Arkansas State Red Wolves vs. USC Trojans
The Arkansas State Red Wolves get their 2015 football season underway this Saturday, as they head out west for a showdown with the No. 8 USC Trojans.
USC has been in the headlines for the wrong reasons as of late, after head coach Steve Sarkisian appeared dunk and used profanity two weeks ago during a team event. A successful performance by the Trojans in their season opener will alleviate this negative attention, however, and turn the focus back to what really matters: that USC has the potential to be national title contender.
The Trojans’ success will begin under center, where senior quarterback Cody Kessler is embarking on his third season as the team’s signal-caller. He recorded an outstanding 39:5 touchdown-to-interception ratio in 2014, emerging as a 2015 Heisman hopeful and one of the best players in the country. He is surrounded on offense by multiple playmakers at the skill positions and a veteran offensive line that returns all five starters.
On defense, USC’s biggest playmaker is sophomore Adoree Jackson, a two-way player that is also a treat in the return game. Although they lost All-American defensive lineman Leonard Williams to the NFL Draft, the unit is expected to be better as a whole after failing to impress last season.
Arkansas State is led by senior quarterback Fredi Knighten. As a junior, Knighten compiled 3,277 passing yards and 24 touchdowns, while throwing just seven interceptions. He also rushed for 779 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Senior running back Michael Gordon will look to make an impact as well. Gordon scored 14 total touchdowns and rushed for over 1,000 yards last season, recording an impressive 6.9 yards per carry average in the process.
The game will be televised on the Pac-12 Network, with kickoff scheduled for 11:00 p.m. ET. Live streaming will be available via Pac-12 Live.
Details for Saturday’s game are below:
Date: Saturday, September 5th
Start Time: 11:00 p.m. ET
Location: Los Angeles, Calif.
Stadium: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
TV Info: Pac-12 Network
Live Stream: Pac-12 Live
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