Buffs Set For Pivotal Pac-12 Battle With USC
October 12, 2018 | Football, Neill Woelk
LOS ANGELES — Almost every week this season, the stakes have gotten a little bigger for the Colorado Buffaloes.
Put Saturday's 8:30 p.m. matchup with USC at the top of the list. When the Buffs step on the Los Angeles Coliseum turf for their nationally televised matchup (FS1), it will be more than "just" another Pac-12 game.
A win would put the 19th-ranked Buffs (No. 18 USA Today) firmly in the driver's seat in the Pac-12 South with a 3-0 conference record — and at least a two-game lead over every other team in the division.
Thus, while the Buffs (5-0 overall, 2-0 Pac-12) are holding fast to their "every game is important" mantra, they also acknowledge that there's a little more on the table for the taking against the Trojans.
"We know we're going to have to win a ton of Pac-12 games to win the conference, to  win the Pac-12 South," head coach Mike MacIntyre said earlier this week. "This team is a Pac-12 South team. It makes it even a little bit bigger game. They're all big. But if you can beat a Pac-12 South opponent, that puts them a notch behind you."
That's exactly where the Buffs would like to put the Trojans (3-2, 2-1). A Colorado win would put USC, the preseason pick to win the division, in a significant hole. Â The Buffs' lead over USC would in effect be three games, as CU would win the head-to-head tiebreaker if the two teams finish with the same conference record.
But mid-October is no time to be speculating about end-of-season records — and the Buffs certainly haven't been engaging in any long-term projections. Their sole focus all week has been on putting to rest a 12-game losing streak to the USC — the only Pac-12 team Colorado has never beaten.
Getting over that hump won't be an easy task. Perhaps even more daunting than USC's record in the series is coach Clay Helton's record in the Coliseum — a perfect 18-0.
But there may also be no better time to catch the Trojans than now. USC has struggled to produce any real consistency on both sides of the ball, thanks to inexperience at some key positions, including quarterback, where true freshman JT Daniels has been calling the signals.
"They're extremely talented like they always have been," MacIntyre said. "Some of their talent is young but they've gotten better each week just. You can see the talent, you can see them make plays, but just getting used to playing and feeling comfortable. I've been impressed with them."
Still, the Trojans have not been a dominant bunch. They are 11th in the conference in scoring, averaging just 24.6 points per game, and defensively they are giving up 26.2 per game. Daniels has completed just under 60 percent of his passes (100-for-167) for 1,254 yards, four touchdowns and three interceptions.
As usual, however, the Trojans do have a talented stable of running backs. Senior Aca'Cedric Ware is coming off of a 24-carry, 173-yard effort against Arizona that included a 69-yard touchdown run, and electric sophomore Stephen Carr has rushed for 276 yards on 50 carries.
"Our goal is always to stop the runs, keep teams one dimensional and help us," said Buffs defensive lineman Mustafa Johnson, who leads the Buffs with 4.5 sacks and is second in tackles with 37. "I think our physicality is going to make a big difference because it's going to allow us to make more plays on the ball and disrupt their offense. And that's what our goal is."
Offensively, the Buffs want to establish some momentum early. Colorado hasn't scored in the first half against USC in either of the last two years, trailing 20-0 last season at the half and 14-0 two years ago.
"Every year is a new year," said Colorado quarterback Steven Montez, who has started against the Trojans each of the last two years. "Anybody can be beaten at any time. That is how we've looked at every single game we've played so far. We know we can be beaten as well, but we understand that if we put in the work during the week and we work hard and study film and do all the right things during the week, then on Saturdays we should be feeling very, very confident about what we are doing. That will allow us to play fast and play smart."
The Trojans have not been particularly stout on defense. Along with giving up more than 26 points per game, they are yielding more than 380 yards per game along. That includes 36 points and 435 yards to Washington State in a 39-36 win that USC salvaged by rallying for 22 points in the second half, then blocking a potential game-tying field goal in the final seconds.
"It will be a challenge for us, but I am excited to be able to play against these guys and be able to display what we do," said running back Travon McMillian. "You can't be intimidated. We just have to be ready and be focused. It isn't about matching what they do. This group and these guys on our team have our own swagger about ourselves and how we handle things."
MATCHUP TO WATCH: Colorado wide receiver Laviska Shenault Jr. against the USC defense. The Trojans have been concentrating on containing the CU sophomore all week. They've put in extra work on their red zone and goal line defenses to be ready for Shenault in the wildcat formation, and they've put a special emphasis on tackling in space. The Trojans like to match up their best corner on an opponent's best receiver in man coverage, meaning Shenault could find himself in some one-on-one situations — exactly the matchup the Buffs want.
KEEP AN EYE ON: Colorado linebacker Nate Landman. The CU sophomore missed the second half of last week's win over ASU after a first-half ejection on a targeting call. He's anxious to get back — and CU fans will remember that it was last year against USC that he had a breakout game. Landman had three tackles, including one for loss, and two third-down stops as well as a blocked punt in his first extensive action of the year — and since then, has become a defensive leader for the Buffs.
THE SERIES: USC holds a 12-0 edge in the all-time series, including a 21-17 win in the last meeting in the Coliseum in 2016.
NUTS AND BOLTS:
Kickoff: 8:40 p.m., L.A. Coliseum (78,467).
Broadcast: The game will be televised by Fox Sports 1 with Joe Davis, Brady Quinn and Bruce Feldman. The radio broadcast will be carried by AM 850 KOA with Mark Johnson and Gary Barnett in the booth and Bobby Pesavento on the sidelines.
In-game live blog, stats: A live in-game blog as well as continually updated statistics will be available on www.CUBuffs.com
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
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