The 4-5 USC Trojans face the 5-4 Nebraska Cornhuskers on Saturday, and the Trojans are making a quarterback change and attempting to become bowl eligible. The Cornhuskers are just one win away from bowl eligibility but have made changes of their own on the offensive side of the ball.

Cornhuskers coach Matt Rhule spoke in the weekly press conference about the matchup with USC. The Nebraska quarterback starting against the Trojans is still up in the air. Rhule said the team will see how quarterback Dylan Raiola is doing but is preparing Heinrich Haarberg. 

When asked about how the team is preparing both quarterbacks with their different playing styles, Rhule’s response remained ambiguous.

“That’s why I’m not gonna let anybody talk to you guys tomorrow because you guys are really good at your jobs, and I appreciate that,” Rhule said. 

While speaking about Nebraska’s quarterback situation, Rhule changed the conversation to having to prepare for a new USC quarterback. Jayden Maiava will be making his first start for USC but has played numerous games in his career while at UNLV.

“We’re sitting here trying to figure what to do with, you know, they’ve changed the quarterback. You know, we’re watching UNLV film and spring film and all that,” Rhule said.

Rhule expanded on the challenges of preparing for Maiava. While there is film on him, Maiava has not played much under the USC offensive scheme. 

“It’s sort of the same thing, right? You’re sitting there looking at, you know, what do they do well, and they do a lot well.” Rhule said. “Maiava, you know, he has the ability to move.”

Rhule also spoke about how well USC coach Lincoln Riley utilizes the run game each week. The Nebraska coach spoke highly about Trojans running back Woody Marks, who has been having a strong season.

“The tailback is, I mean, like all Lincoln Riley offenses, you know, Marks is a fantastic tailback. He’s explosive, dynamic. They’re, you know, I’ve coached against Coach Riley for a long time. He’s going to find a way to run the football. He’s elite at what he does,” Rhule said. “Even in the last game against Washington, they got back in the game by just running the football at a high level.”

Rhule then spoke about the Trojans’ receiving core, highlighting wide receiver Zachariah Branch and his ability as the slot receiver.

“Branch is, you know, excellent excellent excellent slot,” Rhule said. “They have some guys that can really go on the outside.” 

USC’s offensive weapons make it more challenging for Nebraska to defend the offense. Being able to run the ball well and now having Maiava’s ability to run is difficult to contain. If USC gets the run game going early, that could open the passing game.

“Now as a defense, you’re having to defend the counter and the tackle trap and all these plays that they run. Plus, the opportunity for the quarterback to pull the ball and run because he, you know, he’s a dual threat player,” Rhule said. “And you don’t know exactly which direction they’re going to go with him.”

The Nebraska fanbase is a loyal one. Rhule closed speaking to the media giving the Nebraska fanbase credit on the road, and how it will help them against USC.

“I think the impact of our fans on the road always is elite,” Rhule said. “When they do show up in mass it limits the need for the silent cadences and all the things that make being on the road hard.”

The USC Trojans and Nebraska Cornhuskers will kick off at 1 p.m. PT in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. 

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Former South Carolina Gamecock offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield demoted at Nebraska.

The Nebraska Cornhuskers have had a bit of an up and down season this year and head coach Matt Rhule announced a coaching change. Former South Carolina Gamecock offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield has been demoted and long-time college coach Dana Holgorsen will take over the play calling duties.

Satterfield was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at South Carolina during the 2021 and 2022 seasons. He has since been the offensive coordinator at Nebraska, but now is just the tight ends coach as of this week.

Nebraska this season ranks 99th in points per game averaging just 23.6 per game. They also rank 96th for total offense as they are averaging 354.1 yards per game. Holgorsen was a long-time head coach at West Virginia throughout the 2010s, was head coach at Houston from 2019-2023 and most recently was a scout and advisor at TCU this season.

During Satterfield’s time at South Carolina, the Gamecocks averaged 22.6 points per game in 2021 and then 32.2 points per game in 2022. Satterfield would then resign from his position with the Gamecocks during the 2022 season before the team’s bowl game against Notre Dame.

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The USC Trojans are coming off a bye week heading into Saturday’s matchup vs. the Nebraska Cornhuskers. What do this week’s Big Ten power rankings look like?

The Oregon Ducks remain at the top the Big Power rankings after their win over the Maryland Terrapins. The Ducks are now 10-0 and the unquestioned No. 1 team in the conference.

Next Game: 11/16 at Wisconsin

Ohio State handled their business against the Purdue Boilermakers in a shutout victory on Saturday. The Buckeyes are hoping to get another crack at Oregon in the Big Ten title game.

Next Game: 11/16 at Northwestern

In a dream season for Indiana, the Hoosiers are now 10-0 and likely just need to win one of their final two games to secure a spot in the College Football Playoff. They held on to a 20-15 win on Saturday over Michigan. After the game, coach Curt Cignetti’s daughter got engaged on the field. It’s like a movie in Bloomington!

Next Game: 11/23 at Ohio State

Penn State took care of Washington 35-6 on Saturday. The Nittany Lions do the same thing every season. They beat everyone except for any team that is remotely close to their level.

Next Game: 11/16 at Purdue

Illinois moves up after neither winning or losing during the bye week.

Next Game: 11/16 vs. Michigan State

Minnesota flipped their season around and won four straight games but went right back to their old selves with a loss to a struggling Rutgers team. It is too difficult to get a read on this Golden Gophers team.

Next Game: 11/23 vs. Michigan State

Iowa lost a close road game on Friday night to UCLA. The Bruins have been playing well as of late, so Iowa will remain at No. 7.

Next Game: 11/23 at Maryland

Nebraska is coming off of a bye week but still jumps up a couple of spots.

Next Game: 11/23 at USC

The UCLA Bruins are better than their 4-5 record would indicate. The Bruins took down a hot Iowa team 20-17. They looked lifeless after their 1-5 start, but they have rolled off three straight wins and have a legitimate opportunity to become bowl-eligible. First-year coach DeShaun Foster has surprised many with the turnaround.

Next Game: 11/15 vs. Washington

The Badgers had a bye week. If they can compete against Oregon next week, they will likely stay in the top ten.

Next Game: 11/16 vs. Oregon

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