USC @ Arizona preview
Arizona Stadium
Last Meeting ( Oct 10, 2013 ) Arizona 31, Southern California 38
USC looks to knock off the Pac-12 Conference’s last remaining unbeaten team on Saturday as it visits No. 13 Arizona, which climbed in the rankings following its 31-24 win at Oregon on Oct. 2. Terris Jones-Grigsby and Nick Wilson lead the conference's top rushing attack of the Wildcats, who are off to their first 5-0 start since 1998 and have won six in a row dating back to last season. Arizona’s running game figures to be tested by USC’s defense, which ranks third in the league but faltered late in last Saturday’s 38-34 loss to Arizona State.
After not allowing a passing touchdown in their first four games, the Trojans saw Arizona State’s Mike Bercovici throw five - including a 46-yarder as time expired. The stunning loss overshadowed a stellar effort by USC’s run defense, which held the Sun Devils to 31 yards and will need a similar performance against Jones-Grigsby and Wilson (seven TDs). The Wildcats are looking to avenge a 38-31 loss to the Trojans last season, when they fell behind 28-3 late in the second quarter before rallying in the second half.
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2. LINE: USC -2.5
ABOUT USC (3-2, 2-1 Pac-12): Cody Kessler, who threw a pair of long TD passes in last year’s meeting with Arizona, leads a balanced offense that has gone the last four games without a turnover. Kessler has thrown 182 passes without an interception dating back to last season, while Javorius Allen leads the Pac-12 in rushing at 115.2 yards per game. Defensive end Leonard Williams continues to impress pro scouts with 30 tackles, but the front seven struggled to put pressure on Bercovici a week ago.
ABOUT ARIZONA (5-0, 2-0): The Wildcats are averaging 39.8 points and feature a young offense that includes freshman quarterback Anu Solomon (average of 348.2 passing yards) and sophomore Cayleb Jones, who ranks sixth nationally with six receiving scores. Linebacker Scooby Wright III has a team-high 58 tackles and sacked Marcus Mariota to seal the win over the Ducks, who were held to season lows in points and total yards (446). Arizona's secondary needs to limit the number of big plays by USC’s Nelson Agholor, who had 161 receiving yards and a TD against the Wildcats last season.
EXTRA POINTS
1. The last seven games in the all-time series have been decided by seven points or fewer.
2. USC has outscored its opponents 52-7 in the first quarter.
3. The Wildcats have rushed for 100 or more yards in 27 straight games.
PREDICTION: Arizona 31, USC 24