The No. 16 USC Trojans face another road test on Saturday night against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium, in what’ll be their fourth consecutive primetime game of the season on NBC.
The Trojans (6-1 overall, 3-1 Big Ten) are right outside of the College Football Playoff conversation with five games remaining on their regular season schedule. A win over the Badgers before one of their most important showdowns of the season against the No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes on Halloween night at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum will go a long way in helping USC reach the CFP for the first time in program history.
Injuries, of course, remain a question mark for the Trojans as two key players, tight end Mark Bowman and Jide Abasiri, were listed as questionable on Wednesday’s Big Ten availability report, and that status remained on Thursday. Here’s a look at the latest injury report for the Trojans matchup against the Badgers in Madison, Wisconsin.
USC Trojans vs. Wisconsin Badgers Injury Report
Out
- WR Terrell Anderson
- WR Corey Simms
- S Kendarius Reddick
- LB Taylor “Taybo” Johnson
- LB Roman Marchetti
- OL Kilian O’Connor
Questionable
- TE Mark Bowman
- WR Luc Weaver
- DT Jide Abasiri
Probable
- DT Jahkeem Stewart
- LB Jadyn Walker
What a Win Over Wisconsin Would Mean For USC Trojans CFP Chances
While the results of the Trojans' three remaining games against currently top-10-ranked teams, No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes (Oct. 31), No. 6 Indiana Hoosiers (Nov. 14), and No. 9 UCLA Bruins will play the biggest role in USC making the CFP, the game against Wisconsin is also important.
The Badgers (4-2 overall, 2-1 Big Ten) have shown promising strides in a season that started with coach Luke Fickell under pressure to turn things around after a disappointing last few years. So far this year, things are heading in a positive direction. Wisconsin’s two losses have come to top-10-ranked teams: No. 4 Notre Dame and No. 9 UCLA.
A win over the Trojans on Saturday night, which would derail USC’s CFP aspirations, would be a major victory for Fickell as he looks to continue earning the confidence of the Badgers fanbase with another ranked opponent, the No. 15 Iowa Hawkeyes on tap after the clash with the Trojans.
Challenges Colton Jospeh, Wisconsin Badgers Give USC's Defense
Knowing what is at stake Saturday night against the Badgers, the Trojans' defense and defensive tackle Alex VanSumeren are taking important steps to prepare for Wisconsin’s offense led by quarterback Colton Joseph.
“Every great defense has really good red zone defense, not giving up touchdowns. So that’s something we emphasized ever since I got here with Coach Riley and Coach P (Gary Patterson). They got a good quarterback; they got a good program, so we respect them. Just doing our job, that’s the main emphasis,” VanSumeren said.
Stopping Joseph is key for the Trojans' defense on Saturday night, as he can hurt USC both through the air and on the ground. Having a quarterback who can run has become common in college football recently, something VanSumeren mentioned.
“Almost every single team in college nowadays has a quarterback who can run,” VanSumeren said. “That’s popular, and we faced a lot of them this season. But we’ve done a good job. Yet just because we’ve done a good job in the past, it doesn’t guarantee success in this game. So we’ve done a really good job emphasizing it over the bye week,” VanSumeren said.
Joseph, a former quarterback from the Old Dominion Monarchs, has thrown for 1,198 yards, 10 touchdowns, and five interceptions in his first season with the Badgers. He also leads the Badgers on the ground with 69 carries for 333 yards and four touchdowns.
The Trojans enter Saturday night’s primetime showdown with the Badgers as three-point favorites, per the recent DraftKings Sportsbook betting odds. The over/under line is at 50.5 points. The Trojans and Badgers will kick off at Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. PT.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook, and X for the latest news.
Add us as a preferred source on Google