The fact that oddsmakers believe that this version of the USC Trojans should be favored by three touchdowns should tell you just enough about how bad the Arizona Wildcats have fared lately. Riding a two-game losing streak and with a lot of uncertainty about the future of their program, a game against the Wildcats couldn’t have come in a better moment for the Trojans.
The Wildcats have lost 19 straight games dating back to mid-2019 and it doesn’t seem like they have any means to stop the bleeding any time soon. The Trojans are 35-8 in their all-time series against Arizona, including an exciting 34-30 win in Tucson last year in their last meeting. Right now, the game total for this matchup is set at 56.5 points.
The Wildcats are a disaster
The Arizona Wildcats have yet to win a game under newly-appointed coach Jedd Fisch. Moreover, it seems like they always find dramatic ways to lose games, even in those rare times they’ve actually had a chance to win. That was again in full display last week as they led Washington 16-7 in the fourth quarter before a momentum-changing interception eventually led to a heartbreaking 21-7 loss.
The Arizona Wildcats have lost to BYU (24-16), San Diego State (38-14), Northern Arizona (21-19), Oregon (41-19), UCLA (34-16), Colorado (34-0), and Washington (21-16). They only managed to score 3 points in the second half of last week’s contents, with quarterback Will Plummer struggling and completing just 13 passes for 62 yards and a couple of interceptions.
The Trojans are planning ahead to next season
It’s not usual to see a prestigious program such as the USC Trojans struggle this badly. Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin shut down the rumors of his interest in coaching them next season, and there are more questions than answers about that head coaching position right now. Maybe, Kansas City Chiefs’ OC Eric Bienemy will finally get the nod and lead the reins next season.
💥 @The99Athlete bringing the pressure.#FightOn✌️ pic.twitter.com/TsiMCy0XCi
— USC Football (@USC_FB) October 28, 2021
The Trojans are just 3-4 this season. They beat San Jose State 30-7 in Week 1 before losing to Stanford 42-28. Then, they beat Washington State (45-14), lost to Oregon State (45-27), beat Colorado (37-14), and lost to Utah (42-26) and Notre Dame (31-16). Running back Keaontay Ingram was a bright spot in their offense last week, rushing for 138 yards and one touchdown. Start wide receiver Drake London also had a monster game with 15 catches for 171 yards in the losing effort.
Notable Trends
- Trojans are 8-20-1 ATS in their last 29 games after accumulating more than 280 yards passing in their previous game.
- Trojans are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games after accumulating less than 100 yards rushing in their previous game.
- Wildcats are 25-52-1 ATS in their last 78 games after accumulating more than 200 yards rushing in their previous game.
- Wildcats are 7-20 ATS in their last 27 games after accumulating less than 170 yards passing in their previous game.