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Southern California (3-3, 1-3 Big Ten) is set to face Maryland (3-3, 0-3) on Saturday at 4 p.m. ET, broadcast on Fox Sports 1.
BetMGM’s college football odds have Southern Cal favored by 7.5 points.
This matchup marks the first encounter between these two teams.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
Southern Cal’s inaugural season in the Big Ten has largely been characterized by narrow defeats, including a tough loss last week, falling 33-30 in overtime to Penn State. The Trojans have experienced losses to Michigan, Minnesota, and the Nittany Lions, with a mere 13 points separating them from potential victories in these games—despite leading in the fourth quarter in each. As they travel to take on the Terrapins, they aim to secure their first Big Ten win on the road. Maryland’s aspirations for a fourth straight postseason appearance have been compromised following consecutive losses to Indiana and Northwestern—compounded by a discouraging performance that included four turnovers against the Wildcats in a 37-10 defeat.
KEY BATTLE TO WATCH
For USC, quarterback Miller Moss has demonstrated flashes of brilliance, highlighted by a 378-yard performance against LSU at the season’s start. However, he has also struggled with consistency, throwing at least one interception in each of the last four games. On the other side, Maryland’s secondary presents a mixed situation; while they have collected eight interceptions—ranking as the second-best in the Big Ten—they also sit 108th nationally in passing defense, allowing an average of 258.3 yards per game.
PLAYERS TO FOLLOW
For USC, running back Woody Marks stands out, sitting sixth in the Big Ten with 579 rushing yards. He has eclipsed the 100-yard mark in four of his last five contests, including a 111-yard outing against Penn State last week. However, he’ll face a stiff test against Maryland’s rush defense, which has allowed just 106.3 yards per game.
On the Maryland side, wide receiver Tai Felton leads the Big Ten in receptions (55) and receiving yards (719). He returned from an undisclosed injury last week, catching nine passes for 77 yards against Northwestern. Despite this, his longest reception in that game was for just 13 yards, so the Terps will be looking to enhance his deep threat potential in this matchup.
FACTS AND INSIGHTS
USC has played twice previously in the state of Maryland; they lost to Navy in Baltimore in 1950 and beat Virginia Tech in Landover in 2004. Maryland is experiencing its first 0-3 start in the Big Ten since 2015, having previously opened that year with seven consecutive losses before securing a victory in the season finale. For the Trojans, this marks their first 1-3 start in conference play since 2001. Notably, Maryland’s head coach Mike Locksley assumed the play-calling responsibilities from offensive coordinator Josh Gattis just last week.
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