Miller Moss and No. 11 USC's prolific aerial attack face the FBS-leading pass defense in Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota has had a frustrating and uneven start to this season, losing all three games against power conference teams in painful ways.

For all the setbacks and struggles, the Gophers have been at their best while defending the pass — as in best-in-the-nation best. They're the only team in the FBS that has allowed less than 100 passing yards per game, which is precisely the type of trait a group would want going into a matchup with Southern California on Saturday night.

The Trojans, who are ranked 11th in the latest Associated Press poll, have picked up with quarterback Miller Moss right where they left off with predecessor Caleb Williams, who was the first pick in the NFL draft this year by the Chicago Bears and the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner at USC. Moss is 11th in the FBS with an average of nearly 300 passing yards per game to lead USC's new conference, the Big Ten.

“It’s one thing to be a gunslinger, but it’s another thing to be a gunslinger that’s accurate,” Gophers coach P.J. Fleck said.

Last week against Wisconsin, Moss passed for 308 yards to nine different receivers with three touchdowns to lead a second-half surge from a flat first half by the Trojans (3-1, 1-1 Big Ten) on the way to a 38-21 victory. Ja’Kobi Lane had 10 catches for 105 yards, both career highs, with two scores.

“They have explosive athletes all over the field. That’s pretty obvious,” Gophers safety Coleman Bryson said. “Their passing game is dynamic. Their running game is dynamic. But I think we’re just worried about doing our best job to our best ability.”

In their third season under head coach Lincoln Riley, the Trojans have been busy keeping up with the program's proud heritage of skill position players.

“One thing Lincoln’s really done a great job of as he’s gone through his career is he’s running the ball more effectively than he ever has, and he’s not running it just to break the throwing streaks. He’s running it with effectiveness to run the football,” Fleck said. “I’ve studied him for a lot of years and from just watching what he’s done in Oklahoma and USC, I think he’s part of that generation that’s kind of reinvented the game.”

Despite losing safety Tyler Nubin to the NFL draft — he was a second-round pick by the New York Giants — the Gophers (2-3, 0-2) under first-year defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman have melded their rush and coverage together relatively well for a productive start against the pass.

The teams they've lost to (North Carolina, Iowa and Michigan) each had success on the ground with a 100-yard rusher — and then some in the case of Hawkeyes star Kaleb Johnson and his 206-yard game. But the Gophers haven't simply kept the passing totals against them (96.8 yards per game) low because of a lack of action. They're tied with Maryland for the Big Ten lead with eight interceptions, and their opponent passer rating is the second-lowest in the FBS behind Iowa State.

“They’re a really veteran group, and a group that’s taken on a new defensive system really, really well,” Moss said. "There’s not a lot of busted coverages. For a group that’s in the first year of the system, they execute really well. I think that shows up across the board on tape.”

The art of bouncing back

Minnesota lost at Michigan, now ranked 10th in the AP poll, by the same score (27-24) last week as USC did the game before. The Gophers outscored the Wolverines 21-6 in the second half and even recovered an onside kick with 1:37 left, only to be flagged for a dubious offside penalty the Big Ten later admitted was errantly called.

“We finished in a way that allowed us to take confidence from how we played in the second half on both sides of the ball,” quarterback Max Brosmer said.

Perich the prodigious punt returner

Koi Perich set up one of Minnesota's fourth-quarter touchdowns at Michigan with a 60-yard punt return to highlight what has been a promising start for the dynamic freshman, who plays safety on defense.

“I don't know if he realizes it yet, but those plays are what energizes a team,” Brosmer said.

Injured Trojans

USC’s significantly improved defense could be without one of its best players. Linebacker Eric Gentry is questionable because of an injury he sustained in the second half against Wisconsin. The senior leads the team in tackles (30), tackles for loss (6 1/2) and sacks (two). On the flip side, safety Akili Arnold, a transfer from Oregon State, has been trending toward returning after sitting out the Wisconsin game with an injury.

Folded flags

The Pac-12 was known for aggressive and occasionally confusing officiating. The Trojans have so far taken to the refereeing in the Big Ten with fewer penalties being called overall.

“That’s good, right? Kind of let the players play and see where it goes from there,” center Jonah Monheim said.

USC has been flagged for an average of 40.5 yards per game, which ranks as the 24th-fewest in the FBS. That includes 13 flags for 85 yards in the conference games against Michigan and Wisconsin. The Trojans ranked 123rd in 2023 with 64.9 penalty yards per game and 90th in 2022 with 58.