2023 USC Trojans football team

2023 USC Trojans football
Holiday Bowl champion
Holiday Bowl, W 42–28 vs. Louisville
ConferencePac-12 Conference
Record8–5 (5–4 Pac-12)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorJosh Henson (2nd season)
Offensive schemeAir raid
Defensive coordinatorAlex Grinch (2nd season; first 9 games)
Co-defensive coordinatorShaun Nua (interim; remainder of season)
Co-defensive coordinatorBrian Odom (interim; remainder of season)
Base defense3–4
Captain
5
  • Caleb Williams (QB)
  • Justin Dedich (OL)
  • Shane Lee (LB)
  • Jonah Monheim (LT)
  • Mason Cobb (LB)
Home stadiumLos Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Uniform
Seasons
← 2022
2024 →
2023 Pac-12 Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 2 Washington y$^   9 – 0     14 – 1  
No. 6 Oregon y   8 – 1     12 – 2  
No. 11 Arizona   7 – 2     10 – 3  
Oregon State   5 – 4     8 – 5  
Utah   5 – 4     8 – 5  
USC   5 – 4     8 – 5  
California   4 – 5     6 – 7  
UCLA   4 – 5     8 – 5  
Washington State   2 – 7     5 – 7  
Stanford   2 – 7     3 – 9  
Arizona State*   2 – 7     3 – 9  
Colorado   1 – 8     4 – 8  
Championship: Washington 34, Oregon 31
  • ^ – College Football Playoff participant
  • $ – Conference champion
  • y – Championship game participant
  • * – Ineligible for postseason play due to self-imposed ban for 2020 recruiting violations
Rankings from AP Poll

The 2023 USC Trojans football team represented the University of Southern California (USC) as a member of the Pac-12 Conference during the 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season. In their second year under head coach Lincoln Riley, the Trojans were preseason picks to win the Pac-12 championship, but compiled a 7–5 record (5–4 against conference opponents) during the regular season. The team began the season by winning six consecutive games but lost five of their final six games, including losses to rivals Notre Dame and UCLA. The unranked Trojans defeated No. 16 Louisville in the 2023 Holiday Bowl.[1]

The season was USC's last season as a member of the Pac-12 Conference before joining the Big Ten Conference on July 1, 2024.

The Trojans played their home games at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles.

Preseason

USC's spring football game was held on April 15, 2023 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The defense (white team) defeated the offense (red team) by a 42-34 score.[2][3]

The Pac-12 Media Day was held on July 21, 2023, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Head coach Lincoln Riley, quarterback Caleb Williams, and linebacker Mason Cobb represented USC at the event. USC was picked to finish first in the conference, receiving 25 out of a possible 36 first-place votes.[citation needed]

Schedule

DateTimeOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendance
August 265:00 p.m.San Jose State*No. 6
P12NW 56–2863,411
September 23:30 p.m.Nevada*No. 6
  • Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
  • Los Angeles, CA
P12NW 66–1462,916
September 97:30 p.m.StanfordNo. 6
  • Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
  • Los Angeles, CA (rivalry)
FOXW 56–1067,213
September 237:30 p.m.at Arizona StateNo. 5
FOXW 42–2854,166
September 309:00 a.m.at ColoradoNo. 8
FOXW 48–4154,032
October 77:30 p.m.ArizonaNo. 9
  • Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
  • Los Angeles, CA
ESPNW 43–41 3OT62,916
October 144:30 p.m.at No. 21 Notre Dame*No. 10
NBCL 20–4877,622
October 215:00 p.m.No. 14 UtahNo. 18
  • Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
  • Los Angeles, CA
FOXL 32–3461,551
October 281:00 p.m.at CaliforniaNo. 24
P12NW 50–4943,716
November 44:30 p.m.No. 5 WashingtondaggerNo. 20
  • Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
  • Los Angeles, CA
ABCL 42–5272,243
November 117:30 p.m.at No. 6 Oregon
FOXL 27–3659,957
November 1812:30 p.m.UCLA
ABCL 20–3872,243
December 275:00 pmvs. No. 15 Louisville
FOXW 42–2835,317

[4]

Games summaries

vs San Jose State

See also: 2023 San Jose State Spartans football team
San José State Spartans (0–0) vs No. 6 USC Trojans (0–0) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Spartans 0 14 7728
No. 6 Trojans 7 14 211456

at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum • Los Angeles, CA

Game information
First quarter
  • (6:32) USC – Dorian Singer 13-yard pass from Caleb Williams, Denis Lynch kick (Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 3:41; USC 7–0)
Second quarter
  • (14:12) SJSU – Kairee Robinson 1-yard rush, Kyler Halvorsen kick (Drive: 12 plays, 72 yards, 7:12; Tied 7–7)
  • (9:38) USC – Tahj Washington 76-yard pass from Caleb Williams, Denis Lynch kick (Drive: 4 plays, 92 yards, 1:48; USC 14–7)
  • (3:31) USC – Austin Jones 2-yard run, Denis Lynch kick (Drive: 10 plays, 52 yards, 4:32; USC 21–7)
  • (0:08) SJSU – Nick Nash 28-yard pass from Chevan Cordeiro, Kyler Halvorsen kick (Drive: 4 plays, 46 yards, 0:19; USC 21–14)
Third quarter
  • (10:45) USC – Austin Jones 3-yard run, Denis Lynch kick (Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 4:15; USC 28–14)
  • (6:00) USC – Zachariah Branch 25-yard pass from Caleb Williams, Denis Lynch kick (Drive: 5 plays, 52 yards, 1:35; USC 35–14)
  • (1:50) SJSU – Nick Nash 32-yard pass from Chevan Cordeiro, Kyler Halvorsen kick (Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 4:10; USC 35–21)
  • (1:34) USC – Zachariah Branch 96-yard kickoff return, Denis Lynch kick (Drive: 4 plays, 46 yards, 0:19; USC 42–21)
Fourth quarter
  • (12:28) USC – Brenden Rice 12-yard pass from Caleb Williams, Denis Lynch kick (Drive: 6 plays, 55 yards, 2:32; USC 49–21)
  • (6:53) USC – Miller Moss 4-yard rush, Denis Lynch kick (Drive: 9 plays, 78 yards, 4:11; USC 56–21)
  • (5:08) SJSU – Nick Nash 2-yard pass from Chevan Cordeiro, Kyler Halvorsen kick (Drive: 4 plays, 85 yards, 1:39; USC 56–28)
Pregame line Over/under
USC –31.5 66
Statistics SJSU USC
First downs 24 25
Total yards 396 501
Rushes/yards 27–198 33–169
Passing yards 198 341
Passing: Comp–Att–Int 21–38–0 24–35–0
Time of possession 30:42 29:18
Team Category Player Statistics
San José State Passing Chevan Cordeiro 21/38, 198 yards, 3 TD
Rushing Quali Conley 6 carries, 108 yards
Receiving Nick Nash 6 receptions, 89 yards, 3 TD
USC Passing Caleb Williams 18/25, 278 yards, 4 TD
Rushing Austin Jones 6 carries, 54 yards, 2 TD
Receiving Tahj Washington 2 receptions, 85 yards, TD

vs Nevada

See also: 2023 Nevada Wolf Pack football team
Nevada Wolf Pack (0–0) vs No. 6 USC Trojans (1–0) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Wolf Pack 7 0 0714
No. 6 Trojans 21 14 72466

at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum • Los Angeles, CA

  • Date: September 2, 2023
  • Game time: 3:30 p.m.
  • Game weather: Temperature: 79 °F (26 °C) • Wind: SE at 6 miles per hour (9.7 km/h) • Weather: Cloudy
  • Game attendance: 62,916
  • Referee: Christopher Wiggins
  • TV announcers (Pac-12 Network): Ted Robinson (play-by-play), Yogi Roth (analyst)
Game information
First quarter
  • (12:45) USC – Zachariah Branch 22-yard pass from Caleb Williams, Denis Lynch kick (Drive: 4 plays, 79 yards, 2:10; USC 7–0)
  • (11:01) NEV – Sean Dollars 3-yard rush, Brandon Talton kick (Drive: 4 plays, 85 yards, 1:39; Tied 7–7)
  • (5:18) USC – MarShawn Lloyd 24-yard rush, Denis Lynch kick (Drive: 4 plays, 54 yards, 2:12; USC 14–7)
  • (2:13) USC – Tahj Washington 22-yard pass from Caleb Williams, Denis Lynch kick (Drive: 4 plays, 45 yards, 2:10; USC 21–7)
Second quarter
  • (14:08) USC – Michael Jackson III 15-yard pass from Caleb Williams, Denis Lynch kick (Drive: 4 plays, 68 yards, 1:11; USC 28–7)
  • (6:17) USC – Brenden Rice 13-yard pass from Caleb Williams, Denis Lynch kick (Drive: 3 plays, 64 yards, 2:17; USC 35–7)
Third quarter
  • (10:08) USC – Tahj Washington 45-yard pass from Caleb Williams, Denis Lynch kick (Drive: 7 plays, 67 yards, 2:59; USC 42–7)
Fourth quarter
  • (13:30) USC – Denis Lunch 47-yard field goal, (Drive: 10 plays, 79 yards, 4:42; USC 45–7)
  • (12:05) USC – Stanley Ta'ufo'ou 23-yard fumble return, Denis Lynch kick (Drive: 3 plays, -2 yards, 1:24; USC 52–7)
  • (11:18) NEV – Jamaal Bell 77-yard pass from AJ Bianco, Brandon Talton kick (Drive: 2 plays, 75 yards, 0:47; USC 52–14)
  • (9:09) USC – Quinten Joyner 47-yard rush, Denis Lynch kick (Drive: 5 plays, 69 yards, 2:01; USC 59–14)
  • (4:02) USC – Duce Robinson 71-yard pass from Miller Moss, Tyler Robles kick (Drive: 2 plays, 68 yards, 0:54; USC 66–14)
Statistics NEV USC
First downs 12 28
Total yards 360 668
Rushes/yards 38–49 20–215
Passing yards 311 453
Passing: Comp–Att–Int 22–34–0 25–34–0
Time of possession 35:59 24:01
Team Category Player Statistics
Nevada Passing Brendon Lewis 18/29, 182 yards
Rushing Sean Dollars 9 carries, 33 yards, TD
Receiving Jamaal Bell 8 receptions, 121 yards, TD
USC Passing Caleb Williams 18/24, 319 yards, 5 TD
Rushing MarShawn Lloyd 7 carries, 76 yards, TD
Receiving Tahj Washington 3 receptions, 75 yards, 2 TDs

vs Stanford

See also: 2023 Stanford Cardinal football team and Stanford-USC football rivalry
Stanford Cardinal (1–0) vs No. 6 USC Trojans (2–0) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Cardinal 0 3 0710
No. 6 Trojans 21 28 0756

at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum • Los Angeles, CA

  • Date: September 9, 2023
  • Game time: 7:30 p.m.
  • Game weather: Cloudy, 79 °F (26 °C)
  • Game attendance: 67,213
  • Referee: Mark Duddy
  • TV announcers (FOX): Tim Brando (play-by-play), Spencer Tillman (analyst), Josh Sims (sideline)
Game information
First quarter
  • (11:59) USC – Caleb Williams 21-yard rush, Denis Lynch kick (Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:01; USC 7–0)
  • (9:05) USC – MarShawn Lloyd 5-yard rush, Denis Lynch kick (Drive: 3 plays, 19 yards, 1:22; USC 14–0)
  • (0:07) USC - Austin Jones 1-yard rush, Denis Lynch kick (Drive: 12 plays, 93 yards, 4:55; USC 21–0)
Second quarter
  • (13:43) USC – Zachariah Branch 75-yard punt return, Denis Lynch kick (Drive: 3 plays, -5 yards, 1:17; USC 28–0)
  • (10:42) USC – Dorian Singer 19-yard pass from Caleb Williams, Denis Lynch kick (Drive: 5 plays, 55 yards, 2:01; USC 34–0)
  • (6:57) STAN – Joshua Karty 38-yard field goal (Drive: 9 plays, 55 yards, 3:45; USC 34–3)
  • (6:46) USC – Brenden Rice 75-yard pass from Caleb Williams, Denis Lynch kick (Drive: 1 play, 75 yards, 0:11; USC 41–3)
  • (0:10) USC – Lake McRee 1-yard pass from Caleb Williams, Denis Lynch kick (Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 3:24; USC 49–3)
Third quarter

None

Fourth quarter
  • (3:35) STAN – Justin Lamson 1-yard rush, Joshua Karty kick (Drive: 10 plays, 79 yards, 5:13; USC 49–10)
  • (0:58) USC – Miller Moss 15-yard rush, Denis Lynch kick (Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 2:37; USC 56–10)
Statistics STAN USC
First downs 20 27
Total yards 349 573
Rushes/yards 41–209 28–180
Passing yards 140 393
Passing: Comp–Att–Int 10–25–1 30–36–0
Time of possession 32:08 27:52
Team Category Player Statistics
Stanford Passing Justin Lamson 8/18, 121 yards
Rushing Casey Filkins 5 carries, 63 yards
Receiving Benjamin Yurosek 4 receptions, 54 yards
USC Passing Caleb Williams 19/21, 281 yards, 3 TD
Rushing MarShawn Lloyd 9 carries, 77 yards, TD
Receiving Brenden Rice 1 reception, 75 yards, TD

at Arizona State

See also: 2023 Arizona State Sun Devils football team
No. 5 USC Trojans (3–0) vs Arizona State Sun Devils (1–2) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
No. 5 Trojans 14 7 61542
Sun Devils 7 6 8728

at Mountain America Stadium • Tempe, AZ

  • Date: September 23, 2023
  • Game time: 7:30 p.m.
  • Game weather: Sunny, 79 °F (26 °C)
  • Game attendance: 54,166
  • Referee: Justin Elliott
  • TV announcers (FOX): Tim Brando (play-by-play), Spencer Tillman (analyst), Josh Sims (sideline)
Game information
First quarter
  • (8:46) USC – Caleb Williams 1-yard run, Denis Lynch kick (Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 6:14; USC 7–0)
  • (6:57) ASU – Cameron Skattebo 15-yard run, Dario Longhetto kick (Drive: 3 plays, 15 yards, 1:18; Tied 7–7)
  • (1:15) USC – Brenden Rice 43-yard pass from Caleb Williams, Denis Lynch kick (Drive: 9 plays, 87 yards, 5:30; USC 14–7)
Second quarter
  • (10:28) ASU – Dario Longhetto 35-yard field goal (Drive: 13 plays, 48 yards, 5:47; USC 14–10)
  • (8:29) USC – Caleb Williams 1-yard run, Denis Lynch kick (Drive: 5 plays, 43 yards, 1:57; USC 21–10)
  • (2:21) ASU – Dario Longhetto 30-yard field goal (Drive: 13 plays, 64 yards, 6:02; USC 21–13)
Third quarter
  • (11:13) USC – Denis Lynch 53-yard field goal (Drive: 7 plays, 28 yards, 2:44; USC 24–13)
  • (9:25) ASU – Elijhah Badger 25-yard pass from Drew Pyne, Cameron Skattebo two-point run (Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 1:48; USC 24–21)
  • (6:29) USC – Denis Lynch 36-yard field goal (Drive: 6 plays, 64 yards, 2:51; USC 27–21)
Fourth quarter
  • (10:31) USC – Brenden Rice 29-yard pass from Caleb Williams, Caleb Williams two-point pass to Mario Williams (Drive: 2 plays, 44 yards, 0:54; USC 35–21)
  • (8:05) ASU – Cameron Skattebo 52-yard pass from Drew Pyne, Dario Longhetto kick (Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 2:26; USC 35–28)
  • (7:17) USC – Tahj Washington 45-yard pass from Caleb Williams, Denis Lynch kick (Drive: 3 plays, 75 yards, 0:48; USC 42–28)
Statistics USC ASU
First downs 22 22
Total yards 535 353
Rushes/yards 27–217 32–90
Passing yards 322 263
Passing: Comp–Att–Int 20–31–0 23–39–1
Time of possession 28:12 31:48
Team Category Player Statistics
USC Passing Caleb Williams 20/31, 322 yards, 3 TD
Rushing MarShawn Lloyd 14 carries, 154 yards
Receiving Brenden Rice 7 receptions, 133 yards, 2 TD
Arizona State Passing Drew Pyne 21/36, 221 yards, 2 TD, INT
Rushing Cameron Skattebo 20 carries, 111 yards, TD
Receiving Elijhah Badger 9 receptions, 81 yards, TD

at Colorado

See also: 2023 Colorado Buffaloes football team
No. 8 USC Trojans (4–0) at Colorado Buffaloes (3–1) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
No. 8 Trojans 14 20 14048
Buffaloes 0 14 131441

at Folsom Field • Boulder, CO

  • Date: September 30, 2023
  • Game time: 10:00 a.m. MST
  • Game weather: Sunny, 67 °F (19 °C)
  • Game attendance: 54,032
  • Referee: Cravonne Barrett
  • TV announcers (FOX): Gus Johnson (play-by-play), Joel Klatt (analyst), Jenny Taft (sideline reporter)
Game information
First quarter
  • (12:33) USC – MarShawn Lloyd 27-yard run, Denis Lynch kick (Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 02:27; USC 7–0)
  • (2:30) USC – Tahj Washington 71-yard pass from Caleb Williams, Denis Lynch kick (Drive: 3 plays, 77 yards, 00:48; USC 14–0)
Second quarter
  • (14:55) USC – Dorian Singer 8-yard pass from Caleb Williams, Denis Lynch kick (Drive: 4 plays, 22 yards, 01:19; USC 21–0)
  • (12:59) COL – Jimmy Horn Jr. 30-yard pass from Shedeur Sanders, Alejandro Mata kick (Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 01:56; USC 21–7)
  • (07:30) USC – Mario Williams 24-yard pass from Caleb Williams (Drive: 2 plays, 23 yards, 00:43; USC 27–7)
  • (02:54) USC – Brenden Rice 26-yard pass from Caleb Williams, Denis Lynch kick (Drive: 7 plays, 73 yards, 02:28; USC 34–7)
  • (00:21) COL – Shedeur Sanders 25-yard run, Alejandro Mata kick (Drive: 9 plays, 83 yards, 02:28; USC 34–14)
Third quarter
  • (07:14) USC – Brenden Rice 6-yard pass from Caleb Williams, Denis Lynch kick (Drive: 7 plays, 55 yards, 02:51; USC 41–14)
  • (05:50) COL – Anthony Hankerson 2-yard run, Alejandro Mata kick (Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 01:24; USC 41–21)
  • (02:14) USC – Jude Wolfe 3-yard pass from Caleb Williams, Denis Lynch kick (Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 03:36; USC 48–21)
  • (01:03) COL – Michael Harrison 21-yard pass from Shedeur Sanders (Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 01:11; USC 48–27)
Fourth quarter
  • (11:55) COL – Omarion Miller 9-yard pass from Shedeur Sanders, Alejandro Mata kick (Drive: 11 plays, 61 yards, 03:58; USC 48–34)
  • (01:43) COL – Jimmy Horn Jr. 16-yard pass from Shedeur Sanders, Alejandro Mata kick (Drive: 10 plays, 78 yards, 04:15; USC 48–41)
Statistics USC COL
First downs 26 32
Total yards 498 564
Rushes/yards 25–95 45–193
Passing yards 403 371
Passing: Comp–Att–Int 30–40–1 30–45–1
Time of possession 27:55 32:05
Team Category Player Statistics
USC Passing Caleb Williams 30/40, 403 yards, 6 TD, INT
Rushing MarShawn Lloyd 13 carries, 88 yards, TD
Receiving Tahj Washington 8 receptions, 117 yards, TD
Colorado Passing Shedeur Sanders 30/45, 371 yards, 4 TD, INT
Rushing Anthony Hankerson 16 carries, 74 yards, TD
Receiving Omarion Miller 7 receptions, 196 yards, TD

vs Arizona

See also: 2023 Arizona Wildcats football team
Arizona Wildcats (3–2) vs No. 9 USC Trojans (5–0) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34OT2OT3OTTotal
Wildcats 10 7 3876041
No. 9 Trojans 0 14 7776243

at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum • Los Angeles, CA

  • Date: October 7, 2023
  • Game time: 7:30 p.m.
  • Game weather: Clear, 71 °F (22 °C)
  • Game attendance: 62,916
  • Referee: Jeff Dahle
  • TV announcers (ESPN): Dave Flemming (play-by-play), Brock Osweiler (analyst), and Kayla Burton (sideline)
Game information
First quarter
  • (10:12) ARIZ – Tyler Loop 23-yard field goal (Drive: 8 plays, 60 yards, 3:19; Arizona 3–0)
  • (4:59) ARIZ – Jacob Cowing 23-yard pass from Noah Fifita, Tyler Loop kick (Drive: 10 plays, 64 yards, 4:21; Arizona 10–0)
Second quarter
  • (13:05) ARIZ – Tanner McLachlan 18-yard pass from Noah Fifita, Tyler Loop kick (Drive: 11 plays, 92 yards, 5:51; Arizona 17–0)
  • (9:43) USC – Caleb Williams 3-yard run, Denis Lynch kick (Drive: 2 plays, 12 yards, 1:22; Arizona 17–7)
  • (13:05) USC – Kyron Hudson 5-yard pass from Caleb Williams, Denis Lynch kick (Drive: 6 plays, 65 yards, 2:50; Arizona 17–14)
Third quarter
  • (10:20) ARIZ – Tyler Loop 22-yard field goal (Drive: 7 plays, 70 yards, 4:40; Arizona 20–14)
  • (5:44) USC – MarShawn Lloyd 9-yard run, Denis Lynch kick (Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 4:36; USC 21–20)
Fourth quarter
  • (12:54) USC – Caleb Williams 1-yard run, Denis Lynch kick (Drive: 11 plays, 76 yards, 5:29; USC 28–20)
  • (8:17) ARIZ – Jacob Cowing 3-yard pass from Noah Fifita, Noah Fifita two-point pass to Tetairoa McMillan (Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 4:37; Tied 28–28)
First overtime
  • USC – Caleb Williams 18-yard run, Denis Lynch kick (Drive: 5 plays, 25 yards; USC 35–28)
  • ARIZ – Jacob Cowing 25-yard pass from Noah Fifita, Tyler Loop kick (Drive: 1 play, 25 yards; Tied 35–35)
Second overtime
  • ARIZ – Jacob Cowing 8-yard pass from Noah Fifita, two-point pass failed (Drive: 5 plays, 25 yards; Arizona 41–35)
  • USC – Austin Jones 11-yard run, two-point pass failed (Drive: 3 plays, 25 yards; Tied 41–41)
Third overtime
  • USC - Caleb Williams run for two-point conversion (USC 43-41)
Pregame line Over/under
USC -21.0 69.5
Statistics ARIZ USC
First downs 28 23
Total yards 506 365
Rushes/yards 42–203 33–146
Passing yards 303 219
Passing: Comp–Att–Int 25–35–1 14–25–0
Time of possession 35:39 24:21
Team Category Player Statistics
Arizona Passing Noah Fifita 25/35 303 yards, 5 TD, INT
Rushing Jonah Coleman 22 carries, 143 yards
Receiving Tetairoa McMillan 6 receptions, 138 yards
USC Passing Caleb Williams 14/25 219 yards, TD
Rushing MarShawn Lloyd 15 carries, 86 yards, TD
Receiving Brenden Rice 4 receptions, 96 yards

at No. 21 Notre Dame

See also: 2023 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team and Notre Dame–USC football rivalry
No. 10 USC Trojans (6–0) at No. 21 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (5–2) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
No. 10 Trojans 3 3 7720
No. 21 Fighting Irish 7 17 71748

at Notre Dame Stadium • Notre Dame, IN

  • Date: October 14, 2023
  • Game time: 7:30 pm EST
  • Game weather: Cloudy, 52 °F (11 °C)
  • Game attendance: 77,622
  • Referee: Mark Duddy
  • TV announcers (NBC): Jac Collinsworth (play-by-play), Jason Garrett (analyst), Zora Stephenson and Amhed Freed (sidelines), and Terry McAulay (rules analyst)
Game information
First quarter
  • (11:30) ND – Gi'Bran Payne 4-yard pass from Sam Hartman, Spencer Shrader kick (Drive: 3 plays, 12 yards, 1:23; Notre Dame 7–0)
  • (1:13) USC – Denis Lynch 25-yard field goal (Drive: 10 plays, 59 yards, 5:25; Notre Dame 7–3)
Second quarter
  • (2:19) ND – Spencer Shrader 26-yard field goal (Drive: 8 plays, 46 yards, 3:48; Notre Dame 10–3)
  • (4:14) ND – Audric Estimé 2-yard run, Spencer Shrader kick (Drive: 1 play, 2 yards, 0:03; Notre Dame 17–3)
  • (1:30) ND – Audric Estimé 1-yard run, Spencer Shrader kick (Drive: 5 plays, 50 yards, 2:05; Notre Dame 24–3)
  • (0:00) USC – Denis Lynch 48-yard field goal (Drive: 8 plays, 44 yards, 1:30; Notre Dame 24–6)
Third quarter
  • (7:20) USC – MarShawn Lloyd 31-yard run, Denis Lynch kick (Drive: 6 plays, 57 yards, 3:33; Notre Dame 24–13)
  • (3:54) ND – Chris Tyree 46-yard pass from Sam Hartman, Spencer Shrader kick (Drive: 6 plays, 68 yards, 3:20; Notre Dame 31–13)
Fourth quarter
  • (9:04) USC – Brenden Rice 7-yard pass from Caleb Williams, Denis Lynch kick (Drive: 5 plays, 18 yards, 3:09; Notre Dame 31–20)
  • (8:50) ND – Jadarian Price 99-yard kickoff return, Spencer Shrader kick (Drive: 7 plays, 4 yards, 3:57; Notre Dame 38–20)
  • (3:40) ND – Spencer Shrader 23-yard field goal (Drive: 4 plays, 9 yards, 1:09; Notre Dame 41–20)
  • (3:27) ND – Xavier Watts 0-yard fumble return, Spencer Shrader kick (Drive: 1 play, -2 yards, 0:09; Notre Dame 48–20)
Pregame line Over/under
USC +3.0 61.0
Statistics USC ND
First downs 23 13
Total yards 302 251
Rushes/yards 37–103 29–125
Passing yards 199 126
Passing: Comp–Att–Int 23–37–3 13–20–0
Time of possession 34:35 34:35
Team Category Player Statistics
USC Passing Caleb Williams 23/37 199 yards, TD, 3 INT
Rushing MarShawn Lloyd 8 carries, 46 yards, TD
Receiving Michael Jackson III 6 receptions, 51 yards
Notre Dame Passing Sam Hartman 13/20 126 yards, 2 TD
Rushing Audric Estimé 22 carries, 95 yards, 2 TD
Receiving Chris Tyree 2 receptions, 61 yards, TD

vs No. 14 Utah

See also: 2023 Utah Utes football team
No. 14 Utah Utes (5–1) vs No. 18 USC Trojans (6–1) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
No. 14 Utes 14 0 14634
No. 18 Trojans 14 0 31532

at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum • Los Angeles, CA

  • Date: October 21, 2023
  • Game time: 5:00 pm
  • Game weather: Sunny, 74 °F (23 °C)
  • Game attendance: 61,551
  • Referee: Mike McCabe
  • TV announcers (FOX): Jason Benetti (play-by-play), Brock Huard (analyst), Allison Williams (sidelines)
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
Pregame line Over/under
USC -7.5 51.5
Statistics UTAH USC
First downs 23 18
Total yards 482 401
Rushes/yards 47–248 23–145
Passing yards 235 256
Passing: Comp–Att–Int 14–23–1 35–35–0
Time of possession 34:42 25:18
Team Category Player Statistics
Utah Passing Bryson Barnes 14/23 235 yards, 3 TD, INT
Rushing Ja'Quinden Jackson 26 carries, 117 yards
Receiving Sione Vaki 5 receptions, 149 yards, 2 TD
USC Passing Caleb Williams 24/34 256 yards
Rushing MarShawn Lloyd 7 carries, 86 yards, TD
Receiving Tahj Washington 5 receptions, 112 yards

at California

See also: 2023 California Golden Bears football team
No. 24 USC Trojans (6–2) at California Golden Bears (3–4) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
No. 24 Trojans 17 0 122150
Golden Bears 14 14 81349

at California Memorial Stadium • Berkeley, CA

  • Date: October 28, 2023
  • Game time: 1:00 pm
  • Game attendance: 43,716
  • Referee: Justin Elliott
  • TV announcers (P12N): Ted Robinson (play-by-play), Yogi Roth (analyst)
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
Pregame line Over/under
USC -10.5 67.5
Statistics USC CAL
First downs 20 29
Total yards 299 527
Rushes/yards 40-130 42-235
Passing yards 369 292
Passing: Comp–Att–Int 23-40-0 25-39-1
Time of possession 32:36 27:24
Team Category Player Statistics
USC Passing Caleb Williams 23-40, 369 yards, 2 TD
Rushing MarShawn Lloyd 17 carries, 115 yards, 2 TD
Receiving Tahj Washington 5 receptions, 102 yards
California Passing Fernando Mendoza 25-39, 292 yards, 2 TD, INT
Rushing Jaydn Ott 21 carries, 153 yards, 3 TD
Receiving Jeremiah Hunter 8 receptions, 96 yards

vs Washington

See also: 2023 Washington Huskies football team
#5 Washington Huskies (8–0) vs #24 USC Trojans (7–2) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Huskies 7 28 71052
Trojans 14 14 14042

at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum • Los Angeles, CA

  • Date: November 4, 2023
  • Game time: 4:30 p.m.
  • Game weather: Sunny, 73 °F (23 °C)
  • Game attendance: 72,243
  • Referee: Mark Duddy
  • TV announcers (ABC): Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, Holly Rowe
Game information
First quarter
  • (8:56) USC - Raleek Brown 2-yard run, Denis Lynch kick (Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 6:04; USC 7-0)
  • (3:38) WASH - Dillon Johnson 2-yard run, Grady Gross kick (Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 5:18; Tied 7-7)
  • (0:35) USC - Caleb Williams 1-yard run, Denis Lynch kick (Drive: 2 plays, 8 yards, 0:49; USC 14-7)
Second quarter
  • (11:37) WASH - Devin Culp 22-yard pass from Michael Penix Jr.; Grady Gross kick (Drive: 10 plays, 79 yards, 3;58, Tied 14-14)
  • (9:31) USC - Darwin Barlow 1-yard run, Denis Lynch kick (Drive: 5 plays, 95 yards, 2:06; USC 21-14)
  • (6:44) WASH - Dillon Johnson 52-yard run, Grady Gross kick (Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 2:47; Tied 21-21)
  • (4:04) USC - Tahj Washington 41-yard pass from Caleb Williams, Denis Lynch kick (Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 2:40; USC 28-21)
  • (1:14) WASH - Ja'Lynn Polk 4-yard pass from Michael Penix Jr., Grady Gross kick (Drive: 8 plays, 70 yards, 2:50; Tied 28-28)
  • (0:20) WASH - Dillon Johnson 1-yard run, Grady Gross kick (Drive: 3 plays, 12 yards, 0:47; Washington 35-28)
Third quarter
  • (8:00) USC - Brenden Rice 25-yard pass from Caleb Williams, Denis Lynch kick (Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 3:29; Tied 35-35)
  • (4:21) WASH - Michael Penix Jr. 1-yard run, Grady Gross kick (Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:39; Washington 42-35)
  • (1:41) USC - Mario Williams 20-yard pass from Caleb Williams, Denis Lynch kick (Drive: 7 plays, 83 yards, 2:40; Tied 42-42)
Fourth quarter
  • (12:25) WASH - Grady Gross 43-yard field goal (Drive: 9 plays, 46 yards, 4:16; Washington 45-42)
  • (2:20) WASH - Dillon Johnson 1-yard run, Grady Gross kick (Drive: 9 plays, 91 yards, 5:22; Washington 52-42)
Pregame line Over/under
USC +3.0 76.5
Statistics WASH USC
First downs 27 24
Total yards 572 515
Rushes/yards 42-316 27-203
Passing yards 256 312
Passing: Comp–Att–Int 22-30-1 27-36-0
Time of possession 34:40 25:20
Team Category Player Statistics
Washington Passing Michael Penix Jr. 22-30 256 yards, 2 TD, INT
Rushing Dillon Johnson 26 carries, 256 yards, 4 TD
Receiving Rome Odunze 5 receptions, 82 yards
USC Passing Caleb Williams 27-35 312 yards, 3 TD
Rushing Austin Jones 11 carries, 127 yards
Receiving Tahj Washington 8 receptions, 122 yards, TD

at Oregon

See also: 2023 Oregon Ducks football team
USC Trojans (7–3) at Oregon Ducks (8–1) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Trojans 7 7 01327
Ducks 13 9 7736

at Autzen Stadium • Eugene, OR

  • Date: November 11, 2023
  • Game time: 7:30 p.m.
  • Game weather: Cloudy, 51 °F (11 °C)
  • Game attendance: 59,957
  • Referee: Matthew Richards
  • TV announcers (FOX): Tim Brando, Spencer Tillman, Josh Sims
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
Pregame line Over/under
USC +16.5 77.5
Statistics USC ORE
First downs 21 25
Total yards 379 552
Rushes/yards 25-73 31-140
Passing yards 306 412
Passing: Comp–Att–Int 20-35-0 23-32-0
Time of possession 29:18 30:42
Team Category Player Statistics
USC Passing Caleb Williams 19-34 291 yards, TD
Rushing MarShawn Lloyd 9 carries, 37 yards, TD
Receiving Tahj Washington 4 receptions, 82 yards
Oregon Passing Bo Nix 23-31 412 yards, 4 TD
Rushing Bucky Irving 19 carries, 118 yards, TD
Receiving Troy Franklin 2 receptions, 147 yards, TD

vs UCLA (Victory Bell)

See also: 2023 UCLA Bruins football team, UCLA–USC rivalry, and Victory Bell (UCLA–USC)
UCLA Bruins (6–4) vs USC Trojans (7–4) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Bruins 14 0 17738
Trojans 0 10 3720

at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum • Los Angeles, CA

  • Date: November 18, 2023
  • Game time: 12:30 pm
  • Game weather: Cloudy, 68 °F (20 °C)
  • Game attendance: 72,243
  • Referee: Mike McCabe
  • TV announcers (ABC): Dave Pasch (play-by-play), Dusty Dvoracek (analyst), Tom Luginbill (sideline)
Game information
First quarter
  • (9:15) UCLA – T.J. Harden 1-yard run, Blake Glessner kick (Drive: 7 plays, 48 yards, 3:11; UCLA 7–0)
  • (2:46) UCLA – Hudson Habermahl 14-yard pass from Ethan Garbers, Blake Glessner kick (Drive: 3 plays, 19 yards, 0:54; UCLA 14–0)
Second quarter
  • (14:01) USC – Brenden Rice 74-yard pass from Caleb Williams, Denis Lynch kick (Drive: 7 plays, 99 yards, 2:03; UCLA 14–7)
  • (0:02) USC – Denis Lynch 14-yard field goal (Drive: 9 plays, 51 yards, 0:49; UCLA 14–10)
Third quarter
  • (9:45) UCLA – T.J. Harden 7-yard pass from Ethan Garbers, Blake Glessner kick (Drive: 15 plays, 65 yards, 5:15; UCLA 21–10)
  • (9:29 UCLA – Alex Johnson 11-yard fumble recovery return, Blake Glessner kick (UCLA 28–10)
  • (3:51) USC – Denis Lynch 34-yard field goal (Drive: 9 plays, 30 yards, 5:32; UCLA 28–13)
  • (1:21) UCLA – Blake Glessner 35-yard field goal (Drive: 10 plays, 38 yards, 2:24; UCLA 31–13)
Fourth quarter
  • (9:06) UCLA – Hudson Habermahl 15-yard pass from Ethan Garbers, Blake Glessner kick (Drive: 10 plays, 38 yards, 5:01; UCLA 38–13)
  • (3:52) USC – Austion Jones 17-yard run, Denis Lynch kick (Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 5:14; UCLA 38–20)
Pregame line Over/under
USC -5.0 62.5
Statistics UCLA USC
First downs 19 17
Total yards 354 387
Rushes/yards 45–199 22–3
Passing yards 155 384
Passing: Comp–Att–Int 18–31–0 31–44–1
Time of possession 32:34 27:26
Team Category Player Statistics
UCLA Passing Ethan Garbers 18/31, 155 yards, 3 TD
Rushing T.J. Harden 22 carries, 142 yards, TD
Receiving Logan Loya 9 receptions, 60 yards
USC Passing Caleb Williams 31/42, 384 yards, TD, INT
Rushing MarShawn Lloyd 8 carries, 17 yards
Receiving Brenden Rice 8 receptions, 147 yards, TD

vs Louisville (Holiday Bowl)

See also: 2023 Louisville Cardinals football team
2023 DirectTV Holiday Bowl
No. 15 Louisville Cardinals (10-3, 7-1) vs USC Trojans (7-5, 5-4) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
No. 15 Cardinals 7 7 7728
Trojans 7 21 7742

at Petco Park • San Diego, California

  • Date: December 27th, 2023
  • Game time: 5:00 p.m.
  • Game weather: Clear • Temperature: 61 °F (16 °C) • Wind: 5 mph (8.0 km/h) NW
  • Game attendance: 35,317
  • Referee: Lee Hedrick
  • TV announcers (FOX): Gus Johnson (play-by-play), Joel Klatt (analyst), and Jenny Taft (sideline)
Game information
First quarter
  • (8:37) LOU – Isaac Guerendo 2-yard run, Nick Lopez kick (Drive: 10 plays, 71 yards, 5:10; Louisville 7–0)
  • (4:25) USC – Tahj Washington 17-yard pass from Miller Moss, Denis Lynch kick (Drive: 3 plays, 19 yards, 1:33; Tied 7–7)
Second quarter
  • (8:07) USC – Tahj Washington 29-yard pass from Miller Moss, Denis Lynch kick (Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 2:13; USC 14–7)
  • (6:30) USC – Kyron Hudson 9-yard pass from Miller Moss, Denis Lynch kick (Drive: 2 plays, 18 yards, 0:39; USC 21–7)
  • (1:56) LOU – Evan Conley 9-yard run, Nick Lopez kick (Drive: 9 plays, 73 yards, 4:34; USC 21–14)
  • (0:19) USC – Ja'Kobi Lane 31-yard pass from Miller Moss, Denis Lynch kick (Drive: 3 plays, 34 yards, 1:15; USC 28–14)
Third quarter
  • (9:43) LOU – Isaac Guerendo 1-yard run, Nick Lopez kick (Drive: 6 plays, 39 yards, 2:41; USC 28–21)
  • (4:51) USC – Ja'Kobi Lane 12-yard pass from Miller Moss, Denis Lynch kick (Drive: 11 plays, 53 yards, 4:52; USC 35–21)
Fourth quarter
  • (12:51) LOU – Isaac Guerendo 2-yard run, Nick Lopez kick (Drive: 12 plays, 72 yards, 7:00; USC 35–28)
  • (10:00) USC – Duce Robinson 44-yard pass from Miller Moss, Denis Lynch kick (Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 2:51; USC 42–28)
Pregame line Over/under
LOU –4.5 56.5
Statistics Louisville USC
First downs 22 19
Total yards 361 443
Rushes/yards 45–220 19–71
Passing yards 141 372
Passing: Comp–Att–Int 21–25–0 23–33–1
Time of possession 36:34 23:26
Team Category Player Statistics
Louisville Passing Jack Plummer 21/25, 141 yards
Rushing Isaac Guerendo 23 carries, 161 yards, 3 TD
Receiving Isaac Guerendo 5 receptions, 42 yards
USC Passing Miller Moss 23/33, 372 yards, 6 TD, INT
Rushing Austin Jones 11 carries, 60 yards
Receiving Tahj Washington 7 receptions, 99 yards, 2 TD

Personnel

Roster and coaching staff

2023 USC Trojans football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos. # Name Class
RB 0 MarShawn Lloyd  Jr
WR 1 Zachariah Branch Fr
WR 2 Brenden Rice Sr
WR 4 Mario Williams Jr
RB 6 Austin Jones  Sr
QB 7 Miller Moss  So
QB 8 Malachi Nelson Fr
WR 9 Michael Jackson III Jr
WR 10 Kyron Hudson  So
QB 13 Caleb Williams (C) Jr
WR 14 Raleek Brown So
WR 15 Dorian Singer Jr
WR 16 Tahj Washington  Sr
QB 17 Jake Jensen  So
TE 18 Jude Wolfe  Sr
WR 19 Duce Robinson Fr
RB 21 Quinten Joyner Fr
RB 22 Darwin Barlow  Sr
WR 24 Makai Lemon Fr
RB 27 A'Marion Peterson Fr
QB 28 Gage Roy So
QB 31 Isaac Ward  Jr
RB 34 Matt Colombo  Jr
WR 40 Ty Shamblin  Jr
WR 44 Josiah Zamora  So
WR 46 Corey Nerhus Jr
OL 52 Jarrett Kingston  Sr
OL 56 Andres Dewerk  Jr
OL 57 Justin Dedich (C)  Sr
OL 59 Micah Banuelos Fr
OL 61 Jack Susnjar Fr
OL 62 Cooper Lovelace  Sr
OL 65 Grant Tucker Sr
OL 66 Gino Quinones  Sr
OL 67 Kilian O'Connor So
OL 70 Emmanuel Pregnon Jr
OL 71 Michael Tarquin  Sr
OL 72 Elijah Paige Fr
OL 73 Tobias Raymond Fr
OL 75 Amos Talalele Fr
OL 76 Mason Murphy  So
OL 77 Alani Noa Fr
OL 78 Andrew Milek  Jr
OL 79 Jonah Monheim (C)  Jr
TE 84 Carson Tabaracci  Fr
WR 85 Jaden Moore Fr
TE 86 CJ Woods  Jr
TE 87 Lake McRee  So
TE 88 Kade Eldridge Fr
WR 89 Ja'Kobi Lane Fr
TE 95 Luke Otte So
Defense
Pos. # Name Class
DL 0 Korey Foreman Jr
CB 1 Domani Jackson So
RUSH 2 Romello Height  Jr
S 4 Max Williams  Sr
DL 6 Anthony Lucas So
S 7 Calen Bullock Jr
S 8 Zion Branch  Fr
ILB 9 Raesjon Davis Jr
RUSH 10 Jamil Muhammad  Sr
ILB 13 Mason Cobb (C) Sr
CB 14 Jacobe Covington  Jr
S 15 Anthony Beavers Jr.  So
CB 16 Prophet Brown  So
CB 17 Christian Roland-Wallace  Sr
ILB 18 Eric Gentry Jr
S 19 Jaylin Smith Jr
CB 22 Ceyair Wright  So
CB 23 Tre'Quon Fegans  Fr
S 24 Christian Pierce Fr
ILB 25 Tackett Curtis Fr
CB 26 Fabian Ross So
S 27 Bryson Shaw  Sr
S 28 Xamarion Gordon  So
CB 29 Maliki Crawford Fr
ILB 30 Chris Thompson Jr. Sr
DL 31 Tyrone Taleni  Sr
RUSH 34 Braylan Shelby Fr
RUSH 35 DJ Peevy Fr
DL 37 Devan Thompkins  Fr
RUSH 39 Garrett Pomerantz So
CB 40 L Simpson  Jr
ILB 41 Garrison Madden  Fr
ILB 42 Deuce Palmer Sr
RUSH 44 Sam Greene Fr
DL 47 Stanley Ta'ufo'ou  Sr
S 48 Daniel Jimenez-Fulton  So
RUSH 51 Solomon Byrd  Sr
ILB 52 Theo Bravos Jr
ILB 53 Shane Lee (C)  Sr
DL 56 Elijah Hughes Fr
ILB 57 Roman Marchetti So
DL 58 Solomon Tuliaupupu  Sr
DL 79 De'jon Benton  Sr
DL 90 Bear Alexander So
DL 91 Deijon Laffitte Fr
DL 92 Kyon Barrs  Sr
DL 93 Sinjun Astani  Sr
DL 94 Kobe Pepe  Jr
DL 99 Jack Sullivan  Sr
Special teams
Pos. # Name Class
P 35 Michael McAllister  Jr
P 36 Will Rose  Sr
P, K 37 Eddie Czaplicki Jr
LS 39 Jac Casasante  Sr
P 42 Aadyn Sleep-Dalton Sr
K 46 Denis Lynch  So
LS 48 Daniel Meunier Sr
LS 53 Nathan Weneta  Jr
K 95 Tyler Robles Fr
K, P 98 Garth White Jr


Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches
  • Josh Henson – Offensive coordinator/offensive line
  • Alex Grinch – Defensive coordinator/safeties
  • Dennis Simmons – Assistant head coach/passing game coordinator/outside wide receivers
  • Zach Hanson – Tight ends
  • Luke Huard – Inside wide receivers
  • Kiel McDonald – Running backs
  • Shaun Nua – Defensive line
  • Brian Odom – Inside linebackers
  • Roy Manning – Outside linebackers/nickels
  • Donte Williams – Defensive backs/defensive pass game coordinator
  • Bennie Wylie – Director, Strength & Conditioning
  • Kliff Kingsbury – Offensive analyst
  • Greg Brown – Defensive analyst
  • Derek Fa'avi – Defensive analyst
  • Parker Henry – Defensive analyst
  • Taylor Mays – Defensive analyst
  • Bookie Radley-Hiles – Defensive analyst
  • Ryan Dougherty – Special teams analyst/Assistant special teams coordinator
  • Zach Crabtree – Graduate assistant
  • Will Johnson – Graduate assistant
  • Peyton Pelluer – Graduate assistant
  • Trey Tinsley – Graduate assistant
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • Injured Injured
  • Redshirt Redshirt

Roster
Last update: 09/04/23

Depth chart

True Freshman
Double Position : *
official Depth Chart Week 0 vs San José State (08/26/2023)

Injury report

Name Position Class Injury Duration
Solomon Tuliaupupu DL Redshirt Senior Lower leg Season
Gino Quinones OL Redshirt Senior Lower leg Season
Zion Branch S Redshirt Freshman Knee Season

Scholarship distribution chart

 

  • Projected Scholarship Distribution 2023 chart

^ : the players who still have to make an official choice and the players who are eligible for the Covid year.

redshirt year used / redshirt year eligible / * Former Walk-on / LDS Mission

– 84 players on scholarship (+ 1 LDS Mission) / 85 scholarships permitted

Coaching staff departures

Name Position New Team New Position
Conner McQueen Offensive graduate assistant / offensive skill Incarnate Word Offensive coordinator / quarterbacks coach
Austin Woods Senior Defensive analyst / assistant defensive line Incarnate Word Offensive line coach / run game coordinator
Bryan Kegans Associate Director of football sports performance North Texas Director of strength and conditioning
Brad Aoki Quarterback Colorado State Offensive graduate assistant
Will Harriger Senior Offensive analyst / assistant quarterbacks / game management coordinator / NFL liaison Dallas Cowboys (NFL) Offensive assistant
Lenny Vandermade Offensive quality control analyst St. Ignatius College Prep football (High School) Head coach – varsity team
Parker Henry Defensive analyst / assistant linebackers Portland State Special teams coordinator / linebackers coach

Coaching staff additions

Name Position Old team Old position
Adam Thackery Assistant director of football sports performance Mississippi State Baseball Strength & conditioning coach
Trey Tinsley Offensive graduate assistant Mississippi State Offensive quality control
Bookie Radley-Hiles Defensive analyst Cincinnati Bengals (NFL) Player
Derek Fa'avi Offensive analyst Hawaii Director of player development
Greg Brown Senior defensive analyst Charlotte Defensive coordinator
Kliff Kingsbury Senior offensive analyst Arizona Cardinals (NFL) Head coach
Bryson Allen-Williams Defensive quality control North Carolina Defensive graduate assistant

Transfers

Transfers out

The Trojans have lost 23 players via transfer.

Name Pos. Height Weight Year Hometown New school
Keegan Patterson QB 6’0 185 Sophomore Longmont, CO Northwest Mississippi CC / Indiana State
Gary Bryant Jr. WR 5’11 180 Junior Riverside, CA Oregon
Kyle Ford WR 6’3 220 Redshirt Junior Corona, CA UCLA
John Jackson III WR 6’1 215 Senior Redondo Beach, CA Nevada
Jake Smith WR 6’0 200 Junior Scottsdale, AZ Arizona State
C. J. Williams WR 6’2 190 Freshman Santa Ana, CA Wisconsin
Malcolm Epps TE 6’6 250 Redshirt Senior Houston, TX Pitt
Joe Bryson OT 6’8 300 Redshirt Senior Castle Pines, CO Incarnate Word
Courtland Ford OT 6’6 305 Redshirt Junior Cedar Hill, TX Kentucky
Maximus Gibbs OL 6’7 390 Freshman Norwalk, CA Jackson State
Jason Rodriguez OT 6’5 310 Redshirt Senior Oak Hills, CA Nevada
Earl Barquet Jr. DL 6’2 275 Redshirt Senior Marrero, LA University of Louisiana - Monroe
Jamar Sekona DL 6’2 295 Redshirt Sophomore Fairfax, CA -
Colin Mobley DL 6’4 290 Redshirt Freshman Washington, D.C. -
Ralen Goforth ILB 6’2 225 Senior Long Beach, CA Washington
Tayler Katoa ILB 6’2 240 Redshirt Senior Layton, UT -
Tuasivi Nomura ILB 6’1 230 Redshirt Junior Corona, CA Fresno State
Julien Simon ILB 6’1 230 Redshirt Freshman Tacoma, WA Tulsa
Xavion Alford DB 6’0 190 Redshirt Sophomore Pearland, TX Arizona State
Briton Allen DB 6’0 190 Redshirt Junior Orlando, FL Utah
Joshua Jackson Jr. CB 6’1 185 Redshirt Junior Westminster, CA -
Latrell McCutchin DB 6’1 190 Sophomore Austin, TX Houston
Jayden Williams CB 6'1 195 Junior East Riverside, CA Miami (OH)

Transfers in

The Trojans have added 16 players via transfer. According to 247 Sports, USC had the No. 2 ranked transfer class in the country.[6]

Name Pos. Height Weight Year Hometown Old school
MarShawn Lloyd RB 5’9 212 Redshirt Sophomore Wilmington, DE South Carolina
Dorian Singer WR 6’1 185 Sophomore Saint Paul, MN Arizona
CJ Woods TE 6’2 240 Redshirt Sophomore Long Beach, CA Cal Poly
Jarrett Kingston OT 6’5 302 Redshirt Junior Anderson, CA Washington State
Michael Tarquin OT 6’5 320 Redshirt Sophomore Ocala, FL Florida
Emmanuel Pregnon OL 6’6 318 Redshirt Freshman Denver, CO Wyoming
Bear Alexander DL 6’3 305 Freshman Terrell, TX Georgia
Kyon Barrs DL 6’3 285 Junior Murrieta, CA Arizona
Anthony Lucas DL 6’6 270 Freshman Scottsdale, AZ Texas A&M
Jack Sullivan DL 6’5 275 Redshirt Senior Plainfield, IL Purdue
Jamil Muhammad OLB 6’2 245 Redshirt Junior Madison, AL Georgia State
Mason Cobb ILB 6’0 230 Junior Provo, UT Oklahoma State
Deuce Palmer ILB 6’2 215 Redshirt Junior Danville SMU
Tre'Quon Fegans DB 6’2 190 Freshman Alabaster, AL Alabama
Christian Roland-Wallace CB 6’0 198 Junior Palmadale, CA Arizona
Edward Czaplicki P/K 6’1 200 Sophomore Charlotte, NC Arizona State

Entered NFL draft

See also: 2023 NFL draft
Player Position Drafted by
Jordan Addison WR Minnesota Vikings
Tuli Tuipulotu OLB Los Angeles Chargers
Mekhi Blackmon CB Minnesota Vikings
Andrew Vorhees OG Baltimore Ravens

Returning starters

Offense

Recruiting class

Main article: 2023 college football recruiting class

USC signed 22 players in the 2023 recruiting cycle. Eight USC signees were ranked in the ESPN 300 top prospect list. The Trojans finished ranked eighth by 247Sports. In addition to bringing in a Top 5 transfer portal class. USC added 5 walk-ons during the national signing period.

See also: American football positions, Glossary of American football, and Recruiting (college athletics)
US college sports recruiting information for 2023 recruits
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date


Zachariah Branch
#1 WR
#4 nat. 		Las Vegas, NV Bishop Gorman HS 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) 172 lb (78 kg) December 24, 2021 (Committed) / December 21, 2022 (Signed) 
Recruiting star ratings: Rivals:5/5 stars   247Sports:5/5 stars    ESPN:5/5 stars
Malachi Nelson
#5 QB
#12 nat. 		Los Alamitos, CA Los Alamitos HS 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 181 lb (82 kg) November 30, 2021 (Committed) / December 21, 2022 (Signed) 
Recruiting star ratings: Rivals:5/5 stars   247Sports:5/5 stars    ESPN:5/5 stars
Duce Robinson
#1 TE
#17 nat. 		Phoenix, AZ Pinnacle High School 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 225 lb (102 kg) March 30, 2023 (Committed) / March 30, 2023 (Signed) 
Recruiting star ratings: Rivals:5/5 stars   247Sports:5/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars
Makai Lemon
#7 WR
#43 nat. 		Los Alamitos, CA Los Alamitos HS 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 180 lb (82 kg) December 3, 2021 (Committed) / December 21, 2022 (Signed) 
Recruiting star ratings: Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN:5/5 stars
Braylan Shelby
#15 EDGE
#85 nat. 		Friendswood, TX Friendswood HS 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 235 lb (107 kg) August 6, 2022 (Committed) / December 21, 2022 (Signed) 
Recruiting star ratings: Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars
Tackett Curtis
#9 LB
#108 nat. 		Many, LA Many HS 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 224 lb (102 kg) July 18, 2022 (Committed) / December 21, 2022 (Signed) 
Recruiting star ratings: Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars
Walker Lyons
#5 TE
#123 nat. 		Folsom, CA Folsom HS 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 230 lb (100 kg) February 1, 2023 (Committed) / February 1, 2023 (Signed) 
Recruiting star ratings: Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars
Quinten Joyner
#13 RB
#185 nat. 		Manor, TX Manor HS 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) 203 lb (92 kg) April 19, 2022 (Committed) / December 21, 2022 (Signed) 
Recruiting star ratings: Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars
Elijah Paige
#18 OT
#220 nat. 		Phoenix, AZ Pinnacle HS 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 304 lb (138 kg) October 3, 2022 (Committed) / December 21, 2022 (Signed) 
Recruiting star ratings: Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars
Maliki Crawford
#34 CB
#327 nat. 		Oxnard, CA Pacifica HS 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 180 lb (82 kg) August 2, 2022 (Committed) / December 21, 2022 (Signed) 
Recruiting star ratings: Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars
A'marion Peterson
#24 RB
#365 nat. 		Wichita Falls, TX Hirschi HS 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 200 lb (91 kg) April 24, 2022 (Committed) / December 21, 2022 (Signed) 
Recruiting star ratings: Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars
Ja'Kobi Lane
#58 WR
#392 nat. 		Mesa, AZ Red Mountain HS 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 175 lb (79 kg) August 26, 2022 (Committed) / February 1, 2023 (Signed) 
Recruiting star ratings: Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars
Christian Pierce
#41 S
#423 nat. 		Rancho Cucamonga, CA Rancho Cucamonga HS 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 180 lb (82 kg) May 1, 2022 (Committed) / December 21, 2022 (Signed) 
Recruiting star ratings: Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars
Amos Talele
#38 IOL
#463 nat. 		Santa Clara, CA Santa Clara HS 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 330 lb (150 kg) June 20, 2022 (Committed) / December 21, 2022 (Signed) 
Recruiting star ratings: Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars
David Peevy
#45 EDGE
#463 nat. 		San Diego, CA Lincoln HS 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 230 lb (100 kg) October 27, 2022 (Committed) / December 21, 2022 (Signed) 
Recruiting star ratings: Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars
Sam Greene
#52 DL
#477 nat. 		Baltimore, MD St. Frances Academy 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 265 lb (120 kg) September 15, 2022 (Committed) / December 21, 2022 (Signed) 
Recruiting star ratings: Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars
Micah Bañuelos
#39 IOL
#486 nat. 		Burien, WA Kennedy Catholic HS 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 290 lb (130 kg) July 25, 2022 (Committed) / December 21, 2022 (Signed) 
Recruiting star ratings: Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars
Alani Noa
#45 IOL
#539 nat. 		Sacramento, CA Grant Union HS 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 320 lb (150 kg) August 16, 2022 (Committed) / December 21, 2022 (Signed) 
Recruiting star ratings: Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars
Kade Eldridge
#36 ATH (TE)
#581 nat. 		Lynden, WA Lynden Christian School 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 235 lb (107 kg) June 22, 2022 (Committed) / December 21, 2022 (Signed) 
Recruiting star ratings: Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars
Tobias Raymond
#58 OT
#802 nat. 		Ventura, CA Ventura HS 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 270 lb (120 kg) June 13, 2022 (Committed) / December 21, 2022 (Signed) 
Recruiting star ratings: Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars
Deijon Laffitte
#93 DL
#869 nat. 		Ontario, CA Colony HS 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 285 lb (129 kg) September 22, 2022 (Committed) / December 21, 2022 (Signed) 
Recruiting star ratings: Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars
Elijah Hughes
#102 DL
#911 nat. 		Arlington, VA Washington-Liberty HS 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 265 lb (120 kg) December 17, 2022 (Committed) / December 21, 2022 (Signed) 
Recruiting star ratings: Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars


Overall recruiting rankings:
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "2023 USC Football Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
  • "2023 Player Commitments – USC". ESPN.com. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
  • "2023 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
  • "USC 2023 Football Commitments". 247sports.com. Retrieved February 2, 2023.

*= 247Sports Composite rating; ratings are out of 1.00. (five stars= 1.00–.98, four stars= .97–.90, three stars= .80–.89, two stars= .79–.70, no stars= <70)
†= Despite being rated as a four and five star recruit by ESPN, On3.com, Rivals.com and 247Sports.com, Malachi Nelson and Zachariah Branch received a five star 247Sports Composite rating.
Δ= Left the USC program following signing but prior to the 2023 season.

2023 overall class rankings

Website National rank Conference rank 5 star recruits 4 star recruits 3 star recruits 2 star recruits 1 star recruits No star ranking
ESPN[7] 10 2 3 6 13 0 0 0
On3 Recruits[8] 9 2 3 8 11 0 0 0
Rivals[9] 7 1 3 8 11 0 0 0
247 Sports[10] 8 1 3 10 9 0 0 0

Walk-ons

Name Pos. Height Weight Hometown High school
Kaylon Miller DL 6’1 250 Calabasas, CA Calabasas HS
Jack Susnjar OL 6’6 325 Los Angeles, CA Loyola HS
Tyler Robles K 5’7 165 Encinitas, CA La Costa Canyon HS
Jaden Moore WR 6’0 180 La Jolla, CA The Bishop’s School

Award watch lists

Listed in the order that they were released

Award Player Position Year Source
Lott Trophy Calen Bullock S Jr. [11]
Mason Cobb LB
Biletnikoff Award Dorian Singer WR [12]
Tahj Washington rSr.
Outland Trophy Justin Dedich OL [13]
Jarrett Kingston
Rotary Lombardi Award Justin Dedich [14]
Jonah Monheim rJr.
Maxwell Award Caleb Williams QB Jr. [15]
Davey O'Brien Award [16]
Walter Camp Award [17]
Manning Award [18]
Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award [19]
Bronko Nagurski Trophy Calen Bullock S [20]
Jim Thorpe Award [21]
Bednarik Award [22]
Butkus Award Mason Cobb LB [23]
Ray Guy Award Eddie Czaplicki P [24]
Paul Hornung Award Tahj Washington WR rSr. [25]
Wuerffel Trophy Justin Dedich OL [26]
Rimington Trophy [27]
Doak Walker Award Austin Jones RB [28]
Polynesian College Football Player Of The Year Award Stanley Ta’ufo’ou DL [29]
Tyrone Taleni
Mason Cobb LB Jr.

Preseason All-Pac-12 teams and All-American honors

First team

Position Player Class
Team
QB Caleb Williams Jr.
WR Dorian Singer
DB Calen Bullock
P Eddie Czaplicki
AP Raleek Brown So.

Second team

Position Player Class
OL Justin Dedich RS Sr.
Jonah Monheim RS Jr.
Jarrett Kingston
LB Mason Cobb Jr.
Eric Gentry

All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention

Position Player Class
DL Bear Alexander So.
Kyon Barrs RS Sr.
RS Raleek Brown So.
RB Austin Jones RS Sr.
LB Shane Lee RS Sr.
DB Christian Roland-Wallace RS Sr.

Source: [30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37]

Pre-season All-American Honors
Player Position AP AS CBS Sports ESPN PFF Sporting News WCFF Designation
Calen Bullock S Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY
Caleb Williams QB Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Unanimous
Second Team All-Americans
Player No. Position Class Selector(s) Source(s)
Calen Bullock 7 S Jr. AP [38]
Dorian Singer 15 WR Jr. AS, SN [39]

Rankings

Further information: 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football rankings
Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked RV = Received votes
Week
PollPre1234567891011121314Final
AP66558910182424RVRV—
Coaches6655679162222RVRV—
CFPNot released20———Not released

Statistics

Team

USC Opp
  Points per Game 59.33 17.33
Total 178 52
First Downs 80 56
  Rushing 26 21
  Passing 52 24
  Penalty 2 11
Rushing yards 555 456
  Avg per play 6.8 4.3
  Avg per game 185.0 152.0
  Rushing touchdowns 9 3
Passing yards 1187 649
  Att-Comp-Int 105-79-0 98-53-1
  Avg per pass 11.30 6.62
  Avg per game 395.67 216.33
  Passing touchdowns 13 4
Total Offense 1742 1105
  Avg per Play 9.3 5.4
  Avg per Game 580.7 368.3
Fumbles-Lost 3-1 8-3
Penalties-Yards 24-217 12-110
  Avg per Game 72.33 36.67
Punts-Yards 9-379 20-899
  Avg per Punt 42.11 44.95
Time of Possession/Game 1:21:11 1:38:49
3rd Down Conversions 53.57% 31.11%
4th Down Conversions 66.67% 40%
Sacks-Yards 66.67% 33.33%
Touchdowns Scored 25 7
Field Goals-Attempts 1-1 1-3
PAT-Attempts 25-25 7-7
Red Zone Attempts-Score 15-15 5-6
Red Zone TD 14 4
Attendance 193,540
  Games/Avg per Game 64,513
  Neutral Site

Individual Leaders

Offense

Defense

Key: POS: Position, SOLO: Solo Tackles, AST: Assisted Tackles, TOT: Total Tackles, TFL: Tackles-for-loss, SACK: Quarterback Sacks, INT: Interceptions, BU: Passes Broken Up, PD: Passes Defended, QBH: Quarterback Hits, FR: Fumbles Recovered, FF: Forced Fumbles, BLK: Kicks or Punts Blocked, SAF: Safeties, TD : Touchdown

Special teams

Scoring

USC vs. non-conference opponents

1 2 3 4 Total
USC 31 31 35 80 177
Opponents 14 31 14 31 90

USC vs. Pac-12 opponents

1 2 3 4OT Total
USC 49 41 27 2915 161
Pac-12 opponents 17 30 29 3613 125

USC vs. all opponents

1 2 3 4OT Total
USC 80 72 62 10915 338
Opponents 31 61 43 6713 215


References

  1. ^ "USC Trojans Schedule 2023". ESPN. April 18, 2024. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  2. ^ "USC Defense Defeats Offense 42-34 in 2023 Spring Football Game". February 15, 2024.
  3. ^ [1], [2]
  4. ^ "2023 USC Football Schedule". FB Schedules. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
  5. ^ "Heisman winner Caleb Williams throws 4 TD passes, leads No. 6 USC past San Jose State 56-28". ESPN. Retrieved September 3, 2023.
  6. ^ "2023 Transfer Football Team Rankings". 247 Sports.
  7. ^ "USC 2023 Recruiting Class". ESPN.com.
  8. ^ "USC 2023 Recruiting Class". On3.com.
  9. ^ "USC 2023 Recruiting Class". Rivals.com.
  10. ^ "USC 2023 Recruiting Class". 247sports.com.
  11. ^ "Lott Impact® Trophy Announces 2023 Watch List". May 4, 2023. Retrieved May 4, 2023.
  12. ^ "2023 Biletnikoff Award Watch List". August 7, 2023. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
  13. ^ "2023 Outland Trophy Watch List unveiled". August 1, 2023. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
  14. ^ "2023 Watch List". August 15, 2023. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  15. ^ "2023 Maxwell Award Watch List". July 31, 2023. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
  16. ^ "Davey O'Brien Award Announces 2023 Preseason Watch List". August 8, 2023. Retrieved August 8, 2023.
  17. ^ "Forty Five Players Named to Walter Camp 2023 Player of Year Preseason Watch List". August 11, 2023. Retrieved August 11, 2023.
  18. ^ "Allstate Sugar Bowl Announces Manning Award Watch List". August 15, 2023. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  19. ^ "The Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Unveils 2023 Watch List". August 22, 2023. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
  20. ^ "2023 Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List unveiled". August 1, 2023. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
  21. ^ "2023 PAYCOM JIM THORPE AWARD WATCHLIST". August 10, 2023. Retrieved August 10, 2023.
  22. ^ "2023 Bednarik Award Watch List". August 14, 2023. Retrieved August 14, 2023.
  23. ^ "Watchlist 2023". August 10, 2023. Retrieved August 10, 2023.
  24. ^ "2023 Watch List". August 2, 2023. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
  25. ^ "53 PLAYERS NAMED TO THE 14TH ANNUAL PAUL HORNUNG AWARD WATCH LIST". August 3, 2023. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
  26. ^ "Wuerffel Trophy 2023 Watch List Announced". August 3, 2023. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
  27. ^ "The 2023 Rimington Trophy Watchlist is as follows". August 4, 2023. Retrieved August 4, 2023.
  28. ^ "Doak Walker Award names 75 running backs to 2023 preseason watch list". August 9, 2023. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
  29. ^ "2023 Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Watch List".
  30. ^ "USC's Caleb Williams, Ohio State's Harrison Jr. and Michigan's Corum top AP preseason All-Americans". Associated Press News. August 21, 2023.
  31. ^ Lassan, Steven (May 18, 2023). "2023 College Football Preseason All-America Team". Athlon Sports.
  32. ^ "2023 Walter Camp Preseason FBS All-America Teams, presented by 777 Partners".
  33. ^ "College Football News Preseason All-America Team 2023 Offense". August 14, 2023.
  34. ^ "Caleb Williams leads the preseason All-America college football team". August 14, 2023.
  35. ^ "2023 CBS Sports Preseason All-America team: Georgia, Ohio State, Alabama, Michigan lead with most honorees". August 16, 2023.
  36. ^ "2023 PFF College Preseason All-America Team: USC QB Caleb Williams, Ohio State WR Marvin Harrison Jr. and more". August 21, 2023.
  37. ^ "Sports Illustrated's 2023 Preseason College Football All-American Teams". August 16, 2023.
  38. ^ "USC's Caleb Williams, Ohio State's Harrison Jr. and Michigan's Corum top AP preseason All-Americans". Associated Press News. August 21, 2023.
  39. ^ Lassan, Steven (May 18, 2023). "2023 College Football Preseason All-America Team". Athlon Sports.