USC Trojans wide receiver Zachariah Branch credits his dog, Scooter, for his explosiveness and speed. Branch told ESPN’s Holly Rowe that growing up, “He would chase his shih tzu puppy around the house, and he would chase him. That’s where he got his speed from.”

Branch is entering his second year with the Trojans. Last season in his first year, he had 31 catches for 320 yards and 3 total touchdowns. Even with limited production, Branch still showed his high potential. He is seen as a rising star in the USC program.

Zachariah Branch showed that speed several times in the first half. After an LSU touchdown, Branch fielded the kickoff and ran it 46 yards to the LSU 43-yard line. It immediately took the momentum away from the Tigers.

Branch made a key catch on the drive to get the Trojans within range of a field goal, with Michael Lantz connecting on a 22-yarder to give USC a 10-7 lead.

Branch had three catches for 47 yards in the first half. He is the best USC skill position player in yards so far. The Trojans will need more magic from Branch if they want to leave Las Vegas with a win over LSU.

USC is about to kick off the 2nd half. We’ll see if LSU has the guts to kick it knowing he’s already shown his breakaway speed on one return tonight. Shoutout to Scooter for that.