The USC Trojans face the Wisconsin Badgers Wednesday night in the Holiday Bowl. The Trojans made it the Pac-12 title game but fell short against Stanford and now permanent head coach Clay Helton will look to pick up his sixth win on the season since taking over for Steve Sarkisian. The Badgers finished the season with a 9-3 record and won six of their last seven games down the stretch.
Wisconsin first-year head coach Paul Chryst is looking for his first signature win to come over the Trojans but will need strong play out of his senior quarterback. Badgers quarterback Joel Stave has struggled this season, and Chryst has likely spoken with him about the importance of ball security. Stave has thrown for 2,470 yards but has 10 touchdowns to 11 interceptions on the year.
While Stave will look to get the Badgers offense rolling Wednesday night, it's truly Wisconsin's defense that separates this program from others. The Badgers give up the fewest average points per game in the nation and hold opponents to an average of less than 98 rushing yards per game. Senior linebacker Joe Schobert has been an impact player for the Badgers this season and leads the team with 9.5 sacks and is the second leading tackler with 76 total tackles. Schobert can create havoc for opposing offenses and will look to disrupt USC's offensive game plan.
The Trojans are led by senior quarterback Cody Kessler who has had an up-and-down season. Kessler has thrown for 3,315 yards with 28 touchdowns to six interceptions but struggled to move the ball against Stanford's defense in the Pac-12 title game. Kessler can make big plays with his arm but will have to be smart with the football, as he is playing arguably the best defense he has faced all season.
The Trojans are loaded with talent on the offensive side of the ball, and wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster has been a dynamic playmaker for USC all season. The Trojans sophomore receiver has 85 receptions for 1,388 yards and 10 touchdowns. Smith-Schuster had 11 receptions in the Pac-12 championship game but couldn't manage to find the endzone. Helton will look to get USC's star wide receiver involved early as he can open up the run game with the threat of the deep ball.
The Holiday Bowl is arguably one of the most interesting bowl games to watch this December, and both programs will be looking for a statement win over a significant program. The game starts at 10:30 p.m. EST, and you can watch the live broadcast here. To listen to the Trojans' radio broadcast, click here, and for the Badgers' radio broadcast, go here.