Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Pete Fiutak

USC vs Rice Prediction, Game Preview

USC vs Rice prediction, game preview, how to watch. Week 1, Saturday, September 3


USC vs Rice How To Watch

Date: Saturday, September 3
Game Time: 6:00 ET
Venue: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA
How To Watch: Pac-12 Network
Record: Rice (0-0), USC (0-0)
Sign up and live stream college football on ESPN+

CFN Preview 2021: All 131 Teams
CFN Predictions of Every Game
ACC | Big Ten | Big 12 | Pac-12 | SEC
AAC | C-USA | Ind | MAC | M-West | Sun Belt
2022 Bowl Projections | Preseason Rankings 1-131
Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

USC vs Rice Game Preview

Why Rice Will Win

The Owls know how to grind down the clock.

They were among the best in the nation last season in time of possession, the running game has just enough returning to at least try pounding a little bit against a USC defensive front that has to prove that it’s stronger, and the receiving corps will be a sneaky-good strength early on.

If QB Wiley Green can get enough time to work, he should be able to test the Trojan secondary downs he field and spread it around a bit.

On the other side, the Rice defense is as deep as it has been in several years, it was decent at forcing takeaways, and …

Week 1 CFN College Football Expert Picks

Why USC Will Win

Here we go.

The skill parts are tremendous, the talent level has been raised up several notches from the transfer portal, and Lincoln Riley was a massive upgrade for a program overdue for a next-level head coach.

Yeah, Rice will probably win the time of possession battle by ten minutes, but USC will go fast, fast, fast. It’ll want to make a big splash right away, it should be able to operate with good balance, and the other side will want to make a huge statement.

The underappreciated part of the puzzle should fit right away. Former Oklahoma defensive coordinator Alex Grinch should work wonders with the D line right away against a Rice offensive line that has to be far stronger.

Week 1 Schedule, Predictions, Game Previews, Saturday

What’s Going To Happen

You wanted the show, you got the show.

USC will start fast, get up without a problem, and then the story will be a defense that will try proving that 2021 was just a blip. Rice will generate a few scores, but it won’t have a prayer of keeping up.

All of the CFN Predictions

USC vs Rice Prediction, Line

USC 45, Rice 10
Line: USC -34.5, o/u: 64.5
ATS Confidence out of 5: 2

How every college coach does against the spread

USC vs Rice Must See Rating: 2

5: Gangs of London Season 2
1: Mack & Rita

Predictions of Every Game
Bowl Projections | Rankings
Schedules For All 131 Teams

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.