Huntington Bank Stadium will include a few foreign objects on Saturday night. Granted, that’s if those items are allowed through security checkpoints. No, the 11th-ranked Southern Cal football team is not lost. They are actually scheduled to play the Gophers as one of four new West Coast members of the Big Ten Conference. This is the first time Minnesota will play USC, UCLA, Oregon or Washington. Yes, USC’s explosive-play offense can enter the stadium gates. It’s permissible for the conference to have weapons as part of dynamic passing games — even if the U hasn’t seen one in a while. And yeah, the Trojan’s tubas and other horn instruments are made of metal but can pass through detectors and come into the venue. USC is bringing their marching band on the trip to Minnesota — the first visiting ensemble inside the Gophers’ stadium since Penn State’s pep band traveled west in 2019. The Gophers’ goal will be to limit how many opportunities the Trojans marching band can play its iconic “Fight On!” song after the 6:30 p.m. kickoff Saturday. On paper, Minnesota’s defense has allowed the fewest passing yards per game (96.8) in the nation, but that’s mostly due to their opposition’s inadequate or uninterested passing offenses (see: Michigan, Iowa and North Carolina). The U has faced only 22 pass attempts per game (seventh fewest in country), but that ends now. The Trojans average 43 throws per game (second most in the nation). The U is giving up less than 100 passing yards per game, while USC averages more than 300 through the air. “It’s like the exact opposite,” Gophers defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman said about what has been on the U’s resume so far this season. “Now, I will say this: They do a really good job running the football. I went into it expecting it was going to be pass, pass, pass. It’s not. They do a good job. They have been very balanced.” Still, the air-it-out challenge USC present is why Gophers head coach P.J. Fleck quipped about wanting the program from sunny southern California to come to Minnesota when the weather turns cold and snowy in late November. Alas, it’s forecast to be an L.A.-like 70 degrees in primetime. The Trojans are 9.5-point favorites. Quarterback Miller Moss has stepped in for former Heisman Trophy winner and first overall NFL draft pick Caleb Williams, now with the Chicago Bears. Moss is completing 65 percent of his passes for 1,198 yards, with eight touchdowns and two interceptions. He added a rushing score in last week’s comeback 38-21 win over Wisconsin at the Coliseum in L.A. “Athletic” was the most popular word used to describe USC among U coaches and players this week. The Trojans especially have those playmakers at wide receiver with speedster Zachariah Branch and imposing Ja’Kobi Lane. Running backs Woody Marks and Quinten Joyner can also make things happen on the ground. The Gophers will need to tackle well; they missed double-digit tackles in each of their three losses this season. “It’s staying technically sound within coverage and with your eyes,” safety Coleman Bryson said. “With a team like that, with all kinds of explosive playmakers on the field, anybody can hurt you at any point in time, so that means everybody on the field, all 11, have to be locked in to what they are doing. We can’t have any slip-ups.” If the Gophers can’t contain the Trojans’ passing game, the sounds of “Fight On!” emanating from Section 202 will likely get stuck in many heads. Related Articles College Sports | Gophers football vs. USC: Keys to game, how to watch and who has edge College Sports | How the Gophers were able to recruit cornerback Ethan Robinson over USC College Sports | Gophers football: Can freshman sensation Koi Perich also play offense? College Sports | Big Ten changes process on onside kicks after call against Gophers in loss to Michigan College Sports | Gophers football: Five areas for improvements to produce wins