Cal vs. USC: TV Info, Spread, Injury Updates, Game Time and More
Two of the nation's most prolific offenses collide Thursday in a Pac-12 showdown between the California Golden Bears and the USC Trojans.
A trying season for the 6-3 Trojans begins an explosive finishing stretch with a home stand against a surprisingly game Golden Bears team thirsty for an upset to highlight a great season.
Sonny Dykes' team rests at 5-4 and a is single victory away from bowl eligibility for the first time since 2011. There is certainly no time like the present to grab their first win over the Trojans since 2003 in a rivalry that has seen the two programs clash 101 times before Thursday night.
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Sit back and prepare for an entertaining ride as two explosive offenses aim to outgun one another beneath the national spotlight.
Old West Shootout
A quote from USC coach Steve Sarkisian says it all when it comes to Thursday's showdown.
“We are going to play a team that if we don’t score 35, you are not in the game,” Sarkisian said, per Lindsey Thiry of The Los Angeles Times. “So we better be ready to play.”
That is not an exaggeration by any means, either. The Golden Bears score the ninth-most points in the nation on average at 41.9 behind the arm of sophomore quarterback Jared Goff. The second-year starter has completed 62.6 percent of his passes this year and has 3,119 yards and 27 touchdowns to just four interceptions.
Those numbers are video game-esque, and so too are the 458 yards and seven touchdowns he tossed in a single game earlier this season against Colorado.
Complementing Goff is junior back Daniel Lasco, who has 796 yards and 10 touchdowns on a 5.4 per-carry average, which helps to round out one of the nation's most potent attacks.
USC is no slouch offensively, though.
The Trojans average 34.9 points per game and are led by junior quarterback Cody Kessler, who has thrown four or more touchdowns in four games this season. He also has a seven-touchdown performance—which also came against that poor Colorado team.
More impressive, though, has been the talented backfield behind the signal-caller:
| Javorius Allen | 196 | 1124 | 5.7 | 53 (TD) | 8 |
| Justin Davis | 86 | 387 | 4.5 | 47 | 2 |
Considering the Golden Bears come in at No. 122 in the nation with an average of 39.9 points allowed per game, Kessler and his stable of talented runners should have few issues keeping pace in an offensive-minded showdown.
Whether it is enough to take the win outright is certainly a question worth asking.
Killer Instinct
The Trojans seem to beat themselves at times, plain and simple. Like any coach would, Sarkisian blames himself, as captured by Michael Lev of the Orange County Register:
"I still in my heart of hearts believe we should have won those games. But we didn’t. I think it’s about developing a mindset. It’s about developing a culture of a killer instinct, of competing for 60 minutes with relentless effort and execution. And I haven’t done a good enough job of developing that yet.
We obviously found a way to not win those two games. That falls solely on me in getting our team prepared for those moments. I have to do a better job.
"
Sarkisian's frustration makes sense. In a Pac-12 loss to Arizona State earlier this year, the Trojans gave up a lead in the final frame to lose by four to a team starting a backup quarterback. Two games ago, a Utah touchdown with eight seconds left handed the Trojans a three-point loss.
Simply put, the Trojans are not closers this season against quality opposition, a scary factor as the young roster may also overlook the Golden Bears with games against rivals UCLA and Notre Dame to close the season.
California is quite aware of the situation. Should the Golden Bears keep the pedal down for all four quarters, an upset is not that far outside of the realm of possibility.
When: Thursday, November 13, 9 p.m. ET
Where: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California
Television: ESPN
Betting Lines (via Odds Shark):
- Over/Under: N/A
- Spread: USC (-12)
Team Injury Reports
| Nathan Broussard | LB | 08/15/2014 | will miss the entire season | Out | knee |
| Trevor Davis | WR | 11/07/2014 | is questionable for Thursday's game against USC | Questionable | head |
| Kenny Lawler | WR | 11/07/2014 | is questionable for Thursday's game against USC | Questionable | ankle |
| Griffin Piatt | S | 10/15/2014 | will miss the remainder of the season | Out | knee |
| Brennan Scarlett | DE | 11/02/2014 | will miss the remainder of the season | Out | knee |
| Avery Sebastian | S | 11/07/2014 | is questionable for Thursday's game against USC | Questionable | quadriceps |
| Quentin Tartabull | S | 08/15/2014 | will miss the entire season | Out | knee |
| Joel Willis | DB | 10/15/2014 | will miss the remainder of the season | Out | knee |
| Jordan Austin | OL | 08/15/2014 | will miss the entire season | Out | hip |
| Kenny Bigelow | DT | 07/09/2014 | will miss the entire season | Out | knee |
| Victor Blackwell | WR | 10/10/2014 | has left the team | Out | personal |
| Anthony Brown | RB | 08/28/2014 | has left the team | Out | personal |
| Jalen Cope-Fitzpatrick | TE | 08/07/2014 | will miss the entire season | Out | academics |
| Sua Cravens | LB | 11/07/2014 | is questionable for Thursday's game against California | Questionable | knee |
| Lamar Dawson | LB | 08/26/2014 | is out indefinitely | Out | knee |
| Ajene Harris | WR | 11/07/2014 | is questionable for Thursday's game against California | Questionable | hamstring |
| Tre Madden | RB | 11/07/2014 | is questionable for Thursday's game against California | Questionable | toe |
| Damien Mama | G | 11/07/2014 | is questionable for Thursday's game against California | Questionable | knee |
| D.J. Morgan | RB | 09/16/2014 | has left the team | Out | personal |
| Jabari Ruffin | LB | 08/11/2014 | will miss the entire season | Out | knee |
| Josh Shaw | CB | 08/27/2014 | is suspended indefinitely | Suspended | disciplinary/legal/ankles |
| Jordan Simmons | G | 11/07/2014 | is questionable for Thursday's game against California | Questionable | knee |
| Soma Vainuku | FB | 11/07/2014 | is questionable for Thursday's game against California | Questionable | hamstring |
| Chad Wheeler | T | 10/27/2014 | will miss the remainder of the season | Out | leg |
Injury reports per The Sports Network, via USA Today.
Prediction
As great as California has been this season in the surprise department, the defense is a serious issue that cannot be simply glossed over when it comes to this matchup.
This is a program that needed two overtime periods to beat Colorado while scoring 59 points, then needed 60 points a week later to upend 3-7 Washington State by just a single point (the same team USC just picked apart, 44-17).
Kessler rarely turns the ball over and pads his stats in dramatic fashion whenever he encounters a miserable pass defense. The Golden Bears certainly qualify, so expect a big game from the quarterback as the Trojans jump out to an early lead and never look back.
Prediction: USC 45, California 34
Statistics and info courtesy of ESPN unless otherwise specified.
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