NFL
By: Brock Vierra
The 2024 Las Vegas Bowl will again mark a closing chapter to a season of change and hope for its participants. Hoping to end their year with a win, USC and Texas A&M, two of the most historic programs in college football, are set to battle at Allegiant Stadium. Despite roster turnover for both sides, this game promises to be explosive, with a showdown of dual-threat quarterbacks looking to use this bowl game as a platform to prove they’re their teams’ long-term starters.
Let’s talk the Las Vegas Bowl
USC comes into the game led by third-year head coach Lincoln Riley. Riley, once deemed to be one of the best coaches in college football has fallen from grace since his excellent inaugural season in Southern California. His Trojans are 6-6 on the season, having surrendered multiple second-half leads in what has been a troublesome debut in the Big 10. USC is 1-3 versus top 25 opponents in 2024 but the kicker is that Riley’s squad had either the lead or had the opportunity to take the lead in the fourth quarter of all those games.
Riley made a switch at QB, going to transfer Jayden Maiava over Miller Moss. Maiava’s mobility compared to Moss’ pocket passer style helped open up the offense, leading to a 2-1 record over USC’s last three games. Maiava had a season-high 360 yards passing against Notre Dame but a pick-six thrown in the end zone ruined the Trojans’ chance of eliminating the Irish from the playoffs. Maiava returns to Allegiant for the first time since last season where he lit the Mountain West on fire with UNLV. In his last bowl game appearance, Maiava threw 24/35 for 291 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions in a 49-36 loss to Kansas in the 2023 Guaranteed Rate Bowl.
USC will be without several offensive weapons as Woody Marks is set to miss the game due to injury while Zachariah Branch, Duce Robinson, Kyron Hudson, and Quinten Joyner have entered the portal. Linebacker Mason Cobb is set to play, a foundational piece in a revamped USC defense. USC’s last bowl win came last season in a 42-28 victory over ACC runner-up Louisville in the 2023 Holiday Bowl.
For Texas A&M, it was an excellent first season for new head coach Mike Elko. Elko, the former Duke head coach returned to College Station as he served the Aggies as defensive coordinator from 2018-2021. A&M finished the year 8-4 with a 2-2 record over the top 25. Both losses came to playoff teams in Notre Dame and rival Texas. Had A&M defeated Texas, they would’ve gone to the SEC conference championship game.
Marcel Reed like Maiava came off the bench midseason to take over the starting job after his three rushing touchdowns spurred on a comeback victory over LSU. Reed is 7-3 in games which he appeared, coming in several times for special packages or mop up duty along with finishing the year as the starter. Reed started for A&M in their bowl game last year, going 20/33 for 361 yards and an interception in their 31-23 loss verses Big 12 runner-up Oklahoma State. Reed also had 29 rushing yards and a touchdown.
A&M will be without several starters including defensive star Nic Scourton along with Shemar Stewart, Shemar Turner and Moose Muhammad III as all four prepare for the NFL Draft.
USC’s last bowl win was of course last season’s Holiday Bowl. A&M’s last bowl win was the 2021 Orange Bowl, a 41-27 victory over North Carolina.
Both teams have a bit of shared history. USC is 3-0 over A&M all time with their last meeting being a 47-28 victory for the Trojans in the 1977 Bluebonnet Bowl at the Astrodome in Houston, Texas. Legendary Aggie head coach R.C. Slocum worked for Texas A&M as an assistant from 1972-1980 and again from 1982-1988. Taking the head coaching role over from Jackie Sherrill, Slocum was their head man from 1989 till his retirement in 2002. During his one year gap from College Station in 1981, Slocum was the defensive coordinator at USC under their legendary head coach, the late John Robinson.
USC has recently played at Allegiant Stadium, opening their 2024 season in Las Vegas against LSU. Texas A&M’s last trip this far out west came in 2017 when they played UCLA at the Rose Bowl. I’m leaning USC in a shootout, 45-42.
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