Rutgers (4-3, 1-3 Big Ten) at Southern California (3-4, 1-4), Friday, 11 p.m. ET (FOX)
BetMGM College Football Odds: USC by 14.
Series record: First meeting.
WHAT’S AT STAKE?
Fox bet it would be able to follow up Game 1 of a potential Yankees-Dodgers World Series with another game of interest to their respective metropolitan areas. The baseball teams delivered, but the Scarlet Knights and Trojans aren’t exactly providing the exciting nightcap it looked like it could have been early in the season. USC is in freefall, having dropped three straight and four of five despite leading in the fourth quarter in each of those contests. Rutgers isn’t faring much better, also having lost three in a row and making a feeble UCLA offense look like a powerhouse in a 35-32 home defeat.
KEY MATCHUP
Rutgers RB Kyle Monangai vs. USC’s defensive line. Monangai ranks ninth in the FBS with 845 yards rushing and has scored 10 touchdowns on the ground. The fifth-year senior did his part against the Bruins, rushing for 106 yards and three scores, and will now get a crack at the injury-riddled Trojans. Interior linemen Nate Clifton and Gavin Meyer have been solid additions out of the transfer portal, and they will be tested by Monangai’s toughness between the tackles.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Rutgers: QB Athan Kaliakmanis hit some big plays against UCLA, finishing 18-of-30 passing for 287 yards, but his interception in the fourth quarter was costly. The Minnesota transfer should find some opportunities down the field, especially if USC S Kamari Ramsey cannot play or is limited because of injury.
USC: WR Ja’Kobi Lane made a spectacular one-handed touchdown catch against the Terrapins, but the sophomore’s inconsistency also popped up as he finished with four receptions for 51 yards. The Trojans desperately need a lead weapon to step up in the passing game, and Lane has the talent to be that player.
FACTS & FIGURES
USC QB Miller Moss is averaging 6.9 yards per pass attempt, which is tied for 12th in the Big Ten with Kaliakmanis and Minnesota’s Max Brosmer. The Trojans had been one of the most explosive aerial attacks in the country in head coach Lincoln Riley’s first two seasons. … This is Rutgers’ third trip to California. They lost 21-7 at Cal in 1999 and 52-51 in overtime at Fresno State in 2013.
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