LOS ANGELES — Throughout Dan Lanning’s tenure as Oregon’s football coach, the Ducks have migrated south and plucked recruits out of USC’s backyard.

Now, with No. 20 Oregon (2-1 overall, 0-0 Big Ten) in desperate need of another Southern California heist, No. 12 USC (4-0, 1-0) must protect its turf.

For all of their battles in recruiting, Saturday’s matchup at the Coliseum might be the most consequential contest between Lanning and USC head coach Lincoln Riley. In his fifth season at USC, Riley and the Trojans are seeking their first College Football Playoff appearance, and must go through Oregon to reach it.

In doing so, the Trojans can all but knock the Ducks out of contention and defend their territory against their Pacific Northwest rivals in recruiting and on the field.

“With games like this, there’s always a balance: You have to understand the type of intensity, the atmosphere, the quality of teams, you have to sense that and be ready to rise up to that,” Riley said Thursday.

In the past, he might have scoffed at the stakes, but in a make-or-break season, the growingly brash Riley is continuing his trend of confidence. He’s trying to discover a middle ground between motivating his players and not letting the moment overcome them.

“You don’t want to make more of these things than they are, right? And sometimes I’ve been a part of games like this where you can overdo that, and you know, and there’s a fine line, right?” Riley said. “And we’re trying to hit that perfect spot of mentality, but also settled in and trusted, you know, in what we’ve been doing, and all the preparation that’s led to this point.”

On the other hand, quarterback Jayden Maiava insisted Tuesday that the matchup with Oregon is like “any other week.”

As much as Maiava is playing it cool, USC better hope that’s just coach speak – or in this case, quarterback speak. Because if the Trojans weren’t looking ahead to the importance of Saturday’s matchup as they narrowly defeated Rutgers (0-3, 0-1) last weekend, it certainly seemed like it.

Rutgers, which lost its season opener to a University of Massachusetts team that went winless in 2025, gained 460 total yards and scored 35 points against the Trojans.

That won’t fly against Oregon, and that won’t be acceptable for a fan base that expected so much out of USC’s defense this season.

Another point of disappointment has been USC’s utilization of running back Waymond Jordan. He rushed for 576 yards and five touchdowns through six games before injuring his ankle last season. After multiple surgeries, he was available to start the 2026 season, but he has taken a backseat to sophomore King Miller. Jordan averaged 14.7 carries per game before his ankle injury, but that’s down to 9.3 through the first four games as he ramps back up to a full workload.

Emerging out of that light four-game opening slate on Saturday against Oregon could be the perfect time to increase Jordan’s workload.

“I feel amazing,” he said Tuesday.

It hasn’t been a full dose for Jordan, but unlike other USC weapons he’s at least been out there. The Trojans will likely go into their biggest game so far this season without top wide receiver Trent Mosley, who sustained a knee injury during USC’s Week 2 victory over Louisiana.

The true freshman was upgraded to doubtful in Wednesday’s injury report, which is a good sign moving forward but not for Saturday’s availability.

In his place, fellow freshman Kayden Dixon-Wyatt stepped up with five catches for 77 yards against Rutgers. Sophomore wide receiver Tanook Hines, who had 561 yards last season, has had only five catches in three games as he works back from an injury. But his continued ramp-up can also help fill Mosley’s void.

Regardless of who’s available for USC, the Trojans’ collective understanding of the moment and the stakes present with Saturday’s matchup, and how they manage them, will determine the outcome.

“I’m very excited and confident about our team and how we’ve prepared and how we’ve worked and how we’ve improved and some of the depth that we’ve established,” Riley said. “But I also know we can play a lot better, and our ceiling is still out there.”

When: Saturday, 4:30 p.m.

Where: Coliseum

TV/Radio: NBC (Ch. 4)/710 AM