Reporter Roundtable: Staff predictions and perspective on USC-Stanford

Last season, USC's Week 2 showdown with Stanford was an ominous sign of things to come for the Trojans, who were overmatched in a 17-3 loss on the road.

USC is hoping its clash with the Cardinal on Saturday night is a tone-setter of a different kind as true freshman quarterback Kedon Slovis makes his first career start following JT Daniels' season-ending knee injury.

There are a lot of parallels between the teams entering this game as Stanford will also trot out a first-time starter in third-year QB Davis Mills. Both teams lost their starting quarterbacks just before halftime last Saturday and then went with conservative passing attacks to protect leads in the second half.

Mills is just filling in for injured K.J. Costello, who took a forearm to the chin while sliding, while Slovis is trying to prove he can hold the job down the rest of this season (and perhaps beyond).

The TrojanSports.com staff weighs in on that storyline and others heading into USC's Pac-12 opener Saturday night in the Coliseum.

RELATED: Trojan Talk podcast: Max Browne on the battle of the backup QBs

1. Which first-time starter at QB do you expect will have the better game Saturday night?

Ryan Young: "This is total guesswork. There's simply no way to know based on the limited sample size we got from each QB last week. I'm inclined to go with Slovis just because I believe in USC's offense collectively much more and he has the better talent around him. I like Mills, though. I had to go back and watch some of his high school highlights from when he was a 5-star prospect in the 2017 class. I like his skillset -- he's mobile in the pocket, which we saw last week can pose some trouble for this USC defense, and he has both power and touch on his throws. I just don't know how much Stanford is going to ask him to do. I think Slovis gets a little more opportunity in the passing game and handles everything well. I'm not expecting a statistical gem, but a steady game with some flashes and some freshman moments all mixed in."

Tajwar Khandaker: "I’d put my money on Mills here. The USC secondary is still untested, and Stanford’s offensive line will probably give him enough time to make the reads he needs. I don’t think there’s a clear gap between the abilities of the two signal-callers though so I wouldn’t be surprised to see Slovis outperform his counterpart. It’s just that the situation seems to favor Mills at this point.

2. How similar do you think the USC offense will look compared to what we saw in the first half last week with JT Daniels?

Ryan: "Even though Clay Helton and Graham Harrell both said nothing changes based on personnel, I certainly don't expect Slovis to have 34 pass attempts before halftime like Daniels did last week. That said, even though the rushing attack was impressive in the opener, I still think the formula for this offense to succeed is to lean on that passing game. So I don't expect the Trojans to be run-heavy all of a sudden. I know they were after halftime last week, but that was situational -- protecting a lead with a true freshman who got thrust into his first action unexpectedly. I think we get to see Slovis sling it around a good bit -- just a little less than what Daniels would have."

Tajwar: "I expect it to look shockingly similar to what it would have been if Daniels was still playing Saturday. The version of the passing offense we saw in the first half last week -- leaning heavily on short, quick routes -- was clearly designed to give Daniels confidence by allowing him to consistently build a rhythm. The coaching staff will likely try to do the same with Slovis, avoiding risky gambles. The one caveat I would make is that there’s no way Slovis throws the ball 30+ times in the first half like Daniels did last week. Expect the running backs to carry the ball more than they did against Fresno State."

3. How much stock are you buying with the USC rushing attack after seeing what Vavae Malepeai and Stephen Carr did last week?

Ryan: "As I said on the podcast, I'll purchase a few shares, but I'm not liquidating my assets to fully invest. I have to admit, I was sincerely impressed by the blocking last week -- both from the offensive line and the second-level blocking to set up those big breaks in the run game. Both running backs hit the openings decisively and showed exceptional field vision in following their blocks. It was the biggest surprise of the season opener in every regard. USC rushed for just 114 yards (3.1 yards per carry) last season against Stanford, though, so I think this will be a really good gauge for what we can expect the rest of the way. The offensive line deserves praise for its performance last week, and if it can do it again against a Pac-12 opponent, I'll be ready to buy in. But let me see that first."

Tajwar: "I don’t have a clear answer to this one. On one hand, I believe that what we saw from the backs was legitimate -- this stable of ball carriers is incredibly talented. Carr and Malepeai showed great quickness and vision last week, and that translates against any opponent. Not to even mention Markese Stepp. Although he was a healthy scratch last week, I do believe he’s a force to be reckoned with when the ball is in his hands. Where my confidence is more uneasy is along the offensive line. Although they were fantastic most of the night in run blocking, there were enough mistakes against a weak Fresno State front seven to worry me as they prepare to face a much stronger Stanford front. I don’t have a conclusion one way or another on what I expect from them this week; it’s truly a toss-up in my mind. What I will say is that I do believe the rushing attack as a whole is better than last season."

4. What's the biggest key for USC defensively in this game?

Ryan: "It's finishing, plain and simple. The USC pass rush generated consistent pressure last week, but the Trojans let Fresno State QB Jorge Reyna sneak away for positive scrambles and really didn't capitalize on its opportunities in the backfield. Defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast suggested his unit could have had 5 more sacks than the 3 it got. I expect Pendergast to be aggressive in pressuring Mills in his first start, but he is athletic enough to step up in the pocket and escape if the Trojans aren't more disciplined in that way this week. I think the key to the game is going to be that pressure and how they finish when they do have chances for big plays behind the line of scrimmage."

Tajwar: "Pressure. Mills is starting his first game, and every young quarterback’s bane is frequent pressure. If the Trojans can consistently bring it, there’s a good chance that the Stanford offense begins to unravel. Christian Rector and Drake Jackson off the edge have the potential to wreak havoc, and Jay Tufele can be an elite interior penetrator on his good days. A strong showing from them alongside a healthy dosage of the zone blitzes Clancy Pendergast has incorporated into the defense could turn this game entirely in the Trojans’ favor."

5. What's your prediction?

Ryan: "USC 24, Stanford 21. I don't say that with great confidence. I think in a game of backup QBs, home field advantage counts for something. And I'm not certain yet that this Stanford team is up to the program's usual standard. The Cardinal will also be without their top offensive lineman, Walker Little, and that's significant given the pressure we expect hte Trojans to bring off the edge. Even last season, Stanford's usually vaunted rushing attack dipped as the Cardinal finished 122nd out of 130 FBS teams in rushing (107.9 yards per game). The team asked Costello to do a lot, and we don't know yet if it can count on the Mills in the same way."

Tajwar: "Stanford 24, USC 17. Despite the turnover at QB for both teams, this Stanford team is much more settled in their identity than the Trojans in every phase of the game. Even with the loss of Costello, the rest of the Cardinal team is very sound in their assignments -- they know what they are. The Trojans still have too many questions to overcome this early in the season. It’ll still be a close game, I expect. The talent of USC on both sides of the ball can keep it in the game to the final whistle, and possibly to even win it. Nonetheless, I expect Stanford to take this one."