Taking a look around the Pacific-10 Conference this week, both Cal and Stanford completed their regular seasons last weekend, while Arizona and Arizona State finished their regular seasons Thursday. But, there are still two big rivalry games to be played outside of the Civil War.
USC at UCLA
7:30 p.m. Saturday (FSN)
For the first time in a long time, neither USC or UCLA are bowl-eligible — or have a chance at earning bowl eligibility — entering their season-ending rivalry clash. The Trojans (7-5, 4-4 Pac-10) are on a two-year post-season ban, and UCLA (4-7, 2-6 Pac-10) just isn’t any good. To make matters worse, both teams have been struggling as of late. The Bruins have lost five of their past six games and have been outscored 217-99 during that stretch of play. UCLA is ranked near the bottom of the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) in most major statistical categories — they’re 116th in passing, 103rd in scoring offense, and 89th in scoring defense. Not good when you consider there are only 120 FBS teams. About the only thing UCLA can hang its hat on is its rushing attack – the Bruins are ranked 33rd nationally in rushing yards per contest at 179.9.
That could pose problems for USC’s defense, which is ranked seventh in the Pac-10 in scoring (they allow an average of 27.8 points per game) and sixth in rushing yards allowed at 141.5 yards per game. Normally, USC’s offense is more than potent enough to combat whatever its defense allows. But with starting quarterback Matt Barkley questionable with an ankle injury, the Trojans’ offense has sputtered. Arkansas transfer Mitch Mustain has the talent to direct an above-average offense (as evidenced by his 8-0 record as a true freshman at Arkansas in 2006) but had been rotting on USC’s bench for several seasons until he replaced Barkley. If Mustain can have even an average performance, or if Barkley is healthy enough to go, UCLA might be in for a long day.
Washington at Washington State
4:00 p.m. Saturday (Versus)
The 103rd Apple Cup is set to kick off in Pullman this weekend, with plenty on the line for both the Huskies and the Cougars. After a last-second 16-13 road win over Cal last weekend, Washington is now 5-6 overall and 4-4 in Pac-10 play, sitting one win away from becoming bowl eligible for the first time since 2003. With Jake Locker finally healthy, the Huskies have won their last two games. That said, the Huskies are still mediocre by most statistical measures. They rank 100th in scoring offense (at 20.9 points per game), and 93rd in points allowed (31.5 per game). Running back Chris Polk has found some success this year, averaging 4.8 yards per carry for 954 yards on the season, but Washington’s offense has been in hibernation for the past several weeks. The Huskies are averaging 10 points per game over their last five contests.
For the first time since 2003, Washington State enters the Apple Cup with a win in its last game — the Cougars topped Oregon State Nov. 13 for their first Pac-10 win of the season. While Washington State (2-9, 1-7 Pac-10) doesn’t have a shot at qualifying for a bowl game, it will have the chance to earn its second Apple Cup victory in the past three years. Although Washington has a better overall record, a more detailed look reveals a game that might be closer than expected. With rising sophomore quarterback Jeff Tuel at the helm and the Pac-10’s second leading receiver Marquess Wilson, the Cougars shouldn’t be taken lightly.
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