Las Vegas Bowl Preview: USC Trojans vs. Fresno State Bulldogs
The USC Trojans had a wildly disappointing year, firing head coach Lane Kiffin halfway through the season and bringing on interim coach Ed Orgeron. Orgeron helped turn the team around and guided them to a 9-4 record, though it wasn’t enough for him to get to keep his job. The team hired head coach Steve Sarkisian to lead the team moving forward, a surprise given how well Orgeron had done during his tenure as head coach.
“After the Coach O meeting, guys were freaking out,” said USC quarterback Cody Kessler. “It was unreal. I was really proud of the way (Sarkisian) handled that situation. The guys like me who know him well, we weren’t surprised how he immediately came in and helped guys start to get over it.”
An acting coach will serve during the Las Vegas Bowl, and legitimate questions remain about how the team will perform after the much-loved Orgeron was dismissed. However, the team’s new coach did everything he could to dispel any notion that the Trojans would stumble.
“Rebuilding is not a word around here. Coach O proved that,” Sarkisian said. “I understand it stings right now. Over time, it will get better. I’m going to be real with those guys, and they’ll be real with me.”
The Fresno State Bulldogs, meanwhile, won their first Mountain West championship since 1987, defeating the Utah State Aggies in the first-ever Mountain West championship game. Quarterback Derek Carr, brother of former NFL QB David Carr, had a sensational season, throwing for over 4,800 yards and 48 touchdowns. Carr, who threw for over 400 yards eight times this season, is projected to be one of the top quarterbacks taken in this spring’s NFL draft. However, he still has his sights set on ending his college career with a bowl win.
“This is a big reason why I came back,” Carr said. “I wanted to win an outright championship. Sharing a title was great. As a competitor that wasn’t enough. We wanted to come back and finish this thing right.”
This game will likely be a high-scoring affair; USC’s offense can be tepid at times, but they have a stout defense, while the Bulldogs can put up points just about as well as anyone. The Trojans are favored by 6.5 points, and I like them to win and cover the spread here. Fresno State faced very few high caliber opponents this season, and even though USC was an abject disappointment, they’re still far more talented than the Bulldogs across the board.
Here are all the betting trends for both teams heading into Saturday’s game, courtesy of OddsShark.com.
USC Trojans vs. Fresno State Bulldogs
USC Trojans: -6.5 Point Favorites
Southern Cal Trojans Trends
- Southern Cal is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games
- Southern Cal is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Southern Cal’s last 7 games
Fresno State Bulldogs Trends
- Fresno State is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games
- Fresno State is 11-1 SU in its last 12 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Fresno State’s last 7 games
