USC vs. UCLA: Positional Breakdown and Predictions for Pac-12 Clash

Any time USC and UCLA collide on the gridiron, it's bound to be a great football game. When both are ranked inside the Top 25 and competing for a spot in the Pac-12 Championship Game, it's all the more intriguing.

Jim Mora has his team firing on all cylinders once again and ready to stretch his winning streak to three straight over the Trojans. Prior to Mora's arrival, the Bruins had just one victory since 1998 and were coming off a 50-0 shellacking in 2011.

On the other side, Steve Sarkisian has turned the USC program around in his first year as the head coach. With wins over Stanford and Arizona already this season, taking down UCLA would move the team to 8-3 and 3-1 against Top 25 teams.

Ahead of one of the biggest rivalries in California, here's a look at the full positional breakdown and prediction for USC at UCLA.

Offensive Backs: UCLA

This entire category really comes down to what you prefer, but Brett Hundley's athleticism makes the Bruins' backfield more explosive.

Hundley hasn't been as great as expected all season, but he's been a Trojan killer throughout his career. The junior signal-caller has four rushing touchdowns against USC and another passing score during the team's two-game winning streak.

The future NFL quarterback spoke about how important the rivalry is to him, per Jack Wang of the Los Angeles Daily News:

Recently, Hundley has gone back to the dual-threat style that earned him national attention. In the last four games, he's averaging 88.3 rushing yards per game and has four touchdowns over that span.

Max Meyer of Neon Tommy provides a stat that will make USC fans cringe about Hundley:

Outside of Hundley, Paul Perkins has eclipsed the 100-yard mark in six of the Bruins' last eight games. Whether it's on the ground (1,169 yards, six TDs) or through the air (198 yards, two TDs), the sophomore has been dynamic all season.

Javorious Allen has been slightly more effective this season and Cody Kessler has better passing statistics than Hundley. But with the experience that Hundley brings and the recent tear for Perkins, UCLA gets the edge in this category.

Wide Receivers: USC

If Nelson Agholor didn't exist, this would be a much closer matchup. Then again, JuJu Smith's playmaking ability might be enough to push the Trojans over the Bruins.

Let's start with Agholor, who has come into his own over the last four games. After failing to reach the 100-yard plateau in the first six games, he's been unstoppable leading up to the huge showdown.

His six touchdowns over the last four matchups have accounted for 22.6 percent of USC's scoring—and he didn't score against Utah. Arash Markazi of ESPN.com also notes how Agholor has changed the Trojans' record books:

That's a lengthy list of great receivers, and Agholor has a chance to continue that record-setting pace against UCLA.

Smith adds to the wide receiving corps and has five touchdowns of his own over the last four games. Though he was limited by California as Agholor exploded, look for Smith to be a huge part of the game plan in his first game against the Bruins.

Jordan Payton is no slouch for UCLA, but the sheer wealth of weapons for USC makes this an easy call. In terms of pure ability, Agholor, Smith and even George Farmer give the Trojans a plethora of options in the passing game.

Defense: USC

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

As with most things in Hollywood, this category goes to pure star ability. Leonard Williams is likely the biggest star that will take the field on Saturday night.

Currently projected as the No. 1 pick in the 2015 NFL draft by Bleacher Report and CBS Sports, Williams has been a monster all season. The athletic lineman has six sacks already this season and has disrupted nearly every running game with his physicality.

Matt Miller of Bleacher Report offered his take on Williams in the team's most recent game against Cal:

Along with Williams, the Trojans also get an important piece in Josh Shaw back from suspension, per Kyle Bonagura of ESPN.com. A captain before the season, Shaw has a chance to make a difference when he's on the field.

Southern Cal has surrendered 22.9 points per game against Pac-12 opponents, but it will have a difficult test against UCLA's potent offense. The Trojans will need Williams to contain Hundley in the running game while the secondary limits him through the air—which is easier said than done.

Prediction

Despite USC taking the edge in the positional battle, UCLA's strength in the backfield will be too much.

Hundley's ability to change the game at any moment with his legs or arm makes UCLA more dynamic. Having the ability to hand it off or check down to Perkins gives the Bruins a 1-2 punch that can slowly eat away at the Trojans' defense.

In a game that might ultimately decide who wins the South division, Mora will move to 3-0 against Southern Cal and solidify UCLA's Top-10 status for another week.

Predicted finish: UCLA 31, USC 27

Follow @RCorySmith on Twitter.