LOS ANGELES — USC will welcome Missouri State into the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and FBS college football Saturday evening.
It shouldn’t be intense competition for the Trojans, but Missouri State, which has joined Conference USA, has nothing to lose and everything to gain from Saturday’s season opener, regardless of the outcome.
Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley coached against the then-FCS Bears while at Oklahoma, but it’s purely coincidental, he told reporters on a Friday morning Zoom call.
“It’s one of those (games) that kind of organically came together,” Riley said. “But you’ve seen the arc of their program and watching their team play last year, they certainly look ready for the move up.”
There’s revenue to be made – the school is already being paid a reported $1.15 million to play USC. There’s a product to expose to potential recruits or transfers and a program to build. And the Bears get to have their debut in the Coliseum, one of the most iconic venues in the sports world and beyond.
“When you first put the pads on as a young player, you want the opportunity to play at these big-time venues,” Missouri State coach Ryan Beard told reporters.
“A lot of people talk about the intensity and the stress of going into this type of environment. You have to embrace it. You have to make that your fuel, you have to make that what inspires you to do the very best you can.”
@haleymsawyer Missouri State football coach Ryan Beard said his team is embracing the opportunity to play against USC at the Coliseum. #collegefootball #usc #uscfootball #missouristate #missourifootball
♬ original sound – Haley Sawyer
Beard is the seventh-youngest coach in college football at 37 years old. He was 34 when he first took the helm at Missouri State. He’s enthusiastic, eager and has been able to pull together some talented players who are ready to take the next step in college football.
But Saturday’s 4:30 p.m. game will be a tough first outing in the FBS for the Bears. USC wants to make a statement in this game.
When Missouri State has the ball
Quarterback Jacob Clark was one of the best quarterbacks in the FCS and threw for 3,604 yards and 26 touchdowns with six interceptions. He’s untested against FBS defenses but has the attention of USC coaches.
“To me, it all starts with the quarterback,” Riley said. “He’s a really good player. He’s played a lot of ball, impressive guy. They’ve got a good system. They challenge you. They’ve been very efficient and explosive offensively. Doing a good job against him will be a huge key to the game.”
Clark will be a good warm-up for USC’s defense, which is under the command of D’Anton Lynn for the second season. This season’s inaugural depth chart was released Thursday and cleared up any questions about position battles on the defensive side of the ball.
San Jose State transfer DJ Harvey and DeCarlos Nicholson will start at cornerback, a position that featured some of the most heated competition this fall training camp. Kameryn Fountain and Anthony Lucas will start at edge, while Devan Thompkins and Jide Abasiri will start at tackle.
Transfers Keeshawn Silver and Jamaal Jarrett are behind Thompkins on the depth chart.
“We want to dominate,” Nicholson said. “Dominate, play our best game, do our job. Force defense, get turnovers. Play fast, play physical, dominate the game and give people what they want to see.”
When USC has the ball
USC’s search for a third wide receiver to line up with Ja’Kobi Lane and Makai Lemon has ended, at least temporarily, and has landed on true freshman Tanook Hines.
“We were convinced pretty early on that this guy has a chance to be a really good player,” Riley said of the 6-foot-, 195-pounder from Houston. “We’ve got a lot of guys that we have confidence in, but he’s shown enough to us in camp to say that he’s deserved an opportunity, and I think he’s going to take it and go play really well.”
Quarterback Jayden Maiava has received heaps of praise for his offseason training and leadership development, and he can show the world the product of that Saturday. Backup quarterback and former five-star recruit Husan Longstreet will also likely get into the game if the Trojans can gain a sizable lead early.
It will also be a good game to test drive the run game, which will be led by Waymond Jordan. Missouri State’s defense has strength at edge in 6-foot-6, 275-pound Davon Townley Jr. and 6-foot-4, 255-pound DJ Wesolak, who both have previous experience playing for FBS teams.
Bears linebacker and defensive captain Kanye Young has roots in California, growing up in Oxnard and playing for Rio Mesa High School.
Missouri State (0-0) at USC (0-0)
When: 4:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
TV/Radio: Big Ten Network/ESPN LA 710
