Stanford at USC Odds
It’s Luck vs. Barkley. Two of the nation’s top quarterbacks face off again, a year after one of the more scintillating games in the 2010 season.
More fireworks?
Stanford looks to extend a school-record win streak and keep pace among national-title contenders when it visits USC Saturday night in a key Pac-12 Conference showdown.
Stanford is looking to keep pace with Oregon in the North Division race to the inaugural Pac-12 Championship Game, while USC needs to keep winning in the South Division, where it is tied with Arizona State but lost the head-to-head meeting earlier this season.
Stanford’s last-second 37-35 win over USC last year started the Cardinal’s current 15-game win streak. Overall, USC has won 58 of 88 all-time meetings, but Stanford has won last two meetings and three of the last four.
According to the most recent college football lines, the Cardinal are favored by 7.5 points and the total is set for 60 points.
Stanford
The Cardinal have rolled since last year’s USC game, winning 15 straight games dating back to last year – the last 10 by 25 or more points, the longest such streak in 75 years (according to ESPN research). Stanford posted a resounding 65-21 win over Washington last week, rushing for a school-record 446 yards.
The Cardinal is one of those rare teams that rank in the top-five nationally on both sides of the ball. Stanford ranks second in scoring offense (49 points per game), 17th in rushing (219 yards per game) and 25th in passing (285 ypg). Luck was a Heisman Trophy finalist last year and is a favorite this year, completing 72 percent of his passes for 1,888 yards and 20 touchdowns with just three interceptions. The offensive line has allowed just two sacks all season. Six different players have at least 13 receptions, led by Chris Owusu (30 catches for 349 yards, two TDs), with Coby Fleener being the top scoring threat (seven TDs in just 17 catches, 384 yards). The productive running game is led by Stepfan Taylor with 697 yards and six TDs, averaging 6.3 yards per carry.
The defense has been just as dominant, listing fourth nationally by allowing just 13 points per game, giving up 314 yards per contest (239 passing, 75 rushing). The defense has 25 sacks and has forced 11 turnovers. Michael Thomas has 33 tackles and two interceptions to lead the team in both categories, while Jarek Lancaster also has 33 tackles. Chase Thomas leads the squad with 5.5 sacks and a team-best three forced fumbles, with Devon Carrington posting two fumble recoveries.
Drew Terrell averages more than 12 yards per punt return, while Ty Montgomery averages more than 32 yards per kickoff return (including a 96-yarder for a TD).
USC
The Trojans are working on their second three-game win streak of the season, following a 31-17 win at Notre Dame last week. The lone oss was a 43-22 loss at Arizona State. The last home game was a 48-41 win over Arizona.
The defense will be tested this week, but it does rank a respectable 38th in scoring defense (23 ppg), allowing 371 yards per game (272 passing, 99 rushing). The unit has posted 13 sacks and forced 10 turnovers. Dion Bailey leads the team with 48 tackles. Nick Perry has a team-best four sacks, while Bailey and T.J. McDonald each have two interceptions and Perry with two forced fumbles.
Offensively, USC ranks 49th nationally in scoring (30 ppg), 21st in passing offense (287 ypg) and 66th in rushing (146 ypg). Barkley completes 68 percent of his passes for 1,782 yards and 16 TDs with four interceptions. The offensive line has allowed four sacks. Robert Woods is the All-America receiver with 60 catches for 783 yards and six TDs. Marc Tyler leads the running game with 368 yards and two TDs (4.4 yards per carry).
Woods also averages more than 26 yards per kickoff return.
