USC vs Fresno State prediction, game preview, how to watch. Week 3, Saturday, September 17
USC vs Fresno State How To Watch
Date: Saturday, September 17
Game Time: 10:30 pm ET
Venue: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles CA
How To Watch: FOX
Record: USC (2-0), Fresno State (1-1)
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USC vs Fresno State Game Preview
Why Fresno State Will Win
The Bulldogs were one stop away from holding to beat Oregon State. The passing game was good, the running game continued to be great, and the defense held up up until it absolutely needed a big play, and …
Yeah, the defense isn’t going to handle USC. However, the offense should be able to keep up.
Stanford was able to pound away on the USC defensive front averaging five yards per carry, and that’s after a Rice offense that shouldn’t have been able to do anything averaged 4.3 yards per carry.
In a perfect world, Jake Haener and the Fresno State passing game trades shot for shot with Caleb Williams and the Trojan O, but grind, keep grinding, and own the clock.
Keeping Mr. Williams on the sidelines matters, and not turning the ball over so far this year matters, and …
Why USC Will Win
Fresno State’s defense hasn’t been able to generate a turnover – that matters.
The Bulldogs have been strong defensively, but they’re about to deal with a whole other level of problems against a Trojan offense that only stopped because it wanted to.
It ripped up Rice at will – to go along with a slew of pick-sixes – and it did whatever it wanted to against Stanford until it got sleepy and turned off the fun a tad too early.
Williams is connecting on 80% of his passes, Travis Dye stepped up the running game against the Cardinal, and Fresno State’s defense won’t be able to handle any of it.
If Haener and the Fresno State O blink, USC will pull away.
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What’s Going To Happen
Fresno State will get its shots in, but get ready to hear a lot of, “the USC defensive line was challenged to step up its toughness.”
It won’t really matter.
Fresno State will get its points and yards in, and it won’t be nearly enough.
USC will need a drive or two to warm up, everyone on social media will freak out, and then the avalanche will come as Williams and the attack find a groove to get up and pull away.
Haener will make things fun late – he’ll keep bombing – but the USC secondary will hold up.
USC vs Fresno State Prediction, Line
USC 44, Fresno State 31
Line: USC -12.5, o/u: 74.5
ATS Confidence out of 5: 3
USC vs Fresno State Must See Rating (out of 5): 3.5
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