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4 Stats To Know For USC Trojans Vs Minnesota Gophers In College Football Week 6
By Matt Johnson,
1 days ago
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The USC Trojans are 3-1 on the season and coming off a second-half rally to take out the Wisconsin Badgers last Saturday. Now, it’s time to look ahead to college football Week 6 and a USC vs Minnesota matchup that’s flying under the radar nationally.
USC, which continues ascending the college football rankings , already looks way better than it did last season. While Caleb Williams is missed, the Trojans defense is far better than it’s been in previous years and this season’s USC team seems to play a lot harder than before.
The Trojans are heavy favorites in this one, listed with a 9.5-point spread on the road. Just days before USC vs Minnesota kicks off, let’s dive into some stats you need to know for the matchup.
21.8 – Points per second half by the USC Trojans offense
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There’s a clear trend with USC games this season, at least against marquee opponents. In the season opener against LSU, it was 10-10 at halftime before the Trojans offense erupted for 14 fourth-quarter points in a 27-20 win. A few weeks later against the Michigan Wolverines, USC trailed 14-3 at halftime then outscored Michigan 21-13 in the second half. Most recently, they fell behind 21-10 at the half against Wisconsin then rallied with 28 unanswered points in the second half. Now, USC has the fifth-best offense in the second half of games among Power 4 teams.
It’s a testament to the in-game adjustments Lincoln Riley and the Trojans coaching staff are making. As for ht Gophers’ defense, it ranks 41st nationally in second-half points per game allowed (10.5), with a majority of that damage (6.5 PPG, 73rd in FBS) coming in the third quarter. While Riley would prefer the hot start, Trojans fans shouldn’t panic if it’s a close game in the first half.
8.89% – Minnesota Gophers sack rate
Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
The Minnesota Gophers hired a new defensive coordinator this offseason, bringing over former Rutgers linebackers coach Corey Hetherman to run this defense. Minnesota wanted Joe Harasymiak, but since he stayed, Fleck hired the top assistant working with Harasymiak. The results, so far, are promising.
Entering college football games today , Minnesota is allowing the sixth-lowest yards per play average (3.98) in the nation, per NCAA.com . One reason why this Gophers defense is so successful is the pass rush, which is 15th in sack rate (8.89 percent) among Power 4 teams. It’s a very balanced pass rush with seven players having at least 1 sack on the year. It’s made a huge difference against the pass, with Minnesota allowing the second-lowest passing efficiency (81.21) to opponents on the season. Miller Moss can expect to see a lot of blitzes on Saturday, but he’s been excellent against the blitz this season (5-1 TD-INT ratio, 106.3 NFL QB rating).
37.9% – Minnesota QB Max Brosmer’s completion rate when pressured
Eric Seals / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Speaking of pressuring quarterbacks, the game plan for Trojans defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn is obvious in Week 6. Unfortunately for USC, creating pressure and taking down the quarterback have been a small issue this season. Through four games, the Trojans rank 89th in the FBS in sack rate (4.63 percent). In matchups against LSU (five), Michigan (four) and Wisconsin (three) USC’s defense has totaled just 15 pressures on 81 dropbacks.
Max Brosmer stats vs pressure (PFF): 37.9% completion rate, 5.0 yards per attempt, 1-2 TD-INT, 37.3 NFL QB rating
This is a get-right game for the Trojans pass rush. According to Pro Football Focus , the Gophers’ offensive line has allowed the ninth-most pressures (44) among Power 5 teams with the seventh-most sacks (eight) allowed. Opportunity is knocking for USC, especially considering how bad Gophers quarterback Max Brosmer has been when pressured. If Lynn’s defense can’t fix this issue, it’s fair to wonder if it’s just going to be a year-long problem.
12.5% – Reception rate allowed by Gophers CB Ethan Robinson in zone coverage
Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
The Minnesota Gophers secondary has played without starting cornerback Justin Walley and defensive back Aidan Gousby as of late, putting pressure on transfer cornerback Ethan Robinson to step up. The former Bucknell cornerback is more than holding his own.
Minnesota is a zone-heavy team, with all of its defensive backs playing at least 55 percent in zone coverage. Across 79 zone coverage snaps this season, Pro Football Focus credits Robinson with allowing just 1 reception on 8 targets. He’s graded as the second-best zone cornerback in college football this year, with the lowest reception rate allowed among defensive backs with 70-plus snaps. In total, he’s allowed just 2 receptions for 21 yards in 131 coverage snaps.
It’s why we’ve got our eyes on Zachariah Branch on Saturday night. Branch leads the Trojans in target share (29.6 percent) versus zone coverage, turning 16 targets into 10 receptions for 100 yards. This is a fantastic test for both players and in a potential low-scoring game, it could be one of the big X-factors.
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