USC vs. Colorado score: Live game updates, college football scores, NCAA top 25 highlights in Week 5

USC freshman wide receiver Zachariah Branch is not dressed out for Saturday's game against Colorado. The reason isn't apparent, as Branch has been healthy for all of USC's games this year. He traveled with the team and came out for warmups without pads, sporting sweatpants and his jersey. The No. 1 wide receiver in the class of 2023, Branch has already found ways to stand out in a loaded wide receiver room. Thanks to his elite speed, he serves as the Trojans' primary returner on special teams. He's also fourth on the team with 13 catches for 178 yards and two touchdowns. He averages over 13 yards per reception. 

The Trojans will be without starting safety Max Williams. The fifth-year senior is one of the most experienced players on the USC defense and has started 17 of 18 games alongside star safety Calen Bullock. In his career, Williams has 128 tackles, nine pass breakups and three forced fumbles. Williams recorded the third interception of his career against Stanford earlier this season in a blowout victory. With Colorado expected to air the ball out with Heisman hopeful Shedeur Sanders in the controls, this is certainly a loss for a USC defense that has shown some signs of weakness this season.

USC DL Korey Foreman did not travel with the team to Boulder and won't play against Colorado on Saturday. The former No. 3 overall prospect in the 2021 recruiting cycle by 247Sports has been buried on the USC depth chart behind other players such as Jamil Muhammad, Solomon Byrd and Romello Height. Foreman has only recorded one total tackle this season and that came against Nevada in Week 1. It's safe to say that his future at USC could be in jeopardy if he continues to receive minimal playing time.

Two of the top quarterbacks in the nation battle in Boulder as reigning Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams vies with projected first round pick Shedeur Sanders. The two quarterbacks have both been among the best in the nation so far. Sanders ranks No. 2 nationally in yards passing. Williams ranks No. 2 in passing touchdowns. Both players also rank top-15 in individual total offense. Neither defense is especially adept at getting stops, which should create major showcase opportunities. 

No. 8 USC has its first preview of a brutal television slate. With the game against Colorado being a noon kickoff on national television, The Athletic reports that the Trojans set their wakeup call for the game at 6:40 a.m. ET -- that's 3:40 a.m. in their natural Pacific Time time zone. USC stayed in Denver the night before the game and had to travel down the road, but these sorts of body clock kickoffs will only become more common in the coming years. 

While the USC defense has been focused on as the Achilles heel of this USC team, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner has done nothing so far this season but instill confidence that he can become the first back-to-back Heisman winner since Archie Manning. Williams has accounted for four or more total touchdowns in all four of the Trojans' games this season, and the streak is actually five straight games if you count his performance in the Cotton Bowl loss to Tulane. 

Couple other stats below to shed some light on how great Williams has been, even dating back to las season, including the 55-17 win over the Buffs in Los Angeles: 

• Williams has thrown 15 TD passes without an interception this season. That's the most TD passes without a pick this season and one shy of Michael Penix's overall FBS lead in touchdown passes. 
• In addition to the four-TD streak, Williams has been responsible for 3+ TD in 12 straight games as well as 15 of 18 in a USC uniform. 
• Williams accounted for five touchdowns (3 pass, 2 rush) while leading USC to a 55-17 win last year against Colorado despite it being one of his least efficient outings -- he completed 14 of 26 passes, threw a pick, took three  sacks and had a career-low -4 rush yards). 

Yes, it's a lot of points, but we should get there. USC's offense is one of the most potent in the country, and Colorado has not shown an ability to stop anybody. The pass rush is non-existent, and if you give Caleb Williams and these USC receivers time, they're going to hit big plays against you. As for USC's defense, it has improved in a lot of areas, but is better described as average than good. The Trojans continue to be one of the worst tackling teams in the country, and that leads to big plays for opponents. Look for the buffaloes to generate a lot more success on offense this week than they did on the road against Oregon. Pick: Over 73.5 - Tom Fornelli

The headliner from Deion Sanders' first high school recruiting class at Colorado was Cormani McClain and the former five-star cornerback has only made two brief appearances through the first four weeks of the season. The No. 14 overall player from the 2023 recruiting class by 247Sports was originally committed to Miami before he flipped his commitment to Sanders and the Buffs'. Some projected heading into the season that McClain would line up opposite of Hunter in the secondary but that certainly hasn't been the case through the first month of the season. Sanders went into detail this week on what it will take for him to see the field in a more extensive role:

"Study, prepare," Sanders said. "Be on time for meetings, show up to the darn meetings. Understand what we're doing as a scheme. Want to play this game, desire to play this game, desire to be the best in this game in practice, in the film room and on your own free time."

Colorado star Travis Hunter won't play this weekend as he is still recovering from a devastating hit that Colorado State DB Henry Blackburn delivered in Week 3 but there is a good ending to the story. Hunter and Blackburn met up for a conversation after the game and the two players went bowling after for charity. Each put up $1,000 of their own money and the winner of the bowling match would donate the funds to a charity of his own choice. Hunter won the contest but let Blackburn choose the organization. Blackburn decided on Realities for Children, an organization that supports the lives of children who are abused, neglected, abandoned or are at-risk. The charity has offices near both schools.

Colorado star defensive back Shilo Sanders is listed as doubtful to play on Saturday against the Trojans, according to ESPN. Sanders suffered an injury in the Week 4 blowout loss to Oregon. He was urinating blood and was taken to the hospital following the game for further evaluation. After missing practice during the week while recovering, Sanders will likely not see the field against the Trojans as the Buffaloes try to bounce back. 

You can read full details on Sanders' injury in the story below. 

Colorado is coming off a blowout loss to Oregon on the road and the schedule doesn't get much easier when they face No. 8 USC this week. The first half in Eugene last weekend was a complete disaster for Deion Sanders' team. Colorado trailed 35-0 at the break and didn't manage to score until the final minutes of the fourth quarter. The good (or bad) news for Colorado is USC is also coming off a lackluster performance on the road against Arizona State. The Trojans were on upset alert until late in the fourth quarter before Caleb Williams connected with Tahj Washington for a 45-yard touchdown to go up by 14. Colorado is a heavy underdog heading into Saturday and it will take a complete performance to secure the first Pac-12 victory of the Sandere era. If the Buffaloes pull the upset, good luck keeping fans off the field after the game.