UCLA at Stanford
(12:30 p.m. Saturday) ABC
 
The Bruins come off a bye week hoping to continue their surprising undefeated start. Two weeks ago, UCLA dispatched Kansas State 23-9 behind running back Johnathan Franklin’s 119 rushing yards. The Bruins held the Wildcats to 1.9 yards per rush, and intercepted quarterback Carson Coffman twice. However, Stanford could prove to be UCLA’s toughest match-up yet. The Cardinal is fresh off of an impressive 34-14 win over the then-No. 24 Washington Huskies. Running back Toby Gerhart gathered 200 yards rushing with a touchdown, and the Cardinal defense made sure not to let Jake Locker slip out of their grasp. The dual threat quarterback was well accounted for, throwing for only 191 yards and rushing for 20 yards. He was also intercepted twice.
 
Key stat: Stanford’s Chris Owusu has returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown in two straight games.
 
Washington at Notre Dame
(12:30 p.m.) NBC
 
Washington’s stay in the Top 25 was short lived, as the Huskies fell to Stanford just one week after defeating USC. Notre Dame, on the other hand, barely survived Purdue last week and kept their slim BCS hopes alive. Down 17-14 with 5:56 remaining in the fourth quarter, Boilermakers quarterback Joey Elliott led his team into Notre Dame territory. On second and eight at Notre Dame’s 38-yard line, Elliott found running back Jaycen Taylor wide open for a touchdown and a 21-17 lead. Still, the Fighting Irish were not ready to quit, and injured quarterback Jimmy Clausen took the team 70 yards down the field to the Purdue two-yard line. On fourth and goal, Clausen connected with tight end Kyle Rudolph for a two yard, game-sealing touchdown with only 24.8 seconds left.
 
Key stat: In seven meetings, Washington has never defeated Notre Dame.
 
Oregon State at Arizona State
(4 p.m.)
 
The Beavers are reeling after two straight losses to Cincinnatti and Arizona. Oregon State allowed 254 yards and 3 touchdowns to Arizona quarterback Nick Foles last week. Foles also added a rushing touchdown, capping off an embarrassing day for the Beaver defense. It was the Beaver offense that kept the game close, as quarterback Sean Canfield threw for 303 yards while star running back Jacquizz Rodgers added 155 total yards and two touchdowns. Arizona State, on the other hand, returns home after a thrilling trip to Georgia’s Sanford Stadium. The Sun Devils lost to then-No. 21 Georgia 20-17 on a last second field goal, but the team’s performance demanded that upcoming opponents respect their talent. Jarrell Holman intercepted two passes and returned one 47 yards for a touchdown. Unfortunately, Arizona State quarterback Danny Sullivan completed only 10 of 32 passes and threw an interception.
 
Key stat: In the last meeting between these two teams, Jacquizz Rodgers ran for 133 yards and also caught five passes for 55 yards in a 27-25 Beaver win.
 
No. 7 USC at No. 24 California
(5 p.m.) ABC
 
California has had USC highlighted on their schedule for a long time now. Had things gone according to plan, they would have been undefeated when USC came to Berkeley on Saturday, needing only a win against the Trojans to prove their worth as Pacific-10 Conference royalty. Of course, things did not go according to plan. The Golden Bears’ dreams skidded wildly off course when they met Oregon in Eugene last Saturday, as the Ducks ran away with a 42-3 win. Running back Jahvid Best was held to only 55 yards rushing and quarterback Kevin Riley was pestered all day by a hungry Ducks defense. USC, on the other hand, brushed aside Washington State fairly easily last week 27-6. Freshman quarterback Matt Barkley threw for 247 yards and two touchdowns, and wideout Damian Williams racked up 100 yards and a touchdown. The big news coming out of Southern California this week pertained to senior running back Stafon Johnson. Johnson dropped a weight bar on his neck during practice, and was rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery. He is expected to recover fully.
 
Key stat: Last year, USC held Best scoreless with only 30 rushing yards.
 
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