Nebraska and USC make big offensive changes to shake off disappointing seasons

Nebraska (5-4, 2-4 Big Ten) at Southern California (4-5, 2-5), Saturday, 4 p.m. ET (FOX)

BetMGM College Football Odds: USC 8 1/2.

Series record: USC leads 4-0-1.

WHAT’S ABOUT IT?

The Cornhuskers and Trojans are two of college football’s traditional powers, but their first meeting as conference foes is about trying to make a bowl game, not national title contention. Nebraska has failed to make the playoffs in the last two seasons under Matt Rhule and will try to end its three-game losing streak by reaching the Cup for the first time since 2016. Rhule this week replaced offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield with former West Virginia and Houston coach Dana Holgorsen. USC isn’t doing well in Lincoln Riley’s third season and is switching quarterbacks on an open week. With rivalry games against UCLA and Notre Dame, it will be tough to see the Trojans reaching the postseason if they don’t win this week.

KEY MATCH

USC QB Jayden Maiava vs. Nebraska’s defense. Maiava replaces Miller Moss as the starter and is the type of quarterback the Cornhuskers have struggled to control. Maiava will be the fourth of the dual-threat quarterbacks Nebraska has faced. The Cornhuskers gave up six quarterback runs of at least 10 yards in their last game, including a 57-yarder by UCLA’s Ethan Garbers.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Nebraska: QB Dylan Raiola or Heinrich Haarberg. Raiola, the program’s highest-rated recruit, had a rough introduction to the Big Ten. He entered this week still recovering from a hard blow to his lower back that knocked him out of a game against UCLA on Nov. 2. Haarberg, who was a starter for most of last season, would play if Raiola could not play. Either way, it’s not an ideal situation for the offense to have a new player in Holgorsen.

USC: Maiava started 14 games as a redshirt freshman at UNLV last season, throwing for 3,085 yards and 17 touchdowns with 10 interceptions. Palolo, a Hawaii native, is more mobile than Moss, and the Trojans hope Maiava’s athleticism can make up for a weak offensive line.

FACTS AND FIGURES

USC and Nebraska have combined for 16 national championships, 11 of which were won by the Trojans. Each school has won two consecutive national championships, Nebraska in 1970-71 and 1994-95 and USC in 1931-32 and 2003-04. … The Trojans won the teams’ last meeting, 45-42, in the 2014 Holiday Bowl. … USC is the only opponent Nebraska has played multiple times and failed to defeat. … The Trojans will wear throwback jerseys inspired by their undefeated 1972 championship.

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