Countdown to Kickoff: No. 24 USC at BYU

There was a brief moment last week when USC football fans were faced with the recently-unfamiliar feeling of having only an overwhelming success in which to bask, if they so allowed themselves.

That 45-20 win over Stanford, the 35 unanswered points and freshman quarterback Kedon Slovis' stunning breakout vaulted the Trojans back into the national polls at No. 24 and caused many to recalibrate their optimism for this season.

If only that had been the storyline all week ...

Less than two days later, athletic director Lynn Swann was out and speculation renewed about coach Clay Helton's future beyond this season. Two days after that, talented sophomore wide receiver Devon Williams was in the NCAA transfer portal and taking his turn stealing the news cycle.

But ultimately none of that changes the reality that the Trojans are 2-0 and coming off a performance unlike anything they showed last season -- or that Slovis might just be the real deal.

As for the outside noise once again surrounding his program in the wake of Swann's departure and the uncertainty of who the new AD will be and whether he/she will want to put their stamp on the program immediately, Helton said simply, "What can we do as a coach and a football team? Win."

That's always been the bottom-line for Helton, who has been at the top of every national "Who's on the hot seat?" list entering this season.

So far, so good for his Trojans (2-0), who now go on the road for the first time, visiting BYU (1-1) on Saturday afternoon at LaVell Edwards Stadium. BYU got walloped at home by Utah in its season opener and then edged out a win on the road at Tennessee in double-overtime, and the Cougars also have a lot to prove in coach Kalani Sitake's fourth season.

Here's everything you need to know to get ready for kickoff:

Game time: 12:30 p.m. PT Saturday

Where: LaVell Edwards Stadium, Provo, Utah

TV: ABC, with Dave Pasch, Greg McElroy and Tom Luginbill on the call.

Radio: KABC-AM 790

Watch online: The game can be streamed via WatchESPN.com.

In the rankings: USC is No. 24 in both national polls. BYU is unranked.

Line: USC -4

Series history: USC is 2-0 all-time vs. BYU with a 35-18 win at home in 2003 and a 42-10 road victory in 2004.

All Kedon Slovis did last week against Stanford was play nearly perfect football (28 of 33 for 377 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INT), earn Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week honors, deliver the best first start by a USC true freshman QB in program history, erase a lot of anxiety and doubt within the fan base, become a national storyline and inject real momentum into the Trojans' season.

So what's he have in store for an encore.

That's the question, though not the same kind of question many had entering that game a week ago. Slovis looked too poised, too in control, too unfazed in seizing the spotlight last Saturday that's it unlikely his first road game trips him up too much.

USC coach Clay Helton said: "I'd just like to duplicate last Saturday -- just play within yourself, don't make any critical errors, find the one-on-one situations, give your guys chances to make plays. If it's not there, don't force it. You're a good athlete, pull the ball down, get what's there and get down. You've got a ton of playmakers around you. It's the same message as last week -- you don't have to be Superman, the rest of those guys do. They're pretty talented and they'll be there for you. Just give them opportunities."

For BYU, sophomore QB Zach Wilson is another up-and-comer. He forced a QB change last season, replacing incumbent Taylor Mangum as the starter after six games. He completed 66 percent of his passes for 1,578 yards, 12 TDs and 3 INTs over parts of nine games while also rushing for 221 yards and 2 scores. So far this season, he's passed for 440 yards, 1 TD and 2 INTs. As the stats show, he is mobile enough to get out of the pocket and make things happen on the ground -- the Trojans defense will need to be cognizant of that Saturday.

USC defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast said: "They do a lot of different things offensively. They've changed a little bit with a new quarterback who started at the end of the year last season, so there's some unknown about what they're doing offensively with him. There's only been two games with him being a full-time starter this year, so you're looking at film from last year and this year. He threw for a lot of yards in high school. He makes a lot of plays with his feet, stays active. He looks to throw the ball downfield when he breaks it out of the pocket and will also pull it down and run the ball, so he's definitely what you'd consider a dual-threat cornerback."

USC

For as much buzz as Slovis has created at QB, it's hard not to focus on the running backs this week. BYU ranks 128th out of 130 FBS teams in rush defense, giving up an average of 252 yards per game on the ground. Meanwhile, the Trojans' offensive line and rushing attack has been the most pleasant surprise (for those that aren't totally shocked by Slovis' debut) for the team this fall. Vavae Malepeai (176 yards, 3 TDs, 5.0 yards per carry) and Stephen Carr (89 yards, 2 TDs, 7.4 YPC; 7 catches for 46 yards and a TD) have both been very productive and should get heavy usage against the Cougars.

That said, this is still an Air Raid offense and the passing game is always prominent. Michael Pittman (12 catches for 110 yards this season) really started to find his connection with Slovis in the second half last week after a quiet first half. He's still due for a true season breakout and it could be coming at any point. Tyler Vaughns (16 cachtes, 256 yards, 1 TD) has piled up the stats so far, but he's also struggled with drops and a fumble. He's looking to put together a clean four quarters. Amon-Ra St. Brown (13-135-2) synced well with Slovis last week as well. The Trojans did rotate their receivers a little more vs. Stanford, also employing four 4-wide and 5-wide concepts. That will be one interesting aspect to monitor this week.

BYU

Running back Ty'son Williams, who started his collegiate career at South Carolina, has 137 rushing yards and 3 TDs on 5.7 yards per carry so far. He was big in BYU's overtime win at Tennessee last week, rushing 17 times for 92 yards and 2 scores.

Senior wide receiver Micah Simon has been thrust into a bigger role this fall and has already surpassed 2018 total with 162 yards (on 10 catches) through two games. Junior tight end Matt Bushman (8-102) has played a lot of football the last two seasons for the Cougars and is a big target at 6-foot-5.

USC

Veteran defensive end Christian Rector is a game-time decision with a knee injury, meaning USC will count even more heavily on freshman DE Drake Jackson (6 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 2 passes batted down), redshirt sophomore OLB Hunter Echols and redshirt junior DEs Connor Murphy and Caleb Tremblay. It will be interesting to see how the coaches spread the snaps around if Rector -- the stalwart of USC's defensive line -- doesn't play.

But the key for the Trojans might be the interior linemen -- led by Marlon Tuipulotu and Jay Tufele.

At linebacker, talented sophomore Palaie Gaoteote is still trying to find his footing after moving from middle linebacker to the weakside, and the same could be said for veteran John Houston, who flipped spots with him. That group has underwhelmed to this point.

The Trojans young secondary, meanwhile, has looked better than expected. Sophomore cornerback Olaijah Griffin is a big reason for that. He didn't allow a reception on five targets last week (though he did draw one pass interference flag) and is settling in nicely as USC's top cornerback in his first extended action.

Safeties Talanoa Hufanga and Isaiah Pola-Mao have also been steady in the secondary.

BYU

The Cougars rank 82nd nationally in total defense, giving up 393 yards per game. What really jumps off the stat sheet, though, is the aforementioned struggles against the rush and having only 1 sack and 1 forced turnover on the season. BYU also hasn't faced a passing attack like the one it will see Saturday from USC.

Redshirt junior linebacker Kavika Fonua (17 tackles, 1 INT, 1 tackle for loss) has been the most-impactful defensive player for the Cougars so far, while fellow junior linebacker Isaiah Kaufusi (14 tackles, 1 TFL, 3 PBUs)

Senior Dayan Ghanwoloku is an experienced corner while on the other side BYU is breaking in sophomore D'Angelo Mandell and junior Dimitri Gallow, who have rotated at that spot. The Cougars do have experience at safety in seniors Zayne Anderson (10 takcles, 1 PBU) and Austin Lee (13 tackles, 1 TFL, 2 PBUs).

USC

Total offense: 469.5 yards per game, tied for 38th nationally

Scoring offense: 38 points per game (T-36th)

Total defense: 398.5 YPG (T-85th)

Scoring defense: 21.5 PPG (T-51st)

BYU

Total offense: 319.5 YPG (T-108th)

Scoring offense: 20.5 PPG (T-99th)

Total defense: 393 YPG (82nd)

Scoring defense: 28 PPG (T-88th)

Let's stick with the USC offensive line for another week and how it fares against BYU's less-than-intimidating defensive front. The Trojans gave Slovis all the time he needed to operate in the pocket against Stanford, and the unit has been a positive overall. If that continues against the Cougars, it's hard to imagine this offense not having a big day both on the ground and through the air.

USC coach Clay Helton: "It's time for us now to show maturity. … We're not here to win one big game -- we're here to have a great season and it takes one week at a time."

USC QB Kedon Slovis on no longer being able to surprise opponents: "You can't really go out thinking about that. You just go out and play football."

USC OC Graham Harrell on Slovis' poise: "When he didn't have anything, just taking off, getting [a few] yards and getting down and not making a big mistake. There were a couple practices I can think of in camp where things started to break down, he kind of scrambles and he leaves one in the middle of the field that gets intercepted. He didn't do that the other day and he has to continue to do that."

USC DT Jay Tufele, who is from Salt Lake City, on returning close to home: "I've got a lot of family there, and home is where your heart is so I'm really excited. ... There was [recruiting pressure to stay home]. Everyone thinks of staying home and playing for the [local] team, but my heart's out here at 'SC and I don't regret coming out here -- I love this place."

BYU coach Kalani Sitake (via the Salt Lake Tribune): "We want to take advantage of the opportunity to have a ranked team coming into our stadium again."

Ryan Young: USC, 34-17. I don't think this one is ever in doubt and BYU tacks on a late touchdown to make the game look a little closer than it actually was. I expect USC to get out to a strong start and control the game from start to finish, with the rushing attack having a big day and Slovis looking poised and polished once again. At some point he's going to make another mistake on an aggressive throw, so I'm factoring in the potential for an interception, but regardless I think he shows again that the spotlight is not too bright for him.

Tajwar Khandaker: USC, 42-28. Although I think Wilson will pose a strong challenge for the Trojan defense, I expect the USC offense to outpace BYU’s in a high-scoring game. Talented as Wilson is, BYU’s offensive line isn’t a great strength, and his receiving corps is very limited -- the USC defense will get its fair share of stops between scores. On the other hand, I don’t see much of a shot for this BYU defense to slow up Graham Harrell’s offense. The Cougars are poor at generating pressure and have struggled mightily against the run. I see USC marching right up and down the field throughout the night. So long as the Trojans don’t muck this one up mentally, I see them taking care of business Saturday.

-Reporter Roundtable: Staff picks, predictions and perspective on USC-BYU

-PODCAST: Talking Devon Williams' departure and previewing BYU with Max Browne

-Thursday practice report: DE Christian Rector 'really questionable' for USC

-Clay Helton addresses WR Devon Williams' decision to enter the transfer portal

-Wednesday practice report: Marlon Tuipulotu's 'contagious'effect on USC DL

-FILM ROOM: Breaking down CB Olaijah Griffin's lockdown performance

-Tuesday practice report: Keeping Kedon Slovis, USC grounded after big win

-PODCAST: Reacting to the Lynn Swann news and QB Kedon Slovis