After spending most of the last week anticipating and then reacting to the ultimate decision among USC leaders to retain head coach Clay Helton, fans can again turn the focus to football.
As the bowl matchups were unveiled Sunday, the Trojans learned they will face off with Big Ten foe Iowa in the San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl on Dec. 27 at SDCCU Stadium in San Diego.
The programs haven't played each other since the Orange Bowl at the end of the 2002 season, a game USC won 38-17. The Trojans are 7-2 overall all-time vs. Iowa. USC last played in the Holiday Bowl in 2015 when it lost 23-21 to Wisconsin, and the Trojans were also in the game in 2014 when they beat Nebraska 45-42.
“We are proud and honored to be part of the 2019 Holiday Bowl,” USC coach Clay Helton said in a statement. “The game is a terrific matchup between teams that finished very strong down the stretch. To have the opportunity to compete against a team coached by Kirk Ferentz, who is so respected in our profession, is an honor. Our players are excited for this game, which is almost a home game for our fans. We look forward to heading to San Diego and experiencing the first class hospitality that the Holiday Bowl has given us in the past.”
USC (8-4, 7-2 Pac-12) heads into the postseason with wins in five of its last six games, while Iowa (9-3, 6-3 Big Ten) has also won five out of six, including a 23-19 upset of then-No. 7 and unbeaten Minnesota.
But really, these teams and programs are nothing alike.
While Helton has spent the past two seasons on the hot seat, Ferentz is the model for stability -- the longest-tenured active head coach in college football, having taken over the Hawkeyes leading into the 1999 season.
USC has developed a dynamic passing attack with offensive coordinator Graham Harrell and freshman standout QB Kedon Slovis, ranking fifth nationally in passing yards per game at 335.9. And the Trojans lean heavily on that offense (462.2 yards per game, No. 19th nationally) because its defense has been inconsistent (415.2 YPG, 83rd nationally). In contrast, Iowa is a more conservative team that leans mostly on its defense. The Hawkeyes rank 98th in total offense at 369.8 yards per game, but 12th in total defense (302.5 YPG) and 5th in scoring defense (13.2 points per game).
Slovis is an emerging star who passed for 3,242 yards, 28 touchdowns and 9 interceptions in just 9.5 games, including four 400-yard-plus passing performances over his last five contests. Iowa QB Nate Stanley is a serviceable senior, having passed for 2,738 yards, 14 touchdowns and 7 interceptions.
All of that said, it's a bit of misperception that Iowa is a proficient rushing team. The Hawkeyes actually rank just 96th nationally in rushing at 139.5 yards per game. They lack a dominant ball carrier. Tyler Goodson (590 yards, 5.1 yards per carry, 4 TDs) has served as the lead back down the stretch, but he has just two games with more than 60 rushing yards all season. Mekhi Sargent (543-4.6-4) and Toren Young (414-5.4-1) are other options in the backfield.
And at receiver, the Hawkeyes spread it around like the Trojans -- but nobody is going to argue this receiving corps is among the best in the country as could be said about USC's. Ihmir Smith-Marsette (42 catches for 676 yards and 4 TDs) leads the way along with Tyrone Tracy (36-589-3), Brandon Smith (33-407-4) and Nico Ragaini (44-385-2).
Again, while USC is carried by its offense, the Hawkeyes lean heavily on their defense. They shutout Rutgers and Northwestern this fall and held nine of their 12 opponents under 20 points. No team score more than 24 against Iowa all season (Wisconsin and Nebraska).
Junior defensive end A.J. Epenesa leads the pass rush with 9 sacks, 13 tackles for loss, 9 QB hurries and 3 forced fumbles. Senior linebacker Kristian Welch leads the team in tackles with 80 and also has 7.5 TFL and 3 sacks. And senior cornerback Michael Ojemudia has a team-high 3 interceptions and 7 pass breakups while junior corner Matt Hankins has 2 picks and 6 PBUs.
Iowa makes for an interesting matchup against USC's high-flying passing attack as it ranks 10th nationally in holding opponents to an average of 184.2 passing yards per game. Slovis hasn't passed for less than 232 yards in any full game he's played this fall.
And as one final point of contrast, Iowa as usual is a disciplined team, averaging just 33.2 penalty yards per game (4th fewest nationally), while USC is … not. The Trojans rank 124th in that category, averaging 71.3 penalty yards per contest.
Overall, this Iowa team is what it usually is under Ferentz -- above average and competitive in all games. The Hawkeyes only losses game to Michigan (10-3 on the road), Penn State (17-12 at home) and Wisconsin (24-22 on the road).
As interesting as the matchup will be the fan response from USC. Trojans fans were vocal on social media and message boards this week, largely in opposition to the decision to retain Helton. With this game taking place just a couple hours down the road from campus, there is no travel obstacle for the Trojans fans to show up -- if they don't, that will perhaps be telling as to what to expect next fall.
Trojan Athletic Fund members and USC season ticketholders will receive information via email starting Sunday (Dec. 8) about the opportunity to purchase Holiday Bowl game tickets. All other USC fans should visit the Holiday Bowl site (holidaybowl.com) for ticket information.
