This has the makings of a shootout as the Southern California Trojans (4-3) play the California Golden Bears (5-2). The Pac-12’s second-leading passer, Jared Goff (2,265 yards, 20 TDs), and the top passer, Cody Kessler (2,082 yards, 18 TDs), are the players to watch in this matchup. An opportunity for two once-promising teams to get back on track, California and USC both have a lot on the line this week. Having both suffered some tough losses in recent weeks, the Golden Bears and Trojans will be hoping that things end differently with this game. The game starts at 3:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, Oct 31 and will air on FOX.
California fell to UCLA 40-24 last week. Jared Goff had an outstanding performance passing the ball in the loss, completing 32 of 53 passes for 295 yards and three TDs. Stephen Anderson finished with 51 receiving yards on five receptions. USC is hoping for another victory like last week’s performance, when it beat Utah 42-24. JuJu Smith-Schuster had a big game for the Trojans, registering eight receptions for 143 yards and one TD. Cody Kessler had a big game as well, totaling 264 yards and a TD through the air.
USC is a four-point favorite in this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is unavailable at the moment.
The Golden Bears enter the game with records of 5-2 Straight Up (SU) and 4-3 Against The Spread (ATS) this season. In the past five games, California is 3-2 SU and 2-3 ATS. California has America’s 10th-ranked passing attack, which averages 346.7 yards per game. Transitioning to the California defense, there are some things to keep in mind when it is on the field. A vital part of the game will be whether the Trojans can protect their quarterback from California’s hungry defense. It averages the 11th-most sacks in the nation with 3.1 per game. Mistakes and a lack of focus may be factors that benefit the Golden Bears in the game. The Trojans are one of the most penalized teams in the nation with 69 penalty yards per game.
On the other side, the Trojans have a record of 4-3 for both ATS and SU. In the previous five games, USC has a record of 2-3 both SU and ATS. USC has found a lot of success through the air. Its 326.3 passing yards per game ranks 15th in Division I. Lately, the Trojans have had a better pass defense. They’re allowing only 246.2 passing YPG over their last five matchups. The Golden Bears will need to secure the ball against the turnover-minded Trojans. The defense ranks 24th in the country in turnovers with two per game. There is no feeling-out process to start a game for the Trojans, who average 10.9 points in the first quarter.
Predictions: SU Winner – Southern California, ATS Winner – California
Notes
California is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of California’s last 6 games.
California is 5-15 ATS in its last 20 games at home.
California is 6-14 SU in its last 20 games at home.
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of California’s last 11 games when playing Southern Cal.
California is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Southern Cal.
California is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Southern Cal.
California is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Southern Cal.
California is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Southern Cal.
USC is 4-1 SU when leading at the half this season. California is 3-0 SU when taking a lead into halftime.
Remarkably, USC is winless (0-2 SU) in games where it wins the turnover battle, yet undefeated (3-0 SU) when losing the turnover battle.
The California defense has forced an average of 3.1 turnovers per game this season, while the USC defense has generated 2.0 per game. USC is 1-2 SU when turning the ball over 3.0 or more times. California is actually 4-1 SU when turning it over at least 2.0 times.
Among all FBS teams, the California offensive passing game is ranked 10th in the country, while the USC pass defense is only ranked 84th. The Trojans passing attack is ranked 15th, compared to the 102nd-ranked pass defense of the Golden Bears.
