Week 2 picks for a USC reunion

Week two brings a unique storyline to the Coliseum as USC hosts Georgia Southern on Saturday night. The matchup marks the return of former Trojans head coach Clay Helton, who was dismissed early in the 2021 season following a humbling home loss to Stanford, a decision that ultimately paved the way for Lincoln Riley’s arrival in Los Angeles. While Georgia Southern represents a step up in competition from Missouri State, the narrative of Helton’s return will dominate headlines throughout the week, setting the stage for what many are calling the “Clay Helton Bowl.” With that in mind, here are the Reign of Troy staff’s predictions for Week 2.

Nicholas Burmood (Contributor)

Last week’s domination of Missouri State was expected, but not even I predicted a 73-point outburst with starters resting by halftime. That performance set the tone, but this week’s storyline shifts to the return of Clay Helton to Los Angeles. While his homecoming makes for easy headlines, the truth is that so few players on USC’s roster were recruited by Helton that many likely wouldn’t even recognize the “reunion” without being told about it.

Georgia Southern enters this matchup after a disappointing loss to Fresno State. The same Fresno State that was dismantled by Kansas in Week 0 managed to pile up 351 rushing yards on the Eagles and shut them out completely in the second half despite losing the turnover battle and trailing at halftime. To Helton’s credit, he has his team traveling across the country for back-to-back weeks, but Trojan fans haven’t forgotten the state he left this program in. Many still want vindication for what they view as years of wasted potential under his leadership.

For USC, this is another talent mismatch. The Trojans should be able to impose their will up front and exploit Georgia Southern’s vulnerable run defense while keeping the passing game simple ahead of their Big Ten opener next week. I don’t expect the starters to be pulled quite as early as last week, but USC should control this game comfortably from start to finish.

Prediction: USC 52 – Georgia Southern 17

Gabriel Esparza (Editor)

There is not too much of a need to overthink this one. While USC may not eclipse the current program record in terms of points, it would take an incredible run of fortune from Georgia Southern's perspective to get within reach against the Trojans.

While there are players on the team who hold coach Clay Helton in high regard, there is not going to be too much love lost once the game itself begins.

It has to be remembered that coach Lincoln Riley technically let the foot off the pedal when he pulled the starters after only one half of football. Due to the talent gap, things could easily end up looking similar in terms of the backups receiving a long run of play against the Eagles for a second week in a row.

It may not be as dominant as it was against Missouri State. This should still be a fairly comfortable win for the Trojans.

Prediction: USC 45 - Georgia Southern 17