USC Trojans On The Road at Purdue

Pre-game

Matchup: USC (Trojans) vs. Purdue (Boilermakers), Big Ten opener for both teams. (USC Athletics)
Series history: USC leads the all-time series 3-1 versus Purdue. (USC Athletics)
Venue: Ross-Ade Stadium, West Lafayette, Indiana. (USC Athletics)

USC

Started the season 2-0 with commanding wins over Missouri State and Georgia Southern. (USC Athletics)
Offense has been prolific: high scoring, big yardage gains, especially through the air. (SI)
QB Jayden Maiava has been sharp: as of two games, no interceptions, good completion rate and multiple touchdowns. (CBSSports.com)

Purdue

Also 2-0 ahead of the USC game. Wins over Ball State (31-0) and Southern Illinois (34-17). (SI)
Offense had been balanced: QB Ryan Browne throwing well, RB Devin Mockobee doing work on the ground. (SI)
Defense had some strong moments, though there were concerns, especially against a high-powered offense like USC’s. (Purdue Athletics)

Maiava vs. His Former Coach: Barry Odom used to coach Maiava at UNLV. So there’s narrative interest in how Maiava will perform against someone who knows him well. (Heavy Sports)
USC’s offense vs. Purdue’s defense: Can Purdue contain the Trojans’ passing game, especially with receivers like Makai Lemon in form? (SI)
Purdue’s offense maintaining balance: If Purdue can run effectively and control the clock, they may make it a closer game than many expect. (SI)
Momentum / confidence: Both teams entered the game with momentum, but USC had more explosive performances. Purdue was building, but this would be a test.

If you want, I can pull up the post-game summary now (if the game has happened) and give full stats and major moments. Do you want me to check?