USC finds room to stretch on road

The unfamiliar road through Big Ten country was not exactly welcoming to USC during its conference debut in 2024.

- BY RYAN KARTJE

USC'S Eric Gentry (18) and the Trojans' interior defense will be tested at Purdue.

The Trojans blew a fourth-quarter lead during all four of their Big Ten trips outside of Los Angeles last season, each defeat seemingly more devastating than the one before it.

So as USC sets out on its second swing through the Big Ten, starting with a trip to West Lafayette, Ind., on Saturday, it has tried to address that problem in ways big and small from replacing the strength and conditioning coach to changing the team's sleeping and meal times.

Those changes will be put to the test this week when USC crosses two time zones. Part of that new approach includes taking a totally different plane to get there, one with a bit more space to stretch out during a long flight.

“[The players are] gonna like having more legroom,” coach Lincoln Riley said with a smile. “Who doesn’t like more leg room?”

Purdue should make things a bit more uncomfortable for USC than its previous two opponents. The Boilermakers are 2-0 to start under new coach Barry Odom, who brought in 54 transfers to rebuild a team that finished 1-4, dead last in the conference, last season.