by Chuck Sommers
Friday, Sep 16, 2022
Game time: 10:30 p.m. ET
Venue: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA
Where to watch: FOX
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: USC -11.5
FanDuel: USC -12.5
BetMGM: USC -11.5
Caesars: USC -12.5
Season record
Fresno State: 1-1
No. 7 USC: 2-0
Upsets galore in Week 2 of college football! We almost saw Alabama go down in Week 2, but that didn't stop the top-25 polls from shaking up a great deal. What does Week 3 bring for us? Sean Murphy had a 6-2-1 run this past Saturday and is on a 15-8 run. If you like those odds, make sure you're following Sean's best bets. Check out Sean's picks, as well as other choices from our champion handicappers in our Best Bets section.
Fresno State - USC preview, analysis and prediction
Last week
Fresno State: lost 35-32 vs. Oregon State
USC: won 41-28 at Stanford
There was a tweet that surfaced from USC over the course of the week that highlighted Reggie Bush’s epic day against the Fresno State Bulldogs. I remember that day, sitting on my porch with the firepit going and having my hot dogs on a stick.
There was a tweet that surfaced from USC over the course of the week that highlighted Reggie Bush’s epic day against the Fresno State Bulldogs. I remember that day, sitting on my porch with the firepit going and having my hot dogs on a stick.
I had a little TV sitting outside while playing a banjo my dad left me before he passed. I watched that human highlight do things running the football that you’d never think would be possible. He ran left, ran right, zig-zagged and everything else inbetween. It was glorious and, of course as USC tended to do during the Bush era, win and win by a lot.
The Trojans might not be at that point where a Bush reincarnated would run over Fresno State yet, but between Caleb Williams and Jordan Addison taking the world over by storm with this combination that has no signs of stopping, I wouldn’t be shocked in the least if the Trojans ran over the Bulldogs on Saturday, only this time they get run over via the air.
The Williams-Addison combination has been the best QB-WR duo in the country and it’s not even close. Not to mention, the Lincoln Riley experiment has gone off without a hitch to begin the year. USC is 2-0 and closing in on a top-5 ranking after defeating Stanford 41-28 last week.
Williams threw for 341 yards and four touchdowns, two of them to Addison, and things were just dominant for them all day in Palo Alto.
For someone who’s seen a lot of stuff, Stanford coach David Shaw summed it up to his defense not having an answer for the Monstars’ offense via college football.
“We put the defense in a lot of bad positions, too many bad positions," Shaw said. “We had opportunities to keep the ball a little bit longer, score some more points. We could have gone into halftime with a lead if we didn't turn the ball over. So that to me is the story of the game."
Lest we forget when it comes to this offense that they know how to run the ball too. Travis Dye had 105 yards on 14 carries and a touchdown, and Austin Jones had 38 yards on eight carries against his former school.
USC’s defense let off the gas toward the end, but it was still dominant all day long against Stanford. This will be a different test altogether against quarterback Jake Haener, the preseason offensive player of the year in the Mountain West. Haener is completing 74.7% of his passes and has 737 yards to three touchdowns in just two games.
USC is off to a strong start and winning those first two games were paramount. Next week will be a tough conference road game at Oregon State, but the talent should outclass them. Nevertheless, USC is off to a start reminiscent of the Bush era and things have never been better in Southern California.
Prediction
Not going to overthink this one, and neither should you. If USC’s defense holds, which it should, it should be an easy day at the office at home for the Trojans, under the primetime lights. USC by 24
Betting trends
Fresno State is 25-15 ATS against Pac-12 teams since 1992.
Fresno State is 7-13 ATS off a loss as a home favorite since 1992.
USC is 4-7 ATS at home in its last 11.
USC is 17-6 ATS after a game with a turnover margin of +4 or better since 1992.
Statistical leaders
Fresno State:
Passing: Jake Heaner -- 737 yards, 3 TD
Rushing: Jordan Mims -- 195 yards, 4 TD
Receiving: Nikko Remigio -- 200 yards
USC:
Passing: Caleb Williams -- 590 yards, 6 TD
Rushing: Travis Dye -- 125 yards, 1 TD
Receiving: Jordan Addison -- 226 yards, 4 TD
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Chuck Sommers
About the Author:
Chuck Sommers has camped outside of sportsbooks since he can remember, learning the tricks and nuances of the trade. He still has nightmares of betting $5,000 on the Raiders in the Tuck Rule game but has since turned that to 25 years of veteran handicapping greatness. You can find him mostly in the shadows at the Red Rock or Aliante casinos wondering if the over is cashing on any given Sunday.
