Southern California @ Stanford preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 14, 2009 ) Stanford 55, Southern California 21

Two emotionally fragile teams try to regain their footing this week, with Southern Cal and Stanford both looking to rebound from disappointing losses.

Stanford (4-1) had a 21-3 lead against Oregon, but wound up on the short end of a 52-31 score. Southern Cal’s loss was more dramatic, as Washington kicked a late 32-yard field goal to win 32-31 and boot the Trojans (4-1) out of the national rankings. The stakes for Stanford are higher this week, since another loss would virtually eliminate the Cardinal from Rose Bowl contention.

Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck played well against Oregon (341 yards, two touchdowns), but was intercepted twice and failed to put a touchdown on the board in the second half. He’ll be under more duress this week, as Ryan Whalen and Chris Owusu, two of his top receivers, may miss the game with injuries. Whalen missed last week with an elbow injury and Owusu left after taking a hard hit; both are questionable.

The Luck-led offense gained 518 yards last week, with Stepfan Taylor stepping up at tailback to rush for 113 yards and catch eight passes for 68 yards. For the season, Taylor has rushed for 378 yards and two touchdowns, with 14 receptions for 184 yards.

Southern Cal continues to stress its running game, which gained 298 yards against Washington. Allen Bradford (223 yards, two touchdowns) leads a deep group of backs that rank 15th in the nation with 234.4 yards rushing. That could be a problem for Stanford, which allowed 388 rushing yards to Oregon last week. The Cardinal may be helped by the return of safety Michael Thomas, who is trying to come back from a sprained ankle. The absence of Thomas has enabled Taylor Skaufel to emerge. He had a team-high 10 tackles against Washington.

Southern Cal quarterback Matt Barkley has done a nice job running the offense. He leads the Pac-10 in passing efficiency, throwing for 1,127 yards and 12 touchdowns. Ronald Johnson has a conference-best 26 receptions for five touchdowns.

Southern Cal may be looking for a kicker given Joe Houston’s lack of success. He’s made only 2 of 6 field goals this year and missed two in the fourth quarter against Washington, a 27-yard chip shot and a 40-yarder that clanged off the right upright. Stanford doesn’t have any kicking issues; fifth-year senior Nate Whitaker has converted all nine of his field-goal tries. Whitaker made his final five field goals last season, giving him a streak of 14 straight successful kicks.

The two teams began playing in 1905. Southern Cal leads the series 59-26-3, although Stanford has won two of the last three meetings.