whittierdailynews
The USC football team is taking a unique approach to prepare for its next game against Wisconsin. Two weeks after using crowd noise to simulate Penn State's White Out conditions, the Trojans' new sound system blared House of Pain's 'Jump Around' around the Bloom Football Performance Center on Wednesday. The song has even been played during team meetings, according to quarterback Jayden Maiava.
'Jump Around' is a cherished tradition at Wisconsin's Camp Randall Stadium, where the No. 16 Trojans (6-1 overall, 3-1 Big Ten) will face the Badgers (4-2, 2-1) on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. PT. Safety Alex Graham expressed his enthusiasm for the song, saying, 'I actually like the song, so it turns me up. I really be jumping on the sideline when I'm in the game. Jump around, literally. But I enjoy it. It's gonna be a fun one this week.'
The tradition began nearly three decades ago during Wisconsin's homecoming game against Purdue on Oct. 10, 1998. The song was played during a scoring drought in the fourth quarter and, as Badgers fans believe, it created an energy shift that disrupted the Boilermakers and quarterback Drew Brees.
Many Trojans, including head coach Lincoln Riley, will be experiencing Camp Randall for the first time. Tight end Tucker Ashcraft is the most familiar with the environment, having spent three seasons at Wisconsin before transferring to USC. Defensive tackle Alex VanSumeren noted the value of the team's earlier preparation, saying, 'I think it was helpful that we're able to play in an environment like we did a couple of weeks ago, with all the crowd noise at Penn State. We've done a great job preparing for that in practice with the crowd noise. I talked to Tucker Ashcraft about the environment, everything. He's looking forward to it. We're going to be prepared for it.'
USC has already completed its longest road trips of the season, having traveled to Rutgers for the Big Ten opener on Sept. 19 and to Penn State on Oct. 10. Both games were relatively close, with the Scarlet Knights losing by a touchdown and the Nittany Lions falling by eight points. The Trojans have matched their away game win total from last season (2-3) and improved on the 1-4 road record from 2024. Safety Prophet Brown commented, 'We're capable of doing it. We've had some tough road fights in us. Obviously, we want games to be blowouts, but they're not always going to be that, especially at this level. And so for us to have that will and finish off games, I think it's giving us confidence heading into this next stretch.'
Availability Report Takeaways
Eleven players were listed on USC's initial availability report, released Wednesday evening. Receiver Terrell Anderson is out and will miss a second straight game due to injury. Tight end Mark Bowman, receiver Luc Weaver, and defensive tackle Jide Abasiri are questionable, while defensive tackle Jahkeem Stewart and linebacker Jadyn Walker are probable. Last week's bye allowed players to rest and recover, including VanSumeren, who was a game-time decision on Oct. 3 against Washington and ultimately played. VanSumeren joked about the bye week, calling it a 'Benny Hinn week,' referencing a former coach's quip about players healing miraculously during byes. 'Went and saw Benny Hinn, got right,' VanSumeren said with a laugh. 'It was good to have that time, but I'm itching to get back out there. Not playing for a week, it fires you up. You want to get back out there.'
Originally reported by whittierdailynews.