The ‘Cats are back in action this weekend. But it’s no normal weekend for Northwestern football: it will be partaking in a Friday night special under the lights, heading on the road to take on the No.
19 USC Trojans out in Los Angeles. Sitting at 5-3 currently and still searching for a sixth win and bowl game, our writers gave their predictions for tonight’s matchup.
Charlie Jacobs:
USC 41, Northwestern 24As much as this Northwestern team has impressed me this season, I think USC is the fourth-best team in the Big Ten…maybe even the third-best. The Trojans beat Nebraska on the road in Jayden Maiava’s worst passing performance of the season. Makai Lemon and Ja’Kobi Lane make up one of the top wide receiver duos in the country and they get to go up against a banged up Northwestern secondary. Even if Josh Fussell, Damon Walters and Ore Adeyi all play, the offensive firepower Lincoln Riley has to work with is tremendous. It’s hard to control pace against this USC team.
Ascher Levin: USC 28, Northwestern 20
After a bye week, Northwestern faces one of its toughest challenges of the season tomorrow night in Los Angeles. USC has one of the nation’s most dangerous passing attacks, led by Maiava and Lemon. The Trojans can move the ball quickly and stretch defenses, putting pressure on Northwestern’s secondary, which has been one of the best in the Big Ten. For the ‘Cats, the key will be controlling the clock and limiting turnovers. The offensive line has been phenomenal all season, and if Caleb Komolafe and Joseph Himon II can find success on the ground, Northwestern can keep the game close by limiting USC’s time of possession. Quarterback Preston Stone needs to protect the ball and manage the game efficiently to give NU a chance. However, USC’s high-powered offense may simply be too much to contain. The Trojans’ ability to score through the air and create explosive plays will likely be the difference. Northwestern should compete and show resilience, but USC’s offense will lead it to a win.
Calvin Kaplan: USC 31, Northwestern 17
The Wildcats’ defense has looked good this year and should be rejuvenated following the bye, but I don’t see a Preston-Stone-led passing attack keeping up with Maiava and the Trojans for 60 minutes. Furthermore, USC has also demonstrated a potent run game, piling up over 200 yards on the ground against Nebraska last weekend. A win isn’t impossible given that USC only beat the Cornhuskers 21-17, but it would still be a lot to ask of a Wildcat squad that lacks a signature win over an upper-tier Big Ten opponent (sorry, Penn State). As usual, NU will need to rely on its run game to dictate the tempo of the contest at hand. If the ‘Cats can’t find ways to extend drives early, it’ll likely be a long day on the West Coast.
Matt Campbell: USC 28, Northwestern 14
Give credit where credit is due. The Northwestern secondary has shut down quarterbacks in each of their past three matchups, with none of their opponents’ starters breaking the 200-yard mark — two of whom were never close, for that matter. However, Maiava and USC are a completely different beast: a top three passing offense in the Big Ten by total passing yardage. It’s a given that Fussell will be on an island with Lemon, his toughest test yet, as the junior receiver has carved up defenses such as Notre Dame’s and Illinois’ in weeks past. Yes, USC’s defense ranks in the bottom half of the conference, but Lincoln Riley will fight fire with fire, knowing that a Preston Stone-led offensive unit won’t be able to keep up for long.
Miguel Muñoz: USC 31, Northwestern 10
I like the ‘Cats to keep things close early. With the ambiance of a Friday night game throwing things off, that will always favor an underdog — which Northwestern is in this one — against a ranked opponent in USC (19th in the first CFP ranking). The Trojans have had an up-and-down season this year, with big wins over Michigan and at Nebraska coupled with tough losses at Illinois and at Notre Dame. Although NU has been competitive as of recent, even against supposedly stronger opponents, I do think USC still has the upper hand in this one with such a strong offense and home-field advantage. I don’t think my score above indicates how close I believe a majority of this one will be, but a late touchdown or two should put the game to bed late and keep the ‘Cats grasping for that coveted sixth win.
Bryan Boanoh: USC 34, Northwestern 21
Currently sitting 1-2 in predictions this year, let’s try and get back to .500 this week. This USC offense has been an absolute buzzsaw all season long. I know that Maiava just had a season-worst outing against Nebraska (39% completion is absolutely tragic, I’ll admit), but that performance is an outlier that I don’t see happening again for the rest of the year. It took the second-best pass defense in the country in terms of yards allowed per game to slow down Maiava, and when the passing game faltered, King Miller proceeded to average 7.2 yards per carry. All of this to say that for all the success Northwestern has had this year, I don’t think it can stop the Trojans. I still think the Wildcats will score points — USC’s run defense is particularly weak and the overall unit is extremely turnover dependent. In its last 6 games, USC is giving up 21 points per game when it forces two-plus turnovers and 27 points when it doesn’t. I think Stone will be able to keep the ball safe and lead decently long drives, I just don’t think it will be enough to match the Trojans’ firepower.
Yanyan Li: USC 34, Northwestern 14
If Northwestern needed to play mistake-free football against Nebraska, it will need to do well beyond that to stay competitive with the Trojans. USC is ranked and one of the top teams in the Big Ten, and its offensive firepower in the form of Maiva and Lemon will be difficult to stop. While its narrow win over Nebraska is hopeful, a West Coast away game environment against this good of a contender will be hard for the Wildcats to beat.
Season standings:
7-1: Charlie Jacobs
6-2: Yanyan Li, Miguel Munoz, Calvin Kaplan
5-3: Ascher Levin
4-0: Sai Trivedi
4-1: Adam Sutro, Patrick Winograd
3-1: Pierson Strandquist
2-1: Matt Campbell
1-0: Charlie Perlman, Donovan West
1-2: Drew Christmann, Bryan Boanoh
