for the first time in Colorado history.

HOME SWEET HOME

USC gets to stay in the Southern California area for the rest of its announced 2020 schedule.

HOOPERS

Not to be overlooked, the USC men’s and women’s basketball teams start their 2021 seasons this week. Following the football game on Saturdays, the men's basketball team opens their season against Montana. 

QUOTEABLE

"We will hit on all cylinders here soon. We're close," USC coach Clay Helton said after the win over Utah. "Defensively, I thought we took a major step ahead. Offensively, we're doing the things to win but we haven't reached our full potential yet."

HOW TO WATCH

USC hosts Colorado at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum next Saturday, November 28th at 12:30 p.m. PT. The game will be broadcast on ABC. 

For more USC news visit www.alltrojans.com. Follow us on Twitter.


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Bri Amaranthus
BRI AMARANTHUS

Bri Amaranthus is an Emmy-winning sports reporter with over 12 years of experience in television, radio, podcasting, and digital sports journalism. She has been with Sports Illustrated for four years, providing breaking news, exclusive interviews, and analysis on the NFL, college sports, and the NBA. Prior to joining SI, Bri hosted NBC Sports Northwest's prime-time television show, where she also served as the Oregon beat reporter and created content covering both the NBA and college sports. Throughout her career, Bri has achieved significant milestones, including covering major events like the NBA Finals, NFL playoffs, College Football Playoff, NCAA Basketball Tournament, NFL Draft, and the NFL Combine. She earned a D1 scholarship to play softball at the University of San Diego and won two state softball titles in high school in Oregon. In addition to her Emmy win for NBC's All-Star Coach special, she has received multiple Emmy nominations, highlighting her dedication and talent in sports journalism