Southern Utah @ Washington State preview

Fresh off an upset of then-ranked No. 22 USC, Washington State hosts undefeated Southern Utah in its home opener on Saturday. The Thunderbirds look to record their first 3-0 start since 1980, but the Cougars' all-time record of 43-2 against the Big Sky Conference says otherwise. Saturday's meeting will be the first ever between the schools.

Aaron Cantu has thrown for more than 300 yards and five touchdowns for Southern Utah, but a stingy Washington State defense plans on making trouble for the junior. Damante Horton picked off both USC quarterbacks last Saturday and returned one 70 yards for a score as part of a defensive effort that held the Trojans to just seven points - tied for fewest in any game over the past 10 seasons at USC. The Thunderbirds already have one road victory, which came at South Alabama but they will be hard-pressed to duplicate the feat at Martin Stadium.

TV: 6:30 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network. LINE: None

ABOUT SOUTHERN UTAH (2-0): The Thunderbirds are coming off a 49-0 rout of Fort Lewis in which the defense forced seven turnovers and returned two for scores. Tommy Collet Jr. has an interception in three straight games dating back to last season, and that could prove useful against a Washington State quarterback who has thrown five in two games. Cantu is off to a hot start under center for Southern Utah after his four-touchdown performance against Fort Lewis, but Washington State will be a stiff test for the junior college transfer.

ABOUT WASHINGTON STATE (1-1): The Cougars picked up a rare win over USC at the Coliseum - their first in Los Angeles since 2000 - but both teams played relatively sloppy, combining for five turnovers in a low-scoring contest. The Trojans have since dropped from the rankings and Washington State owns the Pac-12's only conference victory. A Cougars win over Southern Utah would build confidence in a team that is set to face tough Pac-12 competition in the coming weeks.

EXTRA POINTS

1. The Cougars own 19 shutouts against Big Sky opponents and a 16-game winning streak.

2. Southern Utah is off to its first 2-0 start since 2006.

3. Washington State is 16-7 in home openers since 1990.

PREDICTION: Washington State 31, Southern Utah 10