V S . S O U T H E R N C A L I F O R N I A
State
counterpart, Trace McSorley, he's
good at slinging accurate passes down-
field even when he's on the run. USC re-
ceiver JuJu Smith-Schuster said that one
of Darnold's most formidable assets is an
NFL-caliber arm. "If you've ever seen
Aaron Rodgers throw the ball, it's a fast-
ball," Smith-Schuster said. "That's what
Darnold's passes are like."
One of his other assets is an excellent
supporting cast that is headlined by
Smith-Schuster (63 catches for 781 yards
and nine touchdowns), fellow wideout
Darreus Rogers (51 catches, 654 yards,
three TDs) and running back Ronald
Jones II (157 carries for 1,027 yards and 11
TDs). In addition, the Trojans' offensive
line has allowed only 11 sacks, the fewest
in the Pac-12.
USC also fields one of the conference's
better defensive teams. The Trojans rank
fourth in the Pac-12 in scoring defense
(22.2 points per game) and third in total
defense (359.0 yards per game). Against
Washington, the eventual league cham-
pion and a College Football Playoff semi-
finalist, the Trojans sacked Jake Browning
three times, intercepted him twice and
held the Huskies' ground game to 17 yards
in a 26-13 victory.
That win in Seattle was a defining mo-
ment for the Trojans, much like the vic-
tory over Ohio State was for Penn State.
And there are other similarities. Both pro-
grams have been working to rebound from
downturns brought on by harsh NCAA
sanctions, both endured difficulties early
in the 2016 season and both have used the
superb play of gritty young quarterbacks
to earn their respective spots in one of
college football's marquee events.
"I think you're dealing with two of the
hotter teams in the country right now if
you look at Penn State on a nine-game
win streak and us on an eight-game win
streak," Helton said. "I think it makes for
fabulous TV, that's for sure. It makes for
a great bowl experience, and that's what
this game is all about.
"I'm happy for the Rose Bowl and happy
for both teams, because this is what the
Rose Bowl should be – two excellent
teams coming together to compete
against one another."
■
KEY MATCHUPS
PENN STATE RUNNING GAME 168.8 YPG, 4.3 YPC
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA RUN DEFENSE 133.7 YPG, 3.9 YPC
THE LOWDOWN
Saquon Barkley is the third-leading rusher in
the Big Ten with 1,302 yards and a league-best 16 touchdowns on
247 carries (5.3 yards per carry), but Penn State's running game
still ranks ninth in the conference. The main reason for the sta-
tistical discrepancy is that injuries slowed the development of the Nittany Lions'
o tackle, Steven Gonzalez at le> guard and Con-
nor McGovern at right guard. Barkley, too, was banged up at the end. He was
forced out of the Lions' regular-season ;nale against Michigan State with an ap-
parent ankle injury, and while he played the following week against Wisconsin,
gaining 83 yards in the Lions' comeback victory, it was unclear whether he was at
full strength. Penn State's backup running backs have seen relatively little action,
with Andre Robinson, Mark Allen and Miles Sanders totaling 81 carries between
them. The Lions' second-leading rusher is QB Trace McSorley with 352 yards on
140 carries. USC, which uses a 3-4 defensive set, ranks fourth in the Pac-12 in run
defense. The Trojans' leading tackler is sophomore ILB Cameron Smith with 79
stops. Senior ILB Michael Hutchings and sophomore OLB Porter Gustin are next
with 64 tackles apiece, and Gustin has a team-best 12 tackles for loss. The big vari-
able in this matchup is Penn State's health. The Lions will need Barkley to be at full
strength, and it would also help to have injured OT Brendan Mahon back. Mahon
has been out of action since the Iowa game on Nov. 5. //
KEY MATCHUPS PSU
guards McGovern and Gonzalez will battle Smith and Hutchings. //
EDGE EVEN
PENN STATE PASSING GAME 261.2 YPG, 16.3 YPC
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA PASS DEFENSE 225.3 YPG, 11.7 YPC
THE LOWDOWN
Heading into the Rose Bowl, Penn State is
sporting the third-best passing game in the Big Ten and the
best yards-per-completion average in the Football Bowl Sub-
division. McSorley was recently named to the Big Ten's sec-
ond-team All-Conference squad, and that was before he broke the school record
for most passing yards in a season. A>er his MVP showing in the Big Ten Cham-
pionship Game, he has 3,360 yards, having completed 57.5 percent of his at-
tempts, with 25 touchdown passes and only ;ve interceptions. McSorley also
leads the Big Ten with a 156.6 pass e=ciency rating. Chris Godwin is the Nit-
tany Lions' leading receiver with 50 catches for 795 yards and nine TDs, while
Gesicki is second with 47 catches for 668 yards and four TDs. WR DaeSean
Hamilton is next with 34 catches for 506 yards and one TD. The Trojans strug-
gled against the pass early in the year, and as a result, they ;nished the regular
season ranked sixth in the Pac-12. The leader of their secondary is preseason
All-America CB Adoree' Jackson. A junior, Jackson is USC's fourth-leading
tackler with 51 stops and leads the team with four interceptions, 11 pass breakups
and 14 passes defended. As a team, the Trojans ;nished the regular season with
11 interceptions. Gustin is the team leader in sacks with 5.5, followed closely by
W
H E N P E N N S T A T E H A S T H E B A L L
PENN STATE
RUNNING GAME
vs. USC
RUN DEFENSE
PENN STATE
PASSING GAME
vs. USC
PASS DEFENSE
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