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It didn’t take long for the USC Trojans to overcome an average season in 2013 to already put a huge mark on the rest of the college football world in 2014. The Trojans took to the road in week three and downed a top-10 team in the Stanford Cardinal. It looks like new head coach Steve Sarkisian might be the answer to the Trojans’ recent woes.
Steve Addazio is trying to turn the Boston College Eagles back into the program they once were when Matt Ryan was the quarterback. An 8-7 record in just over a season with his new school is a promising start, but imagine how big it would be for the eagles to take down USC in a week three home contest.
Remember how long it took the Trojans to find their starting quarterback in 2013? That problem exists no more as junior quarterback Cody Kessler took the reigns in the middle of last season and hasn’t looked back since. The second-year starter has looked solid for USC thus far, completing 40 of 59 passes for 529 yards and four touchdowns while not throwing a pick yet. Nelson Agholor, as expected, is the junior QB’s favorite target, catching 14 passes for 148 yards and two scores while freshman sensation JuJu Smith has five catches for 121 yards but still looking for his first career touchdown. Javorius Allen leads the 44th-ranked rushing attack with 287 yards and a touchdown on just 45 carries – good for a 6.4 yards per carry average.
The passing offense hasn’t exactly been the Eagles’ strong point for the past couple of seasons and the 2014 season is no different. Senior quarterback, with little starting experience, Tyler Murphy has completed just over 50 percent of his passes for 307 yards and just two touchdowns. He will get stronger as the season progresses, but he still has a ways to go. Murphy does, however, have the ability to tuck the ball and run when the pressure is on, accounting for 210 yards and two touchdowns on just 29 carries this season – leading the team in that category. Murphy’s favorite target has been Josh Bordner who has five catches for 82 yards and a touchdown while Shakim Phillips has four catches of his own for 71 yards and a score.
Defensively, the Eagles allow just 18.5 points per game, but have had an up-and-down start to the season. In week one, Boston College allowed just 202 yards, including just 55 rushing, in a win, but in week two, the Eagles allowed 414 – 303 of which came on the ground. The Trojans have given up a total of just 23 points in two games this season as well as allowing just 365 yards per contest. This game could be a one-sided affair.
Boston College will travel to USC to take on the Trojans at 8 p.m. EST on Saturday, Sept. 13. The game will be broadcasted on ESPN.
PREDICTION: Boston College 17, USC 34
Connor Muldowney is a columnist for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @Connormuldowney, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google. You can also reach him at [email protected].
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