USC head coach Clay Helton vs. Oregon head coach Mario Cristobal
Oregon’s matchup against USC will feature star-studded players all over the field, but perhaps the most interesting matchup will take place on the sidelines.
Clay Helton’s time as head coach has been predicated on recruiting young talent to a historic USC football program. For the past five years, he’s brought in a top-10 nationally ranked recruiting class. This season, however, it dropped to No. 20 in the nation and No. 3 in the Pac-12 behind Oregon and Washington. Four-star recruit Devon Williams recently left the USC program and transferred to Oregon.
With lots of experience on the offensive side of the ball, Helton’s Trojans are scoring over 31 points a game. Going up against Oregon head coach Mario Cristobal — whose Ducks are holding opponents to just 14 points per game — will be Helton’s biggest challenge this season.
According to reports, Helton is on the hot seat after his team’s 5-3 start to the season. After USC’s loss to Notre Dame a couple weeks ago, his future remains uncertain.
After being the offensive line coach at Miami and Rutgers, Cristobal was the head coach at Florida International University for six seasons. Being unexpectedly released from his position, Cristobal was hired by Nick Saban to coach the offensive line in addition to serving as the recruitment coordinator from the Crimson Tide. Cristobal was the National Recruiter of the Year in 2015, per 247Sports.
His arrival as head coach in Eugene on Dec. 8, 2017 has ushered in a shift in culture. Recruiting big names like Kayvon Thibodeaux and resurrecting a defense that was almost non-existent in past seasons, Cristobal is one of the best things to happen to the Ducks football program in recent memory.
Cristobal has led the Ducks to an overall record of 16-6 and 10-4 in the Pac-12. Since his first bowl win with FIU in 2010, Cristobal has since coached the Ducks to a 7-6 win over Michigan State in the 2018 Redbox Bowl.
Advantage: Mario Cristobal
USC linebacker John Houston Jr. vs. Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert
USC senior linebacker John Houston Jr.’s experience speaks for itself — he’s started at inside linebacker since his sophomore year. Houston has already surpassed his tackle total from last year, when he finished second on the team with 67.
His consistency in the middle of the defense is keeping USC in contention for a Pac-12 Championship bid. Houston has recorded at least eight tackles in four of USC’s five conference matchups. He recorded nine tackles in a 30-23 win over Pac-12 South foe Utah.
Additionally, the Trojans have had issues forcing turnovers with just six fumble recoveries and three interceptions, which is tied for last in the conference.
Oregon star quarterback, Justin Herbert, has been performing at the highest level all season. After he announced his decision to return to the Ducks for his senior year at the end of 2018, expectations remain sky-high for the future NFL first-rounder.
Herbert is averaging 7.3 yards per pass attempt in the month of October. He will have to watch for Houston in the middle of the field when he makes those shorter passes. Despite having yet to record an interception and deflecting only three passes, the 6-foot-3 linebacker must limit Herbert’s midfield passes.
In Herbert’s four seasons as a Duck, he’s had three different head coaches and just a single bowl win. With the Ducks in sole possession of first place in the Pac-12 North, Herbert will look to bring a Pac-12 Championship back to Eugene for the first time since 2014.
Advantage: Justin Herbert
