As the Pac-12 heads into week six and regular season games come nearly to a close, teams continue to compete for a spot in the Pac-12 Championship game.

Although some teams have been fortunate enough to play all their scheduled games, COVID-19 has continued to affect the season, causing many cancellations over the last five weeks. 

Oregon, Oregon State and UCLA are the only teams that have played all of their scheduled games.

Through game cancellations, COVID-19 guidelines and modified schedules, two teams remain undefeated in the conference: USC and Colorado.

Week six consists of two games on Friday and four games on Saturday. Here’s a look at the matchups and background information on the opponents.

ASU (0-2) @ Arizona (0-4) (Fri. 4 p.m.)

The Arizona schools will face off in a rivalry known as the “Duel in the Desert.”

Despite only playing two games thus far, Arizona State hosts a talented offense led by sophomore quarterback Jayden Daniels. Daniels finished last week’s game with 225 passing yards and a 60% completion rate. Although Daniels hasn’t played poorly, he will need to replicate the level of play he showcased as a freshman if Arizona State hopes to get its first win.  

It is unclear who will start in the quarterback spot for the Arizona Wildcats on Friday. Sophomore Grant Gunnell injured his shoulder on the first play of the UCLA game on Nov. 28. He sat out last week’s game against Colorado, where freshman Will Plummer took his place. Before his injury, Gunnell had 547 passing yards and six touchdowns.

The winning team receives the Territorial Cup trophy and earns bragging rights until next year’s faceoff.

Utah (1-2) @ Colorado (4-0) (Fri. 6:30 p.m.)

Both teams are coming off solid wins against their week five opponents; Utah was victorious over Oregon State with a 30-24 win, and Colorado beat Arizona 24-13.

Colorado has had an incredible 2020 season with an undefeated record and only one game cancellation. A big contributor to the Buffaloes’ offense is Jarek Broussard. The sophomore running back had a total of 301 rushing yards and averaged 12 yards per carry during last week’s Arizona matchup.

Utah’s freshman running back, Ty Jordan, has caught the attention of many as well. Scoring his first career touchdown during last week’s game against Oregon State, Jordan rushed for 167 total yards and averaged 6.2 yards per carry.

Jordan needs to have another big week, and Colorado needs to continue the momentum they’ve had in their first four games. 

USC (4-0) @ UCLA (3-2) (Sat. 4:30 p.m.)

USC will take on UCLA at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, this Saturday. Both teams are coming into the game confident after winning in week five. 

The undefeated Trojans bring key players that have impacted the team’s performance. Quarterback Kedon Slovis has accumulated a total of 1,257 passing yards, with a completion rate of 78.1%. Wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown is coming into the game with 331 receiving yards and four touchdowns.

Chip Kelly’s Bruins program has had a successful 2020 season. Despite losing two games, the team has remained competitive and has maintained close point gaps.

UCLA brings quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson and running back Demetric Felton to the matchup. Thompson-Robinson finished his victory over Arizona State with 192 passing yards; this raised his season passing yards to 691. Felton is coming into the game with 578 total rushing yards.

Both teams are bringing talented players that will test one another defensively and offensively.

Cal (1-3) @ Washington State (1-2) (Sat. 7:30 p.m.)

The Cal Golden Bears will come into the Washington State matchup confident after 17-21 win over Oregon. This was Cal’s first win of the season.

Washington State is coming off a tough 13-38 loss against USC.

Cal brings inside linebacker Kuony Deng, who’s coming off a big game against Oregon. With eight tackles that forced two fumbles, Deng needs to continue what he’s doing in order to put pressure on the Washington State offense.

Washington State’s program struggled during week five where they only scored 13 points against USC; they were scoreless in the first and third quarters and only scored one touchdown during the game. Through the absence of players, their defense was unable to hold up against a team as talented as the Trojans.

Cal needs to have a similar, if not better, performance than last week and Washington State must step up their defensive performance.

Stanford (2-2) @ Oregon State (2-3) (Sat. 7:30 p.m.)

The Cardinal and the Beavers will face off at Reser Stadium in Corvallis, Oregon, this Saturday.

Stanford reported that two of their starting receivers are ruled out for week six. Michael Wilson and Connor Wedington will both not play against Oregon State due to undisclosed injuries. Both players have made an impact on the team with a combined 418 yards and 34 catches.

Despite coming off a 24-30 loss to Utah, the Beavers inside linebacker Avery Roberts put up some impressive stats for the team. Roberts had a total of 21 tackles last Saturday; the most tackles by a player nationally during the 2020 season. This also tied him for the third-best single-game total in Oregon State history.

Stanford must make up for their lost starters, and Oregon State’s defense needs to continue to produce.