Fresno State's path here is different. This is the Bulldogs' first season in the reconstituted Pac-12 after the Mountain West exodus, and their offensive identity is still getting sorted. Maryland transfer Khristian Martin is the presumptive front-runner at quarterback after arriving this offseason, but he's in a real competition with returner Jayden Mandal, and neither has much of a proven track record yet.
That quarterback uncertainty matters more given who Fresno State lost. Carson Conklin, who started three games and beat both Boise State and Wyoming a year ago, bolted for the transfer portal once Martin arrived and has since landed at Sacramento State. So whoever wins the Bulldogs' job enters a night game at the Coliseum with limited game reps behind him, against a USC front seven that returns its top three players in sack production.
History leans Trojan too. USC is 4-1 all-time against Fresno State, and the Bulldogs haven't had much success finding their footing early against a program this deep at the skill positions. Still, don't sleep on Entz's track record for building physical, disciplined teams fast — he won two national titles at North Dakota State and got Fresno State to nine wins in his debut. If the Bulldogs are going to make a statement in their first Pac-12 season, an upset in Los Angeles on Friday, September 4 would be the loudest possible way to do it.
For USC, this is as much a measuring-stick game as a tune-up. A young but deep roster with Heisman buzz around Maiava wants to show it can be efficient out of the gate, not just talented. Cutting down turnovers has been the offseason emphasis for Maiava specifically, and a clean, low-mistake performance here would go a long way toward validating the hype that's followed this Trojans team into the season.