3rd Quarter Report
USC is on the road but looking no worse for wear. They have jumped out to a 17-10 lead against Minnesota.
If USC keeps playing like this, they'll bump their record up to 4-1 in no time. On the other hand, Minnesota will have to make due with a 2-4 record unless they turn things around (and fast).
Who's Playing
No. 11 USC Trojans @ Minnesota Golden Gophers
Current Records: USC 3-1, Minnesota 2-3
How To Watch
- When: Saturday, October 5, 2024 at 7:30 p.m. ET
- Where: Huntington Bank Stadium -- Minneapolis, Minnesota
- TV: Big Ten Network
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Ticket Cost: $25.49
What to Know
The USC Trojans and the Minnesota Golden Gophers are set to square off in a Big Ten Bowl Subdivision battle at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday at Huntington Bank Stadium. The two teams have allowed few points on average, (the Trojans: 17, the Golden Gophers: 15.4) so any points scored will be well earned.
USC took a loss when they played away from home two weeks ago, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Saturday. They enjoyed a cozy 38-21 victory over Wisconsin. A big part of the win was the Trojans' ability to finish drives: they scored a touchdown on all four of their trips to the red zone.
A big part of USC's win came down to the chemistry between Miller Moss and his top target Ja'Kobi Lane. Moss threw for 308 yards and three touchdowns while Lane picked up 105 receiving yards and two touchdowns. The dominant performance also gave Lane a new career-high in total yards.
Meanwhile, Minnesota didn't have quite enough to beat Michigan on Saturday and fell 27-24. The Golden Gophers have struggled against the Wolverines recently, as their game on Saturday was their fifth consecutive lost matchup.
Despite the loss, Minnesota got top-tier performance from Darius Taylor, who gained 88 total yards and two touchdowns. Max Brosmer was another key player, having thrown for 258 yards and onetouchdown.
Minnesota wasn't very productive on the ground and finished the game with only 38 rushing yards. That's the fewest rushing yards they've managed all season.
USC's victory bumped their record up to 3-1. As for Minnesota, they now have a losing record at 2-3.
Looking forward, USC is the favorite in this one, as the experts expect to see them win by 8.5 points. This contest will be their fifth straight as the favorites (so far over this stretch they are 3-1 against the spread).
Odds
USC is a big 8.5-point favorite against Minnesota, according to the latest college football odds.
The oddsmakers had a good feel for the line for this one, as the game opened with the Trojans as a 9.5-point favorite.
The over/under is 45.5 points.
See college football picks for every single game, including this one, from SportsLine's advanced computer model. Get picks now.
Injury Report for Minnesota
- Jalen Logan-Redding: questionable (Undisclosed)
- Darius Green: out (Undisclosed)
- Justin Walley: questionable (Undisclosed)
- Quentin Redding: outForSeason (Undisclosed)
- Maverick Baranowski: out (Undisclosed)
- Pierce Walsh: out (Leg)
Injury Report for USC
- Akili Arnold: questionable (Undisclosed)
- Lake McRee: out (Lower Body)
- Eric Gentry: out (Undisclosed)
- Raesjon Davis: outForSeason (Undisclosed)
- Bear Alexander: outForSeason (Transfer Portal)
- Makai Lemon: probable (Undisclosed)