Rival UCLA faces a major concern ahead of Saturday’s showdown

UCLA’s rivalry matchup with USC is just days away, and with bowl implications on the line, this next chapter in one of college football’s oldest rivalries is sure to be an interesting one.

The Trojans are already disadvantaged in the game as the away team, but a recent bout of illness could serve as another disadvantage for rival UCLA.

USC has been hit with the flu, which has been spreading through the team since it emerged last week.

USC coach Lincoln Riley didn’t seem overly concerned about the effect it might have.

“It had a bit of an impact; it’s part of it,” he told reporters this week. “It’s like I told the guys that Saturday at 7:30, nobody’s going to care what you did or didn’t have; you have to be ready to play. You have different hospitals that appear and you have to face them. them, so we’ll get it right, but it doesn’t have to be ready for Saturday. Most people are 48-72 hours past their peak, and I think we’re going to get better from here.”

One of the first players to catch him was USC running back Woody Marks, though he still played against Nebraska last weekend. It didn’t seem to affect him as the star quarterback ran for a career-best 146 yards in the Trojans’ win.

We’ll see if anything else emerges from this outbreak, but with just under 80 hours until kickoff, it’s likely the Trojans will be well on their way to game time. The question is: will those affected go out into the field after they have had enough training?

Saturday’s contest is scheduled to begin at 7:30 PM (PST). It will be the 92nd all-time meeting in this historic rivalry. UCLA won its last game last season when it handled the Trojans on the road, 38-20.

USC has the edge in all-time seriesleading 50-34-7. However, he has lost two of his last three meetings.

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