Tag: Woody Marks

Where EA Sports’ new football video game ranks USC will shock you

EA Sports undersold USC’s offense.

On July 19, 2024, EA Sports will finally unveil College Football 25, the highly anticipated college football video game. While it is not surprising that USC’s potent offense has secured a spot in the Top 25 rankings, their placement at No. 25 raises some eyebrows.

EA SPORTS explained its metrics.

“The Development Team meticulously examined hundreds of thousands of data points to arrive at our team power rankings. With help from our friends at Pro Football Focus (PFF), the team analyzed all 134 rosters, thousands of players, years worth of game film, and mountains of stats, ultimately arriving at our Team Power Rankings.”

Lincoln Riley has never had a offense that ranked below No. 3 in total offense while he has been at USC and he has averaged 41 points in both seasons.  This pattern continues back to his head coaching days at Oklahoma where his teams averaged 43.29 points per game.  In nine years of head coaching, Riley’ teams have never finished worse than eighth in total offense and only scored less that 40 points once (2021 – 39 points per game).

USC does lose its Heisman-winning quarterback, Caleb Williams, who was selected as the No.1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft.  However, Miller Moss is coming off his debut in the Holiday Bowl, which displayed his capability of running Riley’s highly successful offense. Moss threw for 372 yards and six touchdowns in a 42-28 victory.  Part of Moss’ success was throwing to an elite freshman class of blue-chip receivers: Zachariah Branch, Jacobi Lane, Duce Robinson and Makai Lemon, who will light up the Big Ten in the fall.

This is also Year 3 of an offensive line overhaul that may produce the most talented and cohesive unit yet at USC under Riley, anchored by Elijah Page and Jonah Monheim.  Running behind that line will be Woody Marks, the all- time leader in receptions at Mississippi State and No. 5 all time in the SEC.  Marks will compete with a young group of highly ranked running backs out of Texas which includes Quinten Joyner, A’Marion Peterson, and Bryan Jackson.

Teams that are ranked ahead of the Trojans are also replacing quarterbacks; more than a couple of them are replacing offensive coordinators.  Unless there is a huge break from an overwhelming trend for Lincoln Riley’s offenses, the staff over at EA Sports really missed the mark with this power ranking.

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Mississippi State running back Jo’Quavious Marks is set to transfer to USC

USC brings experience to its running back room.

Jo’Quavious “Woody” Marks is reportedly set to transfer to USC next season.

The former Mississippi State running back entered the transfer portal on December 10 after four seasons in Starkville. Now, according to a report from On3Sports’ Matt Zenitz, Marks is going to transfer to USC to play under head coach Lincoln Riley in the Big Ten.

https://t.co/FSWExLJ3Flpic.twitter.com/QQyd3EGxaI

— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) December 20, 2023

In four years with Mississippi State, Marks tallied 1,882 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns and had 1,225 receiving yards.

Jo’Quavious “Woody” Marks will help a very young and inexperienced running back room next season, led by Quinten Joyner, A’Marion Peterson, and incoming four-star true freshman Bryan Jackson.

Marks is the latest SEC running back to transfer to USC. Last year, MarShawn Lloyd transferred from South Carolina to Southern California. The Trojans will be happy if Marks matches Lloyd’s production. Lloyd was one of the better players on the 2023 USC offense, and a transfer who clearly lived up to the advance billing for the Men of Troy.

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