USC-Stanford Preview and Prediction

One thing is for sure...the Stanford Cardinal will not sneak up on SC this year. Last year's monumental upset by Stanford occurred in a perfect storm: unmotivated Trojans, QB breaks finger, and five turnovers. Will that (or anything like it) happen again? I highly doubt it.

Stanford, at 5-5, is a decent team. They are undefeated at home and rely on a strong running game. But the question is...will they be able to run against a hot SC defense? The Trojan offense may also get a break this week against a Cardinal secondary that gives up a ton of yards.

Let's break it down.

Stanford

Offense

When you talk about Stanford, you start with the running game. Running back Toby Gerhart has been a horse this season, rushing for 932 yards on 5.5 ypc and 13 touchdowns. RB Anthony Kimble is also solid and has run for 650+ yards on six ypc. Center Alex Fletcher leads the Cardinal offensive line that has opened holes for this capable duo.

QB Tavita Pritchard, however, has not been real productive. He's averaging only 121 yards through the air and thrown nine INTs vs. nine TDs...ranking him dead last in the Pac-10. WRs Ryan Whalen and Doug Baldwin lead the receiving corps, combining for 52 receptions and four TDs.

The Cardinal offense, however, has been extremely efficient in the red zone this season, scoring 95 percent of the time (27 TDs and six FGs in 35 opportunities inside the opponent's 20-yard line).

Defense

The Stanford defense has been up and down this season. Ranking eighth in the Pac-10 in total defense, the Cardinal have been especially bad against the pass, giving up about 250 yards per game.

However, the LB unit of Stanford's 3-4 defensive scheme is strong, led by Bo McNally and Pat Maynor. DE Tom Keiser leads the defensive line unit with six sacks, on a defense that leads the Pac-10 in total sacks with 30.

Special Teams

Freshman punter David Green is doing a nice job, averaging 40 yards per punt, and kicker Aaron Zagory has connected on 12 of 14 FGs this year. WR Doug Baldwin doubles as the punt returner, and Jeremy Stewart is the primary kick returner, averaging 23 yards per kickoff.

USC

Offense

A Trojan offense searching for a rhythm could find it versus a Cardinal defense that gives up yards and points (about 25 per game). QB Mark Sanchez could have a big game against a porous Stanford secondary, but he must get rid of the ball quickly to avoid sacks from the effective Cardinal rush.

The Trojan RBs could also find ample running room in the "second level" if they can get past the initial five Stanford defenders on the line of scrimmage, and there's no doubt that SC's WRs will have favorable matchups against the Cardinal CBs. Look for FB Stanley Havili and TE Anthony McCoy to see opportunities in the passing game as quick outlets for Sanchez.

Defense

The Trojan defense will seek to set the tone by stopping a Cardinal rushing attack that averages 207 yards per game. MLB Rey Maualuga and Company will have to switch gears, however, after facing the speedy RBs of the CAL Bears. They must now prepare for bruising Cardinal RBs Gerhart and Kimble, who can move the pile.

The Trojan defensive tackle rotation (Fili Moala, Christian Topou, and Jurrell Casey) will play a huge role in stopping the Stanford running game by holding their ground up the middle.

Special Teams

Can SC's return game finally make a big impact by taking one "to da house"? It hasn't happened thus far, and perhaps punt returner Stafon Johnson should just secure the ball after dropping one in the previous game.

SC's kickoff returners Ronald Johnson and C.J. Gable just don't get any opportunities, as opponents don't score enough to even kick the ball off to them. That probably won't change in this game.

Kicker David Buehler has been good on FGs and spectacular on kickoff touchbacks (35 so far this season). But punter Greg Woidneck's punting average is not good (36 yards net), although he has been hitting a few inside the opponent's 20-yard line.

Prediction

USC - 33

Stanford - 10