USC football gets a special time slot for in-state clash with Fresno State

Friday Night Lights are coming to the Coliseum. USC and Fresno State have been tapped for a primetime showdown on Sept. 4, airing nationally on FOX. It’s a chance for players to "turn back the clock" to their high school days as the Trojans host their in-state rivals under the lights for a rare Friday kickoff.

Most of the Trojans' kickoffs have yet to be announced. USC will open the season six days earlier against San Jose State in a Week Zero matchup.

USC-Fresno State gets a national Friday Night slot from FOX

Former Trojans linebackers coach Matt Entz is set for a high-stakes homecoming. Now entering his second season as the head coach for Fresno State, Entz will lead the Bulldogs into the Coliseum for the first time since 2022. That last meeting was a dominant 45-17 win for USC, a game famously remembered as the true launchpad for Caleb Williams. Williams racked up 284 yards and two touchdowns that evening, jumpstarting the campaign that eventually secured his Heisman Trophy.

Historically, USC has dominated this series with a 4-1 record against the Bulldogs, with their only blemish dating back to 1992. This newly announced matchup also marks the only Friday game on the Trojans' current schedule. While it’s a high-profile Week 1 clash, it won't be the team's first time on the field thanks to a Week 0 opener against San Jose State. The Fresno State game will actually serve as the second outing of the season for the Men of Troy.

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