“Circumstance does not make the man; it reveals him to himself.”- James Allen
N’Western @ USC Part Two.
It just felt like there was more to say in the lead up to Friday Night’s matchup in Pasadena, so that’s what I’m here to do. I’ve pasted Part One at the bottom if you missed it the other day.
Glad to have you back on this relatively warm and breezy Wednesday. The glow of the foliage is quite striking against the sharkskin sky out the back window. The red and orange hewn leaves seem to be glowing and giving off their own light. The pale green crepe myrtle leaves complete the picture of a warm, breezy day, with dark clouds looming in the West.
It’s just about perfect in the drop-down-den. The fuzzy’s snores, the wind’s howling then whistling, the coffee pot’s hiss and the squeak of a limb scraping the front window–This is my current soundtrack along with the clacking of these keys. Simple things can really make the perfect melody.
I hope all is well with you.
- 5-3 Northwestern @ 6-2 Southern Cal
Be there Friday Night in Pasadena or watch on Fox if you can’t make the game. It’s a long commute for most.
Whether you go to the game or watch from the lazy boy, wearing wool socks and eating a bowl of cheesy mashed potatoes, these are stats that can help keep you engaged in the game and may help tell the story as the game unfolds.
Now, to the gridiron we go.
N’WESTERN WILDCATS
DEF Impact Players
- LB Mac Uihlein: 59 Tackles, 5 TFL, 4 INT, 1 FF
- DB Robert Fitzgerald: 69 Tackles, 3.5 TFL, 1 PD, 1 FR
- CB Fred Davis II: 25 Tackles, 6 PD, 1 FR, 1 TFL
- DB Braden Turner: 28 tackles, 2 FF, 1 TFL
These four and the rest of the defense have played quite stingy up to this point only giving up 16.8/ points per game, which is good for 15th out of the 136 teams.
OFF Impact Player
- RB Caleb Komolafe: 608 yards, 7 Td’s all on the ground.
Caleb gashed Nebraska two weeks ago for 125 yards and two TDs. The Wildcats lean on him quite often. The success of the offense hinges on his performance. The Wildcats are 102nd in scoring (22.5) and will need to play in their style to win this game.
USC TROJANS
DEF Impact Players:
- #19 SS Bishop Fitzgerald: Who we know quite well at this point.
- McNelly Award Watchlist
- #18 LB Eric Gentry: 57 Tackles, 7 TFL, 3 Sacks, 5 FF, 1 PD
- 6’6/200
- #8 DL Devan Thompkins: 23 Tackles, 5.5 TFL, 3 Sacks, 2 PD, 1 FF
Currently, the USC Defense is allowing 22.4/ ppg which is only good for 53rd in the country at this point. When needed, however, I’ve seen these three among others make the plays needed to win. Stopping the run will be key.
OFF Impact Players:
- DUAL Impactful Running Backs
- #30 rFr King Miller: 550 Yards, 4 TD
- #2 JR Waymond Jordan: 631, 5 TD
- #14 QB Jayden Maiava: 15 TD, 5 picks, 289.4 pass yards/ game
- 5 Rushing TD
- #6 WR/ PR Makai Lemon: 776 Rec Yards, 7 TD
This is the unit that is winning games for USC. 8th in the nation in scoring with a whopping 39.8/ ppg. The running backs on the ground and Jayden through the air–it’s all be working for the Trojans.
THE GAME
Enter the cliche routine for the little team to win on the road: limit the big plays, limit mistakes, establish the run, stop the run, control the clock, control the tempo, take the crowd out of it–you know? The typical talking points when breaking down a game like this one. Well, it may be cliche, but those things are said for a reason–because it’s a formula that works. It’s not fun or sexy but it’s a more likely pathway to victory than showing up to Big, Shiny, Brand New out of the box USC on a Friday Night hoping to win a high scoring game.
I think USC wins for sure if they get to 30 points. Preston Stone is just too much of a liability to keep up in a game like that. Northwestern will be hoping for less than thirty total points to be scored going into the 4th quarter. After that it may be anyone’s game to win at that point.
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Will the Northwestern impact players on defense be enough to slow the 8th ranked USC offense? That’s about the one question. If they can keep USC under 30, there will be a chance, but Northwestern will have to find a way to score.
I like the sophomore Komolafe at Running Back, but will he be enough to carry this seemingly one-dimensional offense? Even if he rushes for 110 and scores twice, Northwestern will still lose the game if they allowed their average. (16.8) They will certainly need production from elsewhere on the field.
For some reason, I like 6’5/ 225 Senior Tight End Lawson Albright to make some sort of impact on this game. Maybe it’s scoring, maybe it’s laying the key block that leads to a timely touchdown. I’ll keep an eye on the backup tight end. It could be him or anyone, but someone else will have to contribute on offense unless the defense can stymy Lincoln Riley’s offense.
Northwestern’s defense will have to do something special in order to win this game. They’ve got the impact players for it. Will they seize the moment on the road?
All of this will unfold Friday Night at 7PM on Fox. I’ve been a Trojan all season, but if they lose, I’ll be dropping them for Northwestern because the Wildcats will have earned it.
We’ll just have to wait and see.
Find the Humor and Keep on Movin’
Whit W.
–Keep reading if you missed the brief Part One to this game
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Part One if you missed it.
“I won’t give you anything and you won’t give me anything–we’ll both keep up out end of the bargain.”- Former USC OG John Wayne as “McClintock.”
- Northwestern @ Southern Cal FRI at 7PM on Fox
Just a quick nugget on this game and a chance to highlight a player or a few.
Southern Cal Safety Bishop Fitzgerald has been impactful in every game this season totaling a nation leading 5 Interceptions. Tied with:
- Ahmaad Moses- SMU
- Elijah Green- Tulsa
- Louis Moore- IND
- Boogie Trotter- Marshall
Five interceptions for Bishop leads the USC secondary but the Trojans boast more than a few DB’s that can impact the game. Safeties Kamari Ramsey and Christian Pearce roam the secondary looking to swat a ball or lay a shoulder pad into an opponent. The secondary is deep on this squad.
What does this mean for incoming Northwestern?
I’ve yet to watch an entire quarter that Northwestern have played this season. They weren’t one of my teams that I believed in before the season and slipped right under my nose to 5-2. So, the following stat should be taken with a grain of salt because it’s only a number on a page. However, I think it may help shape Friday Night’s narrative.
Northwestern QB Preston Stone has thrown nine interceptions so far this season. That number is good for 3rd in the nation tied with Carson Beck, Logan Fife, DJ Lagway and six others.
It’s ‘two plus two’ type of stuff, but this secondary against an interception prone QB should equal trouble. That said, I’ve been wrong on Northwestern all season. This stat on the page could mean absolutely nothing; it just caught my eye.
I like this USC team, but if Northwestern wants to win gritty in LA Friday night, so be it. I need to be rooting for this team to rise above the stats on the page. Coach David Braun could care less about projections or opinions–he is coaching a gritty team. They will show up Friday Night ready to play.
The USC Secondary vs Preston Stone will be on my watchlist. I hope it’s a good game late.
In reality, USC should win. 20-10 seems right, or 24-17. Or Northwestern wins 38-35. Who knows?
Find the Humor and Keep on Movin’
Whit W.
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WATCHLIST in this GAME:
- USC Secondary vs Preston Stone
- NW 15th ranked D vs USC’s 8th ranked Offense
- RB Caleb Komolafe vs the 58th ranked USC D
END