It's been a tumultuous first three games for the Trojan football team, as USC is 2-1 after hammering Boston College 35-7 last week. This week, the Trojans have the finale of their three-game home stretch before heading to Arizona State next weekend. The Utah State Aggies are winless in their four games against the Trojans, but the teams haven't played since 1989. Still, Utah State launched a preseason Heisman campaign for their quarterback this season, and outside of a 30-26 loss to in-state rival Utah, has looked dominant in 2013. The Aggies should be the toughest team USC has played yet, so we sat down with Kyle Goon, Utah State beat writer for The Salt Lake Tribune, to hear his thoughts on what USC should expect on Saturday. 

Jacob Freedman: Utah State quarterback Chuckie Keeton has made work of the Aggies' opponents so far. He hasn't played a defense like USC's yet, though. How do you think his quarterbacking style stacks up against a Trojan defense strongest in the front? What kind of abilities does he have that will allow him to exploit USC's scheme?

Kyle Goon: Although USC's defense will be the toughest Chuckie Keeton has faced this year, he will be the best quarterback they've faced as well. He is one of the best quarterbacks in the country at extending plays, getting out of sacks and running out of the pocket or finding the open man. USC will have to get pressure on him on every throw, because he can pick defenses apart when he has time. The best tape to watch for a solid comparison might be against Utah, when Keeton managed to get out of a few almost-sure sacks. USC will probably wrap him up once or twice because they have such good pressure, but expect a few breakdowns that give him room to run.

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JF: What's the biggest change for this team under new head coach Matt Wells? Have there been any bumps in the transition, and if so, what are some noticeable differences from the style of the departed Gary Andersen?

KG: There have not been many changes since Gary Andersen left. Matt Wells was his assistant for two years, and came in with basically the same blueprint for the program. Schematically, there's new assistants on both sides of the ball, but the offense and defense are basically the same ones that they've used the last few years. Defensive coordinator Todd Orlando had a rough first week against the Utes, but they've shown improvement in the last two games.

JF: The Aggie offense has pretty much gotten what it wants this season, averaging over 550 yards per game. Besides Keeton, who should the Trojans look out for in the USU attack?

KG: The most reliable receivers are Travis Van Leeuwen and Jojo Natson. Running the ball, Joe Hill and Joey DeMartino are kind of a lightning-thunder style combo, with Hill running outside and factoring in the receiving game, while DeMartino runs in between the tackles. Overall, however, I think Utah State's success can be marked up to an exceptional quarterback and an offensive line that returns five starters. In college football, when those pieces are intact, you can have a lot of success. Center Tyler Larsen is considered one of the five best centers in the country, while tackle Eric Schultz and guard Jamie Markosian are returning all-conference honorees.

JF: Utah State has the nation's 13th-ranked total and passing defense, with opponents completing barely 50 percent of their passes.  Is the secondary more tailored to stop a pocket passer, or will it be able to limit the effectiveness of a scrambler like Cody Kessler? 

KG: The Aggies' biggest question marks this year are in the secondary. Travis Wilson was able to make some big throws on them, and Jaleel Awini at Air Force would've had a big game if not for a lot of drops. This obviously doesn't bode well for facing players like Marqise Lee and Nelson Agholor. Some of the stats are skewed by playing Air Force and Weber State — two terrible passing teams. That being said, I think Utah State will work hard to double up Lee, and get pressure on Kessler in the pass rush to make him feel uncomfortable. Their linebacking corps is a lot stronger than the secondary as a whole, and they would probably rather have a runner get loose than Lee get behind the defense.

JF: This Utah State team has won 20 of its last 22 games. What is the mindset of the team heading into the Coliseum, and how confident are players and coaches that the Aggies will leave Saturday night victorious? 

KG: Utah State is extremely confident. The Aggies have played close games against AQ powers before, leading Oklahoma and Auburn before tailing off at the finish, and only a missed field goal away from topping Wisconsin last season. The players and coaching staff believe this is the week they can finally break through in this caliber of game. Especially with USC's strengths matching up with some of their strengths, a lot of fans think so as well.

JF: What's your prediction for Saturday's game? 

KG: I hate making predictions, and I honestly think it's pretty much a toss-up. But I'm going to predict 21-17 Utah State, simply because the Aggies have a big advantage at the quarterback position, and I think they'll try hard to make Kessler uncomfortable. I haven't seen enough from USC yet to believe their offensive issues are over with.

A special thank you to Kyle Goon of The Salt Lake Tribune.

Reach Senior Sports Editor Jacob Freedman here or follow him here.