Utah State at USC

Utah State coach Blake Anderson was also the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, but he was dismissed in July for contractual obligations. Defensive coordinator Nate Dreiling is the interim coach. The defense is poor, ranking 123rd in the nation in points allowed (34.7 per game) in 2023. Utah State covered against an anemic Iowa offense last season, but in 2022 they got routed 55-0 by Alabama, failing to cover as a +42 underdog. That defense faces USC head coach Lincoln Riley's Air Raid offense, a matchup mismatch. QB Miller Moss threw for 378 yards in the opener, a 27-20 win over LSU as an underdog. To open last season, USC beat San Jose State, Nevada, and Stanford by 28, 52, and 46 points. And two years ago, they rolled over Rice, 66-14, as a 32.5-point favorite. Play USC.