The Rutgers Scarlet Knights (4-3) face off against the USC Trojans (3-4) on Friday, October 25th. This game will be played at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles and televised on FOX. Both Rutgers and USC will be looking to bounce back from losses in their previous games. Kickoff is scheduled for 11:00 ET.
Rutgers Scarlet Knights vs USC Trojans
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Rutgers Offense Breakdown
Rutgers’ offense has leaned heavily on their running game, averaging 191.3 rushing yards per game, ranking 34th in the nation. They are 24th in rushing attempts per game, with Kyle Monangai leading the way with 845 yards and 10 touchdowns, averaging 5 yards per carry. The Scarlet Knights are scoring 26.6 points per game, placing them 61st nationally, and they are 50th in third-down conversions, converting 40.7% of their attempts.
Quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis has thrown for 1,337 yards, with Rutgers ranking 95th in passing yards per game. Kaliakmanis has eight touchdown passes and five interceptions, with a passer rating of 78, which matches the team’s overall passer rating. Rutgers is 68th in our offensive power rankings heading into week 9.
USC Offense Breakdown
USC’s offense is averaging 30.3 points per game, ranking 43rd in the nation, but they are 19th in our offensive power rankings heading into week 9. They have the second-most passing attempts per game, averaging 42.3, and are third in completions, with 27.3 per game. Their passing attack is producing 288.6 yards per game, and they have converted 46.2% of their third-down attempts.
Miller Moss has thrown for 1,954 yards with a passer rating of 92. He has 14 touchdowns and six interceptions, completing 64.4% of his passes. Woody Marks leads the rushing attack with 661 yards, averaging 5 yards per carry and scoring five touchdowns. Kyron Hudson has 303 receiving yards and two touchdowns on 26 catches.
Rutgers Team Defense
Rutgers’ defense will look to bounce back after allowing 35 points in their recent game against UCLA, where they gave up 484 total yards, including 383 passing yards and four touchdowns through the air. Despite the high yardage, they managed to hold UCLA to just 101 rushing yards on 28 attempts.
On the season, Rutgers ranks 41st nationally, allowing 22.3 points per game. Opponents have averaged 215 passing yards per game and completed 61.8% of their throws. Rutgers’ run defense has struggled, giving up 172.7 rushing yards per game, ranking 126th in the country.
Rutgers Team Defense
USC’s defense has allowed an average of 22 points per game this season, ranking 39th nationally. In their recent 29-28 loss to Maryland, they gave up 29 points and allowed 25 first downs. Maryland rushed for just 70 yards on 22 attempts, but USC’s secondary surrendered 373 passing yards on 39 completions, though they did manage to force one interception.
Opponents have averaged 223.6 passing yards per game against USC, completing 68.5% of their throws. USC ranks 74th in the nation, allowing 140 rushing yards per game on 30 attempts, which is the 22nd fewest rushing attempts faced in the country.
Rutgers vs USC Trends
- Across the Rutgers Scarlet Knights last ten road games, the team averaged 14 points per game while allowing 24. Their record vs the spread in these contests was 4-3-2, while going 3-7 straight-up.
- Across the USC Trojans last five home games, the team averaged 29 points per game while allowing 33. Their record vs the spread in these contests was 1-4, while going 1-4 straight-up.
- As the betting underdog, the Rutgers Scarlet Knights have an ATS mark of just 1-3-1 in their last five games. Rutgers posted a straight up mark of 1-4 in these matchups.
- Spanning across their last ten games as the betting favorite, the USC Trojans have gone 2-8 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 5-5.
Scarlet Knights vs Trojans Prediction
USC is the heavy favorite in their week nine matchup against Rutgers, with the point spread set at -14.5 in favor of the Trojans. We expect USC to come out on top, with a projected final score of 36-19, and for USC to cover the spread.
For the over/under, with the line at 55.5 points, our projection of 55 total points suggests that taking the under is the best play.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:October 22, 2024 Rutgers Scarlet Knights, USC Trojans