Fresno State football opens its latest test on Friday night at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, where the Fresno State Bulldogs visit the USC Trojans at 6:00 p.m. PT. USC enters at 1-0 and ranked No. 14 after a 42-26 win over San Jose State, while Fresno State arrives 0-0 for a matchup that already feels like an early read on both teams.
For readers searching now, the key details are simple: the game is Friday, September 4, 2026, it is set in Los Angeles, CA, and USC is a 21.5-point favorite at DraftKings with a total of 51.5. The Trojans are not just favored. After Week 1, they also sat first in the country in third down conversion rate and total yards per game, which gives the number next to their name more weight than a typical September ranking.
Mosley is part of why USC looks that sharp so early. He finished the opener with 174 all purpose yards, including 118 receiving yards, a touchdown and 56 punt return yards. Maiava added 286 passing yards, two touchdowns and a rushing score in the same game, and USC finished with 18 points from him alone. That kind of balance is what Fresno State has to solve before the ball is even kicked.
The Bulldogs, meanwhile, are walking into this one with a different kind of question hanging over them. Matt Entz has trusted Martin and Jayden Mandal in Fresno State's quarterback room, but the offense is still sorting that out while Fresno State leans on the defense that carried the program through a nine-win season a year ago. That matters against a USC team that has already shown it can move the ball quickly and keep drives alive, especially when Fresno State's last trip to face the Trojans ended in a 45-17 loss in 2022.
That is the sharp edge of this game. USC has already put one result on the board and looks every bit like a No. 14 team with momentum. Fresno State is still looking for clarity at quarterback, and that uncertainty will be under a bright light from the first series. If the Bulldogs are going to make this one close, the answer has to come fast, because Friday night at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum gives them no time to settle in.
