USC Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava is the nation’s highest rated passer. He’s also currently sixth in passing yards and second in yards-per-attempt. He leads an attack that is third nationally in total offense and fifth in scoring.
USC Trojans wide receiver Makai Lemon is fourth nationally in receiving yards, and Illinois must find a way to make him into lemonade on Saturday. Lemon is USC’s highest rated NFL Draft prospect, with a chance of maybe becoming a first rounder.
Homecoming FYIs
#23 Illinois Fighting Illini vs #21 USC Trojans
Saturday Sept 27 at 11 a.m. CT
Game Preview and Prediction: go here
TV: FOX Gus Johnson (play-by-play), Joel Klatt (analyst), and Jenny Taft (reporter)
Radio: Brian Barnhart (play-by-play), Carey Davis (analyst), and Michael Martin (sideline).
Fun Fact: The 2025 Homecoming Grand Marshal is REO Speedwagon. The Homecoming theme is: “Illinois, where legends begin”
USC has another wideout, Ja’Kobi Lane who is a second round prospect. This is not who you want to be facing right now.
Illinois is 1. coming off a 53-point loss on national television 2. has a secondary ravaged by injury and 3. will be missing their best overall defensive back, Xavier Scott, for most of the rest of this season.
So what are they going to do?
Well, they need to figure out a good game plan and it starts with one of their captains, starting free safety Miles Scott.
He’s a big student of the game, and loves putting in extra time in the film room. Miles Scott has also helped inspire Xavier Scott (they are not related) to step up the film study.
“X is always running to the ball,” Miles said of Xavier during an exclusive interview with R.org.
“He’s always watching tape as well. I feel like he took film studies to another level this year, where he’s just always watching tape, and trying to figure out what his opponent is doing, and what they’re not doing.”
Another key cog of the Illini pass defense on Saturday is the pass rush. Coverage is of course critical, but so is the pass rush, and leading the way is another film student of the game, edge rusher Gabe Jacas. The senior OLB/DE is a true first round prospect, and he’s also enjoys watching game film with Scott.
“What he sees as a safety, different formations, can turn into different kinds of route concepts,” Jacas articulated.
“And that can just change the way of the game. So Miles and I watching film, I learn from him, he learns from me and I’m grateful that we have that kind of relationship.”
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter