Saturday, 2026-09-12 | 10:00 PM CT | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA | BTN
DraftKings snapshot: USC -28.5 | Over/under: 63.5 [S1]

What’s at stake

USC is 2-0, but the two wins have told very different stories. The Trojans followed an uncompetitive Week 0 game against San Jose State that looked closer than it was with a 39-0 demolition of Fresno State in which they gained 552 yards and allowed 116. Louisiana opened with 474 yards in a 38-7 win over Lamar, so the Cajuns bring enough offense to make USC prove that its defensive leap was not a one-night performance. [S2/S3/S4/S5/S6/S12]

This is the first meeting between the programs and Louisiana’s first chance to measure its rebuilt defense against a ranked Power Four offense. USC is trying to reach 3-0 before its schedule gets much more demanding; the Cajuns can turn an ordinary nonconference trip into one of the biggest wins in program history. [S1/S7/S8]

Three things to know

1. Louisiana’s run game is its best way to shorten the night: The Cajuns rushed for 243 yards against Lamar, with Darrell Smith gaining 84 yards and scoring twice on 10 carries. USC just held Fresno State to 39 rushing yards. If Louisiana cannot move the chains on the ground, Jayden Maiava will get too many possessions against a defense that ranked 109th nationally in yards allowed last season. [S2/S3/S4/S6/S11]
2. USC’s passing efficiency is almost hard to believe: Maiava completed 23 of 25 passes for 349 yards and three touchdowns, and USC finished with 412 passing yards while completing at least 93% of its team attempts. Louisiana held Lamar to 149 passing yards and intercepted three passes, but the jump from an FCS quarterback to USC’s speed and accuracy is enormous. [S2/S3/S4/S5/S6]
3. The turnover totals give Louisiana one real opening: Louisiana forced four turnovers against Lamar, but committed three of its own. USC forced two Fresno State turnovers and also lost two. The Cajuns probably cannot win a clean, possession-for-possession shootout; creating short fields while protecting Lunch Winfield is the most realistic way to make USC uncomfortable. [S2/S3/S4/S6]

Stat comparison

Metric	Louisiana 2026	USC 2026	Louisiana 2025 rank	USC 2025 rank
Points per game	38.0 (No. 48*)	40.5 (No. 45*)	No. 90	No. 4
Points allowed per game	7.0 (No. 25*)	13.0 (No. 47*)	No. 106	No. 44
Yards per game	474.0 (No. 48*)	528.5 (No. 27*)	No. 100	No. 8
Yards allowed per game	205.0 (No. 29*)	226.0 (No. 40*)	No. 109	No. 49
Passing yards per game	231.0 (No. 64*)	376.5 (No. 9*)	No. 123	No. 5
Passing yards allowed per game	149.0 (No. 47*)	155.5 (No. 50*)	No. 79	No. 47
Turnover margin	+1 (No. 30*)	-1 (No. 86*)	No. 80	No. 57

*The 2026 ranking is based on the 131 teams who had played by Saturday night. We did not wait on the Sunday and Monday college football games to publish the majority of our previews. [S11]

Players to watch

• Louisiana — Darrell Smith: He carried 10 times for 84 yards and two touchdowns in the opener. His 8.4-yard average makes him Louisiana’s clearest chance to control the clock and keep USC’s passing game off the field. [S2/S3/S9]
• USC — Trent Mosley: The freshman caught four passes for 104 yards and two touchdowns, giving him consecutive 100-yard games to begin his college career. USC says he is its first freshman to do that since Drake London in 2019. [S4/S5/S6/S10]

Looking for a prediction?

I make final predictions on my TikTok/YouTube/Instagram/Facebook pages @uthinkuknowsports.

Sources

• S1: ESPN Louisiana-USC game page and DraftKings feed
• S2: Louisiana official Lamar final game center and team statistics
• S3: ESPN Lamar-Louisiana final box score
• S4: USC official Fresno State postgame notes and quotes
• S5: USC official Associated Press Fresno State recap
• S6: USC official Fresno State box score
• S7: USC official first-meeting announcement
• S8: Louisiana official 2026 Lamar preview and game-note facts
• S9: Louisiana official 2026 football roster
• S10: USC official 2026 football roster
• S11: SportsDataverse/ESPN 2025 team-summary source
• S12: ESPN San Jose State-USC Week 0 final box score

Full disclosure: I use AI tools to format my research into an article encompassing all of the information.