Football | October 20, 2019

THEMES

*USC, undefeated at home but looking for its first road victory of 2019, travels to Colorado for a Friday night Pac-12 contest that will air nationally on ESPN2. A victory over the Buffaloes would allow the Trojans to continue to control their destiny to a Pac-12 title.

*USC doesn't often play on Fridays; this season is the first since 1977 that the Trojans have a pair of regular season Friday games.

*Troy has never lost to Colorado in 13 meetings.

*It's USC's sixth night game of 2019 and this one could be a bit chilly in Boulder.

*USC won its fourth home game of 2019 when it dominated Arizona last week despite coming into the contest down 5 starters and then losing 6 key players to injury in-game. A number of Trojans stepped up big, including ILB Kana'i Mauga (13 tackles, 2 for losses, interception, forced fumble) and speedy TB Kenan Christon (103 yards and 2 long TDs in his first USC action). Head coach Clay Helton and his staff have worked magic all year replacing fallen players, putting on the field an offense averaging 435 yards and 30 points and a defense that seems to be hitting its stride (pitching a shutout through 3 quarters versus Arizona while getting 7 sacks and 3 turnovers). And Troy has done this against a schedule rated the nation's fifth most difficult, beating 2 of the 4 Top 25 foes it has faced. True freshman QB Kedon Slovis continues his remarkable showing, sixth nationally in completion percentage (nearly 75%). At his disposal is the nation's best wideout corps, with WRs Michael Pittman Jr., Tyler Vaughns and Amon-Ra St. Brown owning 365 career receptions and 35 TDs between them. They'll need to produce now that USC's 3 leading rushers (TBs Vavae Malepeai, Stephen Carr, Markese Stepp) are banged up. The Trojan offensive line--led by OT Austin Jackson and OG Alijah Vera-Tucker--has been more than solid all season. USC's defense is youthful (9 freshman or sophomore starters), but the status of several injured young standouts (like S Talanoa Hufanga, DL Drake Jackson, ILB Palaie Gaoteote IV, CB Olaijah Griffin) is to be determined. ILB John Houston Jr. leads the defense in tackles, DLs Marlon Tuipulotu and Jay Tufele have anchored the line and S Isaiah Pola-Mao has been steady in the back. PK Chase McGrath is perfect on field goals and PATs in 2019.

*Colorado, under new head coach Mel Tucker, lost its third consecutive game when it fell at Washington State last Saturday. The Buffalo offense is directed by third-year starting QB Steven Montez, second on CU's career charts for passing yardage (8,564), completions (718) and total offense (9,406) and third in TD passes (56). The ground attack is led by TB Alex Fontenot, while leading receivers include WRs Tony Brown and WR Laviska Shenault, a 2018 All-Pac-12 first teamer. CU's defense has surrendered at least 30 points in its last 12 games and is in the national bottom 20 in total defense, scoring defense and pass defense. ILB Nate Landman ranks eighth nationally in tackles, FS Mikial Onu is fifth in the country in interceptions and OLB Nu'umotu Falo Jr. (whose brother Josh is a tight end at USC), leads the nation in fumble recoveries. PK James Stefanou, a 32-year-old Australian, is fifth on CU's all-time field goals list.

RANKINGS

*USC and Colorado are not ranked in the AP sports media or Amway coaches poll this week.

SERIES

*USC has won all 13 of its meetings with Colorado while outscoring the Buffaloes, 450-189.

*USC is 6-0 against the Buffaloes in Boulder games.

*In 2017 in the last meeting in Boulder, QB Sam Darnold threw 2 touchdown passes and ran for another and CB Ajene Harris returned 1 of his 2 interceptions for a TD as No. 15 USC clinched a berth in the Pac-12 Football Championship Game by holding off Colorado's second-half rally en route to a 38-24 win. USC had a 27-0 lead midway through the third quarter before the Buffs came alive.

*Last year in the Coliseum, QB JT Daniels threw 3 touchdown passes, including a pair to WR Michael Pittman Jr., and CB Ajene Harris returned an interception for a TD to punctuate a stifling Trojan defensive effort as USC beat undefeated No. 19 Colorado, 31-20. It was Troy's 19th straight victory in the Coliseum, including its 14th consecutive at home against Pac-12 foes. See page 4 for a complete recap of that most recent matchup.

FRIDAY GAMES

*USC has played 11 Friday games since 1990: versus Syracuse in the 1990 Kickoff Classic in East Rutherford, N.J., versus Louisiana Tech in 1999 in the Coliseum, at Colorado in 2011, at Oregon State in 2013, at Colorado in 2015, at Utah in 2016, 3 times in 2017 (at Washington State, against Stanford in the Pac-12 Championship Game and against Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl), versus Washington State in 2018 in the Coliseum and versus Utah in 2019 in the Coliseum. All were wins except the 2016 Utah and 2017 Washington State and Ohio State contests.

*In the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, USC played occasional Friday night games in the Coliseum when sharing the stadium with UCLA.

COLD

*USC is 12-11-1 in "cold weather" games (where the cold temperature had such an impact on the game that it was mentioned in the media's game recaps). The last time USC played a "cold weather" game was at Utah in 2016 (a 31-27 loss when it was 45 degrees at kickoff). The coldest game in USC history: 20 degrees in the snow at Notre Dame in 1957 (a 40-12 loss). The second coldest USC games were 29 degrees at the 1949, 1952 and 1959 Notre Dame games in South Bend and the 2013 Colorado road game.

VERSUS PAC-12

*USC has won 69.9% (470-194-29) of its games against current Pac-12 opponents (not including 9 wins later vacated due to NCAA penalty; original record: 479-194-29, 70.3%).

AT NIGHT

*USC owns a 179-65-4 (.730) all-time record at night, including 107-29-4 in the Coliseum, 57-29 on the road and 15-7 at neutral sites. (Does not include 5 wins and 1 loss vacated due to NCAA penalty; original record: 184-66-4, .732 overall, 110-29-4 in the Coliseum, 17-8 at neutral sites.)

IN OCTOBER

*USC has a 310-122-19 (.708) all-time record while playing in the month of October (not including 5 wins vacated due to NCAA penalty; revised record: 315-122-19, .712).

USC-COLORADO CONNECTIONS

*USC has no players from Colorado on its roster, but the Buffaloes have 37 Californians.

*USC TE Josh Falo's brother is Colorado senior OLB Nu'umotu Falo Jr.

*USC CB Isaac Taylor-Stuart will celebrate his 20th birthday on Friday (Oct. 25).

*USC WR Michael Pittman Jr.'s father, Michael, played for the Denver Broncos in 2008.

*USC associate sports information director Darcy Couch is a 2000 graduate of Colorado.

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