Matchup Preview: Who has the edge?

Purdue vs. USC, from a matchup perspective.

Date/Time: Saturday, September 13, 3:30 p.m. EDT

Location: Ross-Ade Stadium

Surface: Bermuda Grass

Capacity: 61,441 (tickets)

2025 schedules/records: Purdue 2-0 (0-0 Big Ten) | USC 2-0 (0-0 Big Ten)

Series notes: Purdue and USC will meet for the first time as Big Ten foes on Saturday and for the fifth time overall. The two first met in the 1967 Rose Bowl, a 14-13 win in Pasadena, where Purdue stopped a late two-point conversion to hold on and win. Since then, the series belongs to Southern Cal. The Trojans swept a home-and-home series in 1975 and 1976 before downing Purdue in the 1998 season opener, a game in which Drew Brees made his first start for the Boilermakers.

TV: CBS (PxP Brad Nessler, Analyst Gary Danielson, Sidelines Jenny Dell)

Radio: Purdue Sports Properties (PxP Tim Newton, Analyst Mark Herrmann, Sidelines Kelly Kitchel)

Line: FBS vs. FCS lines typically open on the morning of the game

Weather: High of 86 degrees with partly cloudy skies and a slight breeze

Purdue Roster | Purdue Game Notes

USC Roster | USC Game Notes

Pregame: First and 10: USC at Purdue | First Look: USC | From UNLV to Big Ten: Purdue’s Barry Odom, USC’s Jayden Maiava set for reunion | 25 years later: Purdue to celebrate 2000 Rose Bowl squad Saturday | Purdue’s George Burhenn finally has weight lifted off shoulders | The 3-2-1: Talking Mockobee workload, football IQ, summer of George and more | Gold and Black Radio: Purdue readies for USC challenge | Opponent View: USC | Number Crunching: Purdue Football Week 2 | Purdue’s Barry Odom welcomes streamlined transfer portal system

USC running game versus Purdue against the run

Two blowout victories into the season, only two Trojan running backs enter with 10 or more carries thus far. Waymond Jordan, the No. 2 JUCO transfer of the cycle, leads the Trojans with 209 yards on just 21 touches. Eli Sanders, formerly of New Mexico and Iowa State, comes in with 13 carries for 85 yards, and King Miller ripped off a 75-yard run against Missouri State.

Quarterback Jayden Maiava, who began his career at UNLV with Barry Odom in 2023, can run the ball. When he won Mountain West Freshman of the Year for the Rebels, he ran for 277 yards. While Lincoln Riley’s pass-happy offense asks quarterbacks to throw the ball first, dual-threat quarterbacks thrive in his system, which allows them to tuck it and run. Despite question marks along the offensive line, USC ranks ninth nationally in rushing offense, averaging 271 yards per game. Purdue will provide the strongest opposition yet, but USC feels good about its ground game after a couple of easy wins.

Purdue won’t need to change much in practice to prepare for the dual-threat Maiava. It saw a run-first quarterback in Ball State’s Kiael Kelly and a real run threat in Southern Illinois’ DJ Williams. Despite facing respectable run games, Purdue’s defense has limited opposing ball carriers to 3.2 yards per carry and held its opponents to 98.5 rushing yards per game. UNLV transfers Mani Powell and Charles Correa bolstered the linebacking corps, and Tahj Ra-El looks active coming down from the safety position to make plays. The lingering question: how well does Purdue’s defensive line stack up against power conference opposition?

USC passing game versus Purdue against the pass

After spending most of 2024 as the backup quarterback, Maiava started the final four games of the season, springboarding him into the full-time role this fall. He accounted for 15 touchdowns in seven games last season after throwing for over 3,000 yards and 17 touchdowns as a freshman at UNLV. His ability to utilize his feet and extend plays combined with a strong arm makes him a legitimate weapon, and he boasts the potential to rank among the Big Ten’s best quarterbacks. Turnovers caused issues for him at times at UNLV and USC with 16 interceptions in 21 games over his first two seasons, but he’s clean thus far in 2025.

Two difference-makers at wide receiver help Maiava. At 6-4 and over 200 pounds, Ja’Kobi Lane gives him a target for jump balls and a major red zone weapon, as he finished fifth in the nation with 12 receiving touchdowns last season. A smaller, shiftier option, Makai Lemon averaged just shy of 15 yards per reception last year. Through two games, the duo has combined for 372 yards with multiple plays of 50+ yards. Combine a talented quarterback with dynamic wideouts in Riley’s prolific offense and it makes defensive coordinators sweat.

Purdue faced its first real passing threat last week and saw mixed results. Early coverage breakdowns allowed the Salukis to rip off big plays and sparked touchdown drives. As the game progressed, Purdue’s coverage tightened up, and the Southern Illinois offense stopped scoring. The secondary’s biggest breakdowns seemed to come in zone coverage. But, can Purdue execute man coverage against a much stronger passing game? No matter what coverage Purdue deploys, it will need to continue pressuring the passer. The Boilermakers are tied for 11th nationally with seven sacks through two weeks.

Purdue running game versus USC against the run

Purdue deployed a run-heavy offensive attack rarely seen in West Lafayette last week. The Boilermakers ran the ball on 53 of their 76 offensive snaps, totaling 215 yards on the ground (4.1 per carry). Workhorse Devin Mockobee saw a career-high 32 carries as he moved into fifth place on Purdue’s all-time rushing list. He’s the clear-cut top tailback on the roster, as he’s received 46 carries through two weeks. Antonio Harris and Malachi Thomas, the running backs behind him, each have eight rushing attempts on the year.

Ryan Browne presents a true dual-threat ability that defenses must respect. He scrambled for a touchdown against Ball State and nearly pulled off an almost-identical touchdown scamper a week ago but was marked short of the goal line. Purdue asks a lot of him in the option game, something he can still grow more comfortable with, but his legs require defenses to keep an eye on him when he drops back to pass. The run game’s biggest question lies up front, as Purdue averages just 3.7 yards per carry through two games against outmatched competition. Can Purdue pave space for Mockobee, Browne and company against a much stronger opponent on Saturday?

The oft-criticized USC defense improved in 2024 with the hire of D’Anton Lynn, and it hopes to continue taking steps forward this fall. The run defense turned in strong performances against Missouri State and Georgia Southern, limiting the opposition to 3.3 yards per carry. Linebacker Eric Gentry and safety Bishop Fitzgerald lead the defense, working downhill to limit the opposing run game. USC feels better about its defensive front with bigger, stronger bodies, and it added speed at linebacker. Purdue will pose the best run game its seen to date, but Purdue must prove it can hang in the trenches in a game like this.

Purdue passing game versus USC against the pass

Entering the season, the passing game stood out as the biggest question mark for Purdue’s offense. Through two games, the early returns look solid. Browne did toss his first interception on an ill-advised deep ball last week, but he’s completed 65% of his attempts for 481 yards and four touchdowns thus far. Entering the season, a performance like this through two games would’ve had Purdue coaches smiling and nodding.

George Burhenn returned to a higher workload last week, catching three passes for a team-high 49 yards. Possibly the best player on the roster, Burhenn’s athletic ability at the tight end spot makes opposing defenses worry. Georgia transfers Michael Jackson III and Nitro Tuggle join forces with Arhmad Branch to form a nice starting unit at wide receiver, but the depth behind them remains a question mark. Will Chauncey Magwood and/or De’Nylon Morrissette return to play this week to help add depth to that unit?

Early on in Riley’s tenure, the USC pass defense prevented it from competing at a higher level. It made progress a season ago, but some coverage busts early on this season present a reason for concern. Aside from a few busts, though, the pass defense looks solid. Opposing passers average just 5.4 yards per attempt against USC, and the Trojan secondary has picked off two passes. Purdue must avoid trouble and play a clean game. Staying in front of the chains remains paramount, but defensive ends Braylan Shelby and Anthony Lucas enter with a pair of sacks. This will test Purdue’s ability to put together drives and take what the defense gives it.

Special teams

So far, so good for Purdue’s special teams unit. Entering the season, the coaching staff emphasized the importance of excelling in the game’s third phase. Kicker Spencer Porath earned Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week honors after making field goals of 25 and 43 yards in addition to four extra points. He remains perfect this season after a shaky end to 2024.

Jack McCallister’s services did not get used last week, but the veteran punter impressed in the opener. Jackson III showcased some intriguing ability as a return man when used against the Salukis. Purdue hasn’t returned a punt for a score since 2009, and it last took a kickoff to the house in 2023.

Perhaps no kicker across America enters week three with more made extra points than USC kicker Ryon Sayeri. He’s made all 16 of his extra point attempts and both of his field goal tries. A redshirt freshman, Sayeri did not handle kicking duties a season ago, so Saturday will be his first time kicking away from the LA Coliseum. After not punting a single time in the opener, USC did punt three times last week. The Trojans take a conservative approach in the return game with just five kick return attempts and zero punt return attempts.

Intangibles

Purdue did what it needed to do in the first two games. Ball State and Southern Illinois entered Ross-Ade Stadium as nearly three touchdown underdogs, and Purdue handled both with varying degrees of ease. Now, the level of competition rises dramatically, as Purdue plays the role of the three-score underdog.

By all accounts, Purdue’s staff and players believe in the growth of the program that struggled mightily in these spots a season ago. But, does Purdue have the “Jimmies and Joes” to hang with one of the most explosive offenses in the country? The Boilermakers’ clean special teams and lack of penalties show that it’s doing the little things well, but the big things must be there for Purdue to compete with the Trojans.

Expect a strong, enthusiastic crowd in West Lafayette. Optimism feels plentiful after Purdue’s first 2-0 start since 2021, and the 2000 Rose Bowl team will return for its 25th anniversary, including Brees.

Riley’s first three seasons in Los Angeles delivered mixed results. After nearly making the College Football Playoff in his debut season, USC’s record got worse in the subsequent two seasons. Now, after a pair of blowout wins over Group of Five competition, he’s out to prove that he can return the USC program to its former glory. If early scores of 73 and 59 points are any indication, he doesn’t mind stacking up the points in already-decided contests.

With many connections between the Purdue coaching staff and USC’s offense, no one truly knows how much it will help the Boilermakers. Odom and company will hope it’s plenty, as Purdue seeks its first win over a newly-added member of the Big Ten.