If the first month of the season is any indication, No. 11 Southern California and Minnesota can expect the other to play its best football after halftime on Saturday in Minneapolis.
USC (3-1, 1-1 Big Ten Conference) scored its first Big Ten win last week thanks to a dominant second half against Wisconsin. The Trojans deluged the Badgers 28-0 after intermission in Los Angeles en route to a 38-21 win.
It was the second time in as many weeks facing Big Ten opponents that USC erased a two-score halftime deficit. The Trojans made a similar comeback in Week 4 at Michigan, pulling ahead late in the fourth quarter after trailing 14-3 at halftime, but a Michigan touchdown in the final minute thwarted USC’s hopes of a come-from-behind league win.
Minnesota (2-3, 0-2) seeks both to end a two-game losing skid and to pick up its first Big Ten win. The Golden Gophers rallied last week in their own second-half comeback at Michigan, scoring 21 fourth-quarter points.
They could not fully bridge a 21-point deficit, however, as an onside-kick attempt was negated by a controversial offside penalty. Minnesota fell 27-24 after taking a 31-14 loss the prior week against rival Iowa.
“We haven’t played 60 total minutes of really elite football yet, which gives us hopes and excitement as we keep going forward,” Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck said.
The first step for Minnesota is improving its performance in the first quarter. The Golden Gophers have managed just nine points in five combined first quarters this season.
Meanwhile, they hold a 41-16 advantage in fourth quarters.
This week’s opponent has a similar trend. USC holds a narrow 50-48 aggregate advantage in the first half but a dominant 87-23 edge in the second half.
“We’ve had a few stretches, but you want to be able to start and sustain it,” USC coach Lincoln Riley said. “And if we don’t have it, we’ve gotta be able to snap out of it I think more that than directly, beginning, middle and end.”
Trojans quarterback Miller Moss has thrown six of his eight touchdown passes in the second half. One of his two first-half touchdown throws came with four seconds to go before halftime in a Week 2 blowout of Utah State.
“He’s a gunslinger,” Fleck said of Moss. “It’s one thing to be a gunslinger. It’s another thing to be a gunslinger that’s accurate. He’s throwing for (65.4) percent completion percentage, and it’s not just screens.
“He’s throwing through windows that are about that big,” Fleck added, holding up his hand in the shape of a tiny hole.
Minnesota quarterback Max Brosmer, whose 3,464 passing yards at New Hampshire led the Football Championship Subdivision last season, has thrown for 1,094 yards and six touchdowns with four interceptions.
The USC defense will look to create pressure on Brosmer and test a Minnesota ground game averaging just 3.4 yards per carry. The Trojans’ front seven is dealing with mounting losses, however.
Linebacker Eric Gentry is questionable to play on Saturday, Riley said. Lineman Bear Alexander opted to redshirt earlier in the season, and linebacker Raesjon Davis followed suit this week.
–Field Level Media