5 Key Story Lines Going into the USC vs Colorado Game

Shay Fields’ USC Connection

Back in 2013, during the height of the Ed Orgeron interim era, Shay Fields was offered a scholarship at USC. The St. John Bosco receiver and then-Boise State commit jumped on the offer soon after, committing to the Trojans shortly after dropping his pledge to the Broncos.

Then things changed. USC passed Orgeron over in favor of Steve Sarkisian, and the new Trojan head coach ultimately passed on Fields, who turned to Colorado near the end of the recruiting process.

Now a junior, Fields has emerged from his understudy role behind Nelson Spruce to become the Buffaloes leading receiver, having established himself as a dangerous offensive weapon.

It’s impossible to ignore the USC connection as he comes to play at the Coliseum for the second time in his career.

Fields’ presence at Colorado, making the Buffaloes offense that much more daunting despite growing up in USC’s backyard, is a product of the rich recruiting atmosphere in Southern California, Clay Helton said this week.

“The problem is, all of the sudden you look up and there’s a Spruce that goes out to Colorado, a Shay Fields that goes out to Colorado,” Helton said. “Great football players, but you can only take so many.”

While USC may yet regret not making him one of their own, the Trojan players are familiar with Fields. Defensive lineman Malik Dorton was his teammate at Bosco. Cornerback Jonathan Lockett can remember playing against him in high school.

For safety Chris Hawkins, it’s not who Fields was that stands out, it’s what he has become.

“Shay’s always been fast but he’s really, watching film, he’s really picked it up as a natural receiver,” Hawkins noted. “He’s making good DBs look pretty bad on tape.”

On Saturday, Hawkins and company will be tasked with keeping him quiet, lest they join those DBs on Fields’ highlight reel.

That might be easier said than done. Fields leads the Pac-12 in receptions of 30 or more yards — he’s had seven already this season.