How to watch USC vs. Rutgers: Broadcast info, game notes, more

The USC football team returns home for a rare Friday night contest this week when it welcomes the Rutgers Scarlet Knights to the Coliseum. It is an important opportunity for the Trojans to get back to .500 on the season after head coach Lincoln Riley's team has dropped its last three games and four of its last five overall.

Rutgers comes into this game 4-3 overall. There was a time when people were predicting that the Scarlet Knights would threaten to win nine games or more this season but now, Rutgers is looking to end a three-game losing streak as well.

After opening the season 4-0 with wins over Howard, Akron, Virginia Tech, and Washington, Rutgers has fallen to Nebraska, Wisconsin, and UCLA in the last three games with the last two of those defeats coming at home. The losses to the Cornhuskers and the Bruins were one-score losses meaning Rutgers is close to being 6-1.

Of course, the Trojans know a thing or two about dropping close games this year. After losing four Big Ten games by one score, USC is also trying to figure out how to close out games.

If this game is close in the fourth quarter, it will be interesting to see which team can make enough plays down the stretch. But for now, let's take a look at all the information fans need to know for this week's game.

USC vs. Rutgers broadcast information

Kickoff 8 p.m. Pacific
TV: FOX
Broadcast Team: Jason Benetti, Brock Huard and Allison Williams

Radio: ESPN LA 710AM Radio
Broadcast Team: Pete Arbogast, Shaun Cody, Cody Kessler, Su’a Cravens, Jordan Moore, Jason Schwartz (includes 2-hour post-game show).

Satellite: SiriusXM channels 197, 198, 397 or 959 and 960 on the app

USC vs. Rutgers series history

No previous matchups

USC vs. Rutgers weather forecast

High: 82
Low: 57
Winds: S 4 MPH
Humidity: 49%

USC vs. Rutgers game notes

(All game notes courtesy of USCTrojans.com.)

• This is the first time since 2004 that USC has played two opponents back-to-back that it hasn’t
  played before. To open the 2004 season, the Trojans faced new opponents Virginia Tech and Colorado State back-to-back.

• USC WRs have 7 receptions for 20 or more yards in close and late situations (a lead of <= 16 points during the 4th quarter with over 5 minutes to play, or a lead of <= 8 points with under 5 minutes to play) this season, which is most among FBS Teams.

• USC ranks No. 3 in the nation (and No. 1 in the Big Ten) in third down conversion percentage defense (0.253).

• Through USC’s last two games, S Kamari Ramsey is tied for fourth in the Big Ten in tackles with 19.

• USC’s 650 games played in the Coliseum (including 6 wins vacated by NCAA penalty) are the third most that any school has played in its home stadium, behind Georgia Tech’s 727 in Bobby Dodd Stadium and Tennessee’s 654 in Neyland Stadium.

• USC has played 15 Friday games since 1990: vs. Syracuse in the 1990 Kickoff Classic in East Rutherford, N.J., vs. Louisiana Tech in 1999 in the Coliseum, at Colorado in 2011, at Oregon State in 2013, at Colorado in 2015, at Utah in 2016, 3 times in 2017 (at Washington State, against Stanford in the Pac-12 Championship Game and against Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl), vs. Washington State in 2018 in the Coliseum, 3 times in 2019 (Utah in the Coliseum, at Colorado, vs. Iowa in the Holiday Bowl) and 2 times in 2022 (Colorado in the Coliseum and vs. Utah in the Pac-12 Championship).

• In the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, USC played occasional Friday night games in the Coliseum when sharing the stadium with UCLA.

• USC has never played a school from the state of New Jersey, but it has played in the state of New Jersey 4 times:
  • Aug. 31, 1990 versus Syracuse in the Kickoff Classic VIII at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. (USC won 34-16)
  • Aug. 25, 1996 versus Penn State in the Kickoff Classic XIV at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. (USC lost 7-24)
  • Aug. 27, 2000 versus Penn State in the Kickoff Classic XVIII at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. (USC won 29-5)
  • Sept. 8 2012 versus Syracuse in the Inaugural New York’s College Classic at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford N.J. (USC won 42-29)

• USC does not have players from the state of New Jersey, while Rutgers has one player from the state of California (WR Gunnison Bloodgood).