Stanford and USC are two of the hotter teams in the Pacific-10 Conference, and on Saturday, they’re set to butt heads in the game of the week.
While both teams only have one blemish to their names, it’s Stanford that remains largely untested. The Cardinal ride into L.A. Coliseum having played only three games. However, the Cardinal defense ranks No. 1 in rushing defense in the conference, allowing opposing teams only 56.3 yards per game. “Guys have responded well and tackled well,” Stanford head coach Buddy Teevens said. USC looks to take advantage of its lone home contest in October. The Trojans hold the Pac-10’s longest home winning streak at 11 games. USC is also looking to become just the 10th team in Division I to collect 700 victories.
“We are really excited to be coming back to the Coliseum,” USC head coach Pete Carroll said. “It’s been a while since we have been there, and we know it’s going to be a while until we come back, so we have to make the most of this opportunity.”
While USC is renowned for its stingy defense, the Trojans have scored 30 or more points in 12 of the last 13 games and lead the Pac-10 with 37.4 points per game. Stanford is riding a pair of streaks heading into the contest. The Cardinal have won three of the last four games against USC and the last two games played in Los Angeles. However, last year, USC dominated the game, winning 49-17.
“(Stanford) has only lost to Washington in Seattle,” Carroll said. “I’m sure they are going to have new things prepared for us in an attempt to keep us off balance. We are going to go in expecting the unexpected.”