Right now the USC Trojans football team is flying under the college football radar. Although they are ranked No. 15 in the nation, they will move up the quickly if they win their first two games. They host Fresno State Saturday at the Memorial Coliseum at 4:30 p.m. and travel to play the defending Pac-12 Champion Stanford on Saturday Sept. 6, at 12:30 p.m. That game will be televised on ABC.
Coaches and players always say that you are only as good as your competition. If that’s the case USC will have to be very good just to survive in probably the best football conference in the nation, the Pac-12. Every team in the Pac-12 has a great quarterback and the coaching in the conference is excellent.
“We still have plenty of work to do but if we can manage things the right way we have a chance,” USC coach Steve Sarkisian said. “Every week in our conference you have to be ready to play. There is talent from top to bottom in this conference.”
This is Sarkisian’s first year as the Trojans’ head coach. He spent the last five years as the head coach at the University of Washington.
USC’s success will start with quarterback Cody Kessler, who won the starting job in the middle of the 2013 season and led the team to 10-4 record and a 45-20 win against Fresno State in the Las Vegas Bowl last year.
”It’s really nice knowing that you are going to be the starter,” Kessler said. “It feels great that I am actually the main guy. That has really helped my confidence going into the season.”
Sarkisian, who installed a new up-tempo offence this year, is very confident in Kessler’s ability to lead the 2014 Trojans.
“Cody is a great player,” Sarkisian said. “If you look at the second half of last season Cody played extremely well. He was a really good basketball and football player in high school and I think that has helped him become a better leader.”
Kessler, who played point guard in high school, will have a lot of help on offense. His back up is Max Browne and the starting tailback is junior Javoritus Allen. Allen ran for 785 yards last year. Backing up Allen will be junior Tre Madden (703 yards), speedy Justin Davis (361 yards) and senior D. J. Morgan.
The receiver spot is where the Trojans will surprise some people. Although three-year starter Marqise Lee has gone to the NFL, USC is stocked at the receiver position. Junior Nelson Agholor will Kessler’s main target along with Darreus Rogers. Victor Blackwell, George Farmer and Steven Mitchell will back up Agholor and Rogers but he the biggest surprise at the receiver position is freshman Ajene Harris from Crenshaw High School. He is slated to get a lot of playing time at the slot receiver position.
The tight end will be Randall Telfer and the top offensive linemen are two-year starters Max Tuerk and Aundrey Walker and Chad Wheeler will help anchor a solid offensive line.
On defense USC will rely on two of the best defensive players in the nation in linebacker Hayes Pullard and defensive end Leonard Williams. Having three head coaches last year has helped the USC team come to together according to Williams.
“We realized at the end of the day coaches come and go but the players still have each other,” Williams said.
The No. 7 UCLA Bruins open their season Saturday on the road against the University of Virginia at 9 a.m. local time and will be broadcast on ESPN. The Bruins will return home to the Rose Bowl Saturday, Sept. 6, for a 7 p.m. game against Memphis. UCLA is led by quarterback Brett Hundley on offense and linebackers Eric Kendricks and Myles Jack on defense.
