USC at No. 16 Stanford
(5:00 p.m. Saturday) ABC
“What’s your deal?” former USC coach Pete Carroll famously asked Stanford (4-1, 1-1) coach Jim Harbaugh after the Cardinal ran up the score in a 55-21 thrashing of USC last season. Carroll has now moved on to the NFL, but revenge is undoubtedly still on the mind of USC (4-1, 1-1), which lost its first game of the season last weekend to Washington. But getting back in the win column against Stanford will be no easy task. Despite surrendering 52 points in a loss to No. 3 Oregon in Eugene last week, the Cardinal is ranked No. 4 nationally in points per game (44.6) and in the top-50 nationally in scoring defense.
Still, there are doubts about the Cardinal defense. Stanford was only eighth in the Pac-10 in pass defense last season and, aside from a loss to Oregon, has yet to truly be tested in 2010. USC has a plethora of talent on the offensive side of the ball, and could exploit the Stanford secondary.
But with top NFL prospect Andrew Luck at the helm, Stanford’s potent offense will pose multiple problems for a USC defense ranked No. 64 in scoring. The Trojans have been particularly susceptible to strong passing attacks, allowing more than 300 yards through the air to two of their five opponents. The Trojans best chance to contain Luck and the Cardinal offense might reside in Stanford’s health problems — starting wide receivers Chris Owusu and Ryan Whalen may both miss the game.
Interesting Fact: Carroll and Harbaugh’s post-game interaction inspired Stanford’s marketing department to develop the “What’s your deal?” ticket package that provides fans with tickets to the USC game and two others on the Cardinal’s home schedule.
UCLA at California
(12:30 p.m. Saturday)
After a rough start, UCLA (3-2, 1-1) has found its groove, winning its past three games. The Bruins will battle a Cal team (2-2, 0-1) seemingly headed in the opposite direction. After convincing wins against UC Davis and Colorado to open the season, the Bears were dominated by Nevada in mid-September before dropping a heartbreaking 10-9 decision to Arizona last weekend.
To bounce back against the Bruins, Cal will have to find a way to stop UCLA’s powerful running game. With a new pistol offense in place, the Bruins rushing attack is ranked No. 10 in the nation, averaging 262.4 yards per game. For Cal, the last time the Bears faced a pistol offense against Nevada, they surrendered 497 yards of total offense, 316 of which came on the ground. If Cal is able to find a way to stop UCLA’s ground game, the Bears will be in good shape. UCLA’s passing game only averages 91 yards a game and is ranked 118th in the nation.
Either way, Cal’s offense will also need to take a step forward after a woeful performance against then No. 14 Arizona. The Bears only put up nine points on 262 yards of total offense. On the bright side, freshman phenom Keenan Allen is back to full health after being hampered by an ankle injury.
Key Stat: UCLA quarterback Kevin Prince has only eclipsed 100 yards passing in one of his four starts this season.
Oregon State at No. 9 Arizona
(3:00 p.m. Saturday) Versus
Although Arizona (4-0, 1-0) is a big favorite over Oregon State (2-2, 1-0) the Beavers and Wildcats may be more closely matched than some believe. Arizona looked mediocre in a 10-9 home victory over a struggling Cal team, and only ranks No. 93 nationally in rushing offense. Conversely, the Beavers and new quarterback Ryan Katz seem to be hitting their stride after a 31-28 home win over Arizona State. Katz had the best game of his young career, completing 19 of 29 passes for 260 yards and two touchdowns. Plus, Oregon State’s leading wide receiver, James Rodgers, is expected to return to action from a concussion he suffered two weeks ago against Boise State.
That said, the Wildcats are a top-10 team nationally, and have a marquee win over Big-Ten power Iowa to their credit. Especially tough at home playing in front of the “ZonaZoo” student section, Arizona has arguably the Pac-10’s best quarterback (Nick Foles) and an elite wide receiver (Juron Criner) that could be problematic for an Oregon State defense ranked No. 96 nationally in points allowed.
Key Stat: Arizona is 13-3 in homes games since the start of the 2008 season.
Arizona State at Washington
(7:00 p.m. Saturday)
Hoping to sustain the momentum generated by their 32-31 upset victory over then-No. 18 USC, Washington will play host to an up and coming Arizona State (2-3, 0-2) team on Saturday. Washington quarterback Jake Locker, who tormented the Trojans with 310 yards passing and 112 rushing, will be a challenge for the Sun Devils defense to contain. And it’s not just Locker that can hurt defenses — the Washington rushing attack is ranked No. 44 nationally.
Washington’s defense is susceptible to giving up a lot of points in a hurry, while Arizona State is capable of putting up points in bunches. Michigan transfer Steven Threet is first in the Pac-10 in passing with more than 300 yards per game, while Cameron Marshall leads a solid rushing attack ranked No. 56 in the nation. Plus, Washington is ranked 99th nationally in points allowed.
Key Fact: Arizona State’s star linebacker Vontaze Burfict will be benched to start the game because of a string of personal foul penalties.
[email protected]