Note: With EA Sports’ College Football 25 bringing college football back to the video game world, the Deseret News is simulating every Utah State game against an FBS opponent this season.

Utah State started its 2024 season with a solid warm-up game against Robert Morris last week.

This week? Bring on the No. 13 USC Trojans.

The Aggies head to LA Memorial Coliseum for a matchup where USU will be heavy underdogs.

Can Utah State show well in California?

The Deseret News ran a simulation of the game on EA Sports College Football 25, and it had positives — and expected struggles — for the Aggies.

How the simulation was set up

There were a couple ground rules in place: The simulation used 12-minute quarters — with the option to adjust that if necessary in future simulations — and I let the computer simulate the game with no user interference.

Injuries and depth chart changes were also implemented, and it changed a couple things for Utah State.

After starting quarterback Spencer Petras was injured in the Aggies’ opener and his status for the USC game was questionable, I went ahead and moved Bryson Barnes into the starting QB spot for the game.

Running back Roberts Briggs was also slide down the depth chart — he suffered a season-ending injury last week — but on the CFB 25 lineup, Briggs still could theoretically get a few carries because I could only move him to third on the depth chart.

For USC, there was one roster move: pushing linebacker Mason Cobb, a former Provo High star, down the depth chart after his injury in Week 1. He is questionable for the game, but in this case, better safe than sorry (though he still ended up playing some in the game).

How did the simulation between Utah State and USC play out?

Final score: USC 45, Utah State 23

Key sequence: The Barnes-to-Jalen Royals connection was humming in the first half, and Royals caught his second touchdown pass of the day on a 28-yarder with 1:14 left until halftime to push Utah State ahead 17-14.

USC, after a slow start, jump-started its offense on the ensuing drive, though.

Woody Marks broke off a 31-yard run on third down three plays into the drive, then Miller Moss connected with the Trojans’ top wide receiver, Zachariah Branch, for a 39-yard touchdown with 26 seconds on the clock to put USC up for good.

Moss threw a beautiful ball that Branch caught in the back of the end zone for the momentum-swinging score.

How the game transpired: Things looked good early for Utah State, even after a Barnes interception on the game’s first possession.

The Aggies rebounded by taking their second drive into USC territory and converting a third down to advance inside the Trojans 30 before the possession stalled. Elliott Nimrod scored the game’s first points on a 39-yard field goal.

Following USC’s second straight three-and-out to start the game, Royals got behind the USC defense and scored on a 64-yard touchdown pass to make it 10-0 Aggies.

That score seemed to wake up the Trojans.

USC’s offense finally got on track and scored two touchdowns — a pair of Marks short scoring runs — to go ahead 14-10, which set up the wild final two minutes of the first half where each team scored a touchdown.

Utah State briefly kept it competitive in the third quarter.

After Branch snagged another touchdown grab to push the USC lead to 28-17, Royals caught a 75-yard touchdown pass — his third of the day — on Utah State’s first play of the ensuing possession to cut the lead to 28-23. Utah State went for two to try and make it a three-point game, but the run was stuffed well short of the end zone.

From there, USC enforced its will.

The Trojans methodically moved the ball and scored touchdowns on two of their next three possessions while Utah State punted twice in a row. A Barnes interception deep in Aggie territory led to the game’s final score, a 37-yard USC field goal late in the fourth quarter.

Star players: Even in a loss, Royals was a star. He finished with six catches for 261 yards and three touchdowns, scoring on touchdowns of 64, 28 and 75 yards.

Barnes threw for 338 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions.

On the USC side, Moss threw for 312 yards, three touchdowns and one interception, Marks ran for 246 yards and three touchdowns and Branch caught 11 passes for 138 yards and two scores. He also had a couple nice punt returns to set up the USC offense.

Final stats: The Trojans ended the game with 553 yards, while Utah State had 417.

The Aggies’ run game was contained, putting up 79 yards, while USC was able to control the clock by rushing for 241 yards.

The Trojans also held a 2-1 advantage in turnovers.

How realistic was the simulation?

My analysis: Other than the high passing numbers for Barnes and a painfully slow start for USC, this one seemed to be right on track with what could happen in the game.

Then again, the final result — a 22-point USC victory — seems right in line with what is expected to happen, so some of the details to get to that final really aren’t that big of a deal.

If a game like this happens, it would provide some positives for Utah State to take back to Logan.

USC football opened the 2024 college football season with a massive victory over No. 13 LSU in Week 1.

The Trojans were led by redshirt junior Miller Moss, who was starting his second career game and taking over for former No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams, who completed 27-for-36 passes for 378 yards and a touchdown in the 27-20 victory over the SEC foe. Woody Marks scored the go-ahead touchdown with 13 seconds left following a targeting call against LSU.

Following the victory, USC jumped nine spots in the weekly US LBM Coaches Poll from No. 23 to No. 14. The Trojans will host Utah State in their home opener on Saturday. The Aggies are coming off a 36-14 victory over Robert Morris behind a 198-yard, three-touchdown passing performance from quarterback Bryson Barnes. Barnes also added 88 yards rushing and a touchdown.

Watch USC football vs. Utah State live (free trial)

The Trojans lead the all-time series with the Aggies 6-0. The last matchup between the programs was a 45-7 Trojans victory on Sept. 10, 2016, at the L.A. Coliseum. The closest matchup in the series occurred on Sept. 21, 2013, a 17-4 win for USC.

Here’s how to watch USC football take on Utah State, including kickoff time, TV channel, streaming options and more:

What channel is USC vs Utah State on today?

The Trojans and Aggies will face off in a nationally televised matchup on the Big Ten Network. Guy Haberman (play-by-play) and Yogi Roth (analyst) will be on the call, while Rhett Lewis will be the sideline reporter. The game can also be streamed on Fubo, which offers potential subscribers a free trial.

USC vs Utah State time today

• Date: Saturday, Sept. 7

• Start time: 11 p.m. ET

The USC vs. Utah State game starts at 11 p.m. ET Saturday at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

USC vs Utah State predictions, picks, odds

Odds courtesy of BetMGM as of Thursday, Sept. 5.

Utah State football schedule 2024

Here’s a full look at the Aggies’ 2024 schedule, including available start times and TV channel information:

All times Eastern.

• Saturday, Aug. 31: vs. Robert Morris (W, 36-14)

• Saturday, Sept. 7: at No. 14 USC | 11 p.m. | Big Ten Network (Fubo)

• Saturday, Sept. 14: vs. No. 11 Utah | 4 p.m. | CBS Sports (Fubo) and Paramount+

• Saturday, Sept. 21: at Temple

• Saturday, Sept. 28: BYE

• Saturday, Oct. 5: at Boise State* | FOX | (Fubo)

• Friday, Oct. 11: vs. UNLV* | 9 p.m. | CBS Sports (Fubo) and Paramount+

• Saturday, Oct. 19: vs. New Mexico* | truTV (Fubo)

• Saturday, Oct. 26: at Wyoming* | 7 p.m. | CBS Sports (Fubo) and Paramount+

• Saturday, Nov. 2: BYE

• Saturday, Nov. 9: at Washington State* | The CW Network (Fubo)

• Saturday, Nov. 16: vs. Hawaii* | 3 p.m.

• Saturday, Nov. 23: vs. San Diego State* | 3:30 p.m. | CBS Sports (Fubo) and Paramount+

• Friday, Nov. 29: at Colorado State | FS1 (Fubo)

• Record: 1-0

* denotes Mountain West game

USC football schedule 2024

Here’s a full look at the Trojans’ 2024 schedule, including available start times and TV channel information:

All times Eastern.

• Sunday, Sept. 1: vs. No. 12 LSU (Las Vegas) (W, 27-20)

• Saturday, Sept. 7: vs. Utah State | 11 p.m. | Big Ten Network (Fubo)

• Saturday, Sept. 14: BYE

• Saturday, Sept. 21: at No. 10 Michigan* | 3:30 p.m. | CBS (Fubo) and Paramount+

• Saturday, Sept. 28: vs. Wisconsin*

• Saturday, Oct. 5: at Minnesota*

• Saturday, Oct. 12: vs. No. 8 Penn State*

• Saturday, Oct. 19: at Maryland*

• Saturday, Oct. 25: vs. Rutgers* | 11 p.m. | Fox (Fubo)

• Saturday, Nov. 2: at Washington*

• Saturday, Nov. 9: BYE

• Saturday, Nov. 16: vs. Nebraska*

• Saturday, Nov. 23: at UCLA*

• Saturday, Nov. 30: vs. No. 5 Notre Dame

* denotes Big Ten game

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: USC vs Utah State channel today, time, TV schedule, streaming info

Utah State (1-0, 0-0 MWC) at No. 13 USC (1-0, 0-0 Big Ten)

• Kickoff: Saturday, 9 p.m. MDT
• Venue: LA Memorial Coliseum
• TV: Big Ten Network
• Radio: KZNS 1280 The Zone
• Series: USC holds a 6-0 advantage over USU all-time. The most recent game — played in 2016 — was a 45-7 win for the Trojans.
• Weather: Clear skies with temperatures in the low 80s at kickoff.

The trends

For Utah State: The Aggies are 1-0 following a 36-14 win over Robert Morris in their season opener. Utah State started slowly against the Colonials but rallied from a first-half deficit for a convincing win. USU finished with 646 yards of total offense — 343 passing and 303 rushing — which was tied for the ninth-most yards in school history.

For USC: The Trojans are 1-0 following a thrilling 27-20 win over LSU in Las Vegas. USC, now ranked No. 13 in the country, was led by quarterback Miller Moss who threw for nearly 400 yards (378) and a touchdown, completing 75% of his pass attempts. More importantly, the Trojans appear to have discovered defense again, under new defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn. USC held LSU to 421 total yards of offense, including only 117 rushing yards.

What to watch for

Self-inflicted wounds.

If there was one thing the Aggies struggled with against Robert Morris it was correctable mistakes.

USU turned the ball over three times — all interceptions — and all three were preventable. The first, a Spencer Petras interception, was the result of wide receiver Jalen Royals falling on a timed route. The second, another Petras interception, happened when a Robert Morris defensive back jumped a route, with USU wide receiver Otto Tia a little slow to get to the spot. The third and final turnover, an interception by backup quarterback Bryson Barnes, came on an aggressive heave just before halftime.

It wasn’t just turnovers, though.

The Aggies were also highly penalized, many of those coming at inopportune times. USU finished with 10 penalties for 105 yards and had multiple promising offensive drives cut short by holding along the offensive line.

Then there were the big plays allowed by the defense.

On the whole, USU was much improved defensively in its season opener, as compared to the end of the 2023 season. USU shut out Robert Morris in the second half, limited the Colonials to only 362 total yards of offense and held RMU to an average of 4.9 yards per carry and 7.8 yards per reception.

Where the Aggies messed up was only a few key sequences. A play action pass in which a cornerback lost sight of a tight end. A screen pass where multiple Aggie defenders took poor angles and missed tackles as a result.

Those miscues, plus a couple more, were why Robert Morris put any points on the board at all.

Clean up those three areas — turnovers, penalties and big plays allowed on defense — and the Aggies go from a team that struggled, briefly, with an FCS opponent to the kind of team that could be a threat to just about anyone.

Of course, USC isn’t just anyone. The Trojans are one of the more talented teams in the country — ranked in the top 15 by 247 Sports — and with the defense appearing dramatically improved, USC will be a significant challenge.

Key player

Zachariah Branch, USC wide receiver: The Trojans have no shortage of skill position players that can make a real impact, but chief among them may be Branch. Not only for his skills as a receiver, but also for his impact as a punt/kick returner.

There may not be a better returner in the country than Branch, who was a first-team All-American as a true freshman in 2023 (returner specialist), the first in USC history. The numbers speak for themselves.

As USC’s return specialist, he recorded 442 yards on 24 kickoff returns (18.4 avg.) with a long of 96 yards and a touchdown. He also recorded 332 yards on 16 punt returns (30.8 avg.) with a long of 75 yards, with another touchdown.

Branch is the type of player who could break the game open with a single run, making it all the more important that the Aggies — especially punter Stephen Kotsanlee — keep the ball out of his hands.

“That is (our) No. 1 priority, right? That is probably the fastest player in the country,” USU interim head coach Nate Dreiling said. We need Elliott Nimrod on kickoffs to be booting it like he was (against Robert Morris). Making sure that ball is out of the end zone and they can’t return it. And then Stephen and the rest of the punt team needs to be on point. He (Branch) is such a phenomenal player and they do a good job, not just on special teams. When the defense is on the field you have to eliminate his touches. He can take (one) whenever he wants). We have to be on point.”

Quotable

“I think it is never about your opponent. Whether you are playing Auburn, or SC or the Dallas Cowboys. As long as you are getting better and are focusing on what you have to do to be successful you’ll always have a chance. We need to slow the game down a little bit, capitalize on some turnovers and force them into some bad throws. Ultimately if we have the right mindset we’ll be fine. I’m looking forward to the world seeing what type of team is going to come out and be resilient. It just has to be the second-half team we saw. We don’t have time to do the first half deal, we have to come out swinging.” — Utah State coach Nate Dreiling.

“They’ve obviously had some coaching changes and turnover but looked like they handled that well and really settled in and played a good first game, especially in the second half. … (Bryson Barnes is a) really good player. Obviously we know. Got to see him last year. They (Utah State) have some really good skill position kids around him. Were very productive offensively in their first game.” — USC coach Lincoln Riley.

Next up

Utah State: vs No. 11 Utah; USC: at Michigan

Utah State schedule

• Aug. 31: Utah State 36, Robert Morris 14
• Sept. 7: at USC (9 p.m., Big Ten Network)
• Sept. 14: Utah (2:30 p.m., CBS Sports Network)
• Sept. 21: at Temple (TBA)
• Sept. 28: Bye
• Oct. 5: at Boise State (TBA)
• Oct. 11: UNLV (7 p.m., CBS Sports Network)
• Oct. 19: New Mexico (2 p.m., TruTV)
• Oct. 26: at Wyoming (5 p.m., CBS Sports Network)
• Nov. 2: Bye
• Nov. 9: at Washington State (TBA)
• Nov. 16: Hawaii (1 p.m., Spectrum Sports)
• Nov. 23: San Diego State (1:30 p.m., CBS Sports Network)
• Nov. 29: at Colorado State (TBA)

All times Mountain Time zone.