Washington State at California
1:30 p.m. Saturday
After a much-needed bye week, Washington State comes into this matchup desperate for a win. The Cougars have lost three straight, the most recent on Oct. 10 to Arizona State 27-14. As for California, it finally found its way into the win column again with a 45-26 victory over UCLA last weekend. Junior running back Jahvid Best was dynamic, finishing with 102 yards rushing, 51 yards receiving and two touchdowns. All 51 of his receiving yards came on a touchdown pass from junior quarterback Kevin Riley, while 93 of his rushing yards came in a single play that ended in a touchdown in the second quarter. Riley threw for three scores, two of which went to sophomore receiver Marvin Jones. Sophomore linebacker Mychal Kendricks also returned an interception for a 68-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter.
KEY STAT: Best ran for 200 yards and three touchdowns in a California win over the Cougars last year.
UCLA at Arizona
3:30 p.m.
UCLA will be hungry for a win again after three straight losses. The Bruins were crushed by California last week. Redshirt freshman running back Johnathan Franklin ran for 101 yards and two touchdowns, but the UCLA defense simply could not stop Kevin Riley or Jahvid Best. Meanwhile, Arizona is coming off a dramatic win over Stanford last Saturday. Down 38-29 in the fourth quarter, the Wildcats’ running game took control. Freshman Greg Nwoko ran for a 43-yard touchdown with just more than 10 minutes remaining to cut the Cardinal lead to two. Then, with about three minutes left in the game, junior Nic Grigsby broke loose for a 57-yard touchdown run to give Arizona a 43-38 win.
KEY STAT: Wildcat quarterback Nick Foles is averaging 351 passing yards over his last
three games.
Oregon State at No. 7 USC
5 p.m., ABC
Jacquizz Rodgers and the Beavers will look to once again upset the Trojans. They have been building momentum since Oct. 10, when they beat the Stanford Cardinal. Rodgers exploded at that game, running for 189 yards and four touchdowns. To top it off, he caught five passes for 82 yards. The Beavers may be refreshed after a bye week, but they will face a USC team hungry to avenge last year’s defeat. This time, the matchup will take place at the Los Angeles Coliseum and the Trojans come home with confidence after a road win over Notre Dame. Freshman quarterback Matt Barkley had the best game of his young career, throwing for 380 yards and two touchdowns. Senior tight end Anthony McCoy accounted for 153 of those yards, while senior wide receiver Damian Williams caught four passes for 108 yards and both of Barkley’s touchdowns. Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen kept things interesting, rallying from a 20-point deficit to cut the margin to seven. Yet, with a first and goal on USC’s four-yard line, the Fighting Irish failed to score and the Trojans came away with the victory.
KEY STAT: USC has not lost at home since Oct. 6, 2007, a 24-23 loss to Stanford.
Arizona State at Stanford
7:15 p.m.
The Sun Devils arrive in Palo Alto, Calif., after a thrilling victory over the Washington Huskies last week. Quarterback Danny Sullivan threw for 263 yards and the game-winning touchdown, while freshman running back Cameron Marshall ran for 76 yards on only four carries. Stanford, meanwhile, has plummeted in the Pacific-10 Conference standings after two straight losses. Last week’s loss to Arizona was particularly painful. The Cardinal coughed up a nine-point lead in the fourth quarter and lost 43-38, despite a career day from freshman quarterback Andrew Luck, who threw for 423 yards and three touchdowns. Star running back Toby Gerhart ran for 123 yards and two touchdowns, and sophomore wide receiver Chris Owusu caught five passes for 116 yards and a touchdown.
KEY STAT: In the last three meetings between these two teams, Arizona State has
outscored Stanford 120-23.
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USC looking for retribution against Beavers
Daily Emerald
October 22, 2009
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