Pregame
Keep an eye on:
Matt Barkley – USC’s All-American quarterback has topped (or is on the verge of topping) several significant conference records in this, his senior season. With one completion Saturday, he will tie the school record for career completions, and five more will give him sole possession of the conference record.
Mental mistakes – USC is the most penalized team in the country. The Trojans have been dinged 82 times for 677 yards. Oregon has been better, but not great — 63 penalties for 567 yards. If the 93,000-plus on hand for the sold-out showdown can frequently disrupt Oregon’s counts, expect a sloppy game.
Kenjon Barner – Oregon’s senior running back is enjoying a little Heisman buzz down the stretch after rushing four more than 100 yards on 9 carries last week against Colorado. With 26 yards on the ground today, he’ll become the 15th back in Oregon history to race for 1,000 yards in a season. With 43 all-purpose yards, Barner will also become only the third Duck in history with 5,000 in his career.
Halftime – Oregon 34, USC 24
The story so far:
Dueling quarterbacks -On the road in a hostile environment, redshirt freshman Marcus Mariota has so far outplayed the senior All-American Barkley. The Honolulu, Hawaii, native is 14-for-16 with 213 yards and three touchdowns. Barkley’s also tossed three scores, two over 75 yards, but he’s been picked off twice: once in the endzone by Ifo Ekpre-Olomu and once by linebacker Kiko Alonso, who was all over the field in the first half. Mariota also has 11 carries for 72 yards on the ground.
Yards galore – While LSU and Alabama grind it out in Louisiana, USC and Oregon have had trouble keeping each other out of the endzone. Both teams have more than 400 yards of total offense and are converting more than 80 percent of their third downs. So far the difference has been first downs. Oregon’s 22 are six more than USC, and that shows on the scoreboard.
Lee-diculous – USC wide receiver Marqise Lee, who racked up 345 receiving yards last week alone, has been in sync with Barkley all over the field. The sophomore has 112 yards on six catches, including a 75-yard lightning strike where he ran right by Oregon defensive back Brian Jackson. Near the end of the half, Lee slowed down, however. After dropping a catch in front of the Trojans’ student section, Lee fumbled the ball away to Oregon to end the half.