Is Arizona the real deal this year? The Wildcats beat Oregon last year in the midst of a fairly mediocre season, but this year feels different. They'll find out more on where they stand Saturday night, when they host the USC Trojans.
How to watch USC vs. Arizona: Game guide, TV schedule, streaming, odds
Can the Wildcats separate themselves in the Pac-12 South race?
Scott Olmos-USA TODAY Sports
Under first-year head coach Steve Sarkisian, the Trojans have had a wildly inconsistent start to the season. They took down one of the Pac-12’s finest in Stanford, but followed that up by being absolutely pummeled on the ground in a loss to Boston College. After a convincing win over Oregon State, USC lost to Arizona State in heartbreaking fashion, with some awful Hail Mary defense preceded by a complete fourth-quarter collapse.
Arizona, meanwhile, has been one of the nation's biggest surprises, and Rich Rodriguez continues to build a solid program there. Freshman quarterback Anu Solomon has largely been able to avoid the expected hiccups from a young quarterback, and helped lead the team to its second straight win over Oregon its last time out. Arizona's running game gets a lot of credit, but the Wildcats have one of the deepest wide receiving units in the nation.
How to watch, listen, and stream
Game time: 10:30 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN2
Radio: USC games are available on ESPN Radio. For a list of Arizona affiliates, check here.
Online streaming: WatchESPN
Our sites on these teams
The numbers
Rankings and records: Arizona is ranked No. 10 in the AP Top 25 and No. 13 in the Coaches Poll. USC is not ranked in either poll. The Wildcats are 5-0 this season, with a 2-0 record in Pac-12 play. The Trojans are 3-2, with a 2-1 conference record. USC holds a 28-8 all-time series lead.
Vegas: USC is a 2.5-point favorite. The over/under is 68 points.
Weather forecast: 60 degrees with clear skies.
Two things at stake
With a win, Arizona would take a pretty dominating lead in the Pac-12 South.
A loss for USC would put the Trojans in a difficult position, needing three wins out of their last six games (which include three against ranked teams) to make a bowl.
One big matchup
Arizona rushing offense vs. USC rushing defense. The Wildcats have a pair of shifty running backs who are among the Pac-12's most explosive playmakers in freshman Nick Wilson (6.4 yards per carry, six touchdowns) and senior Terris Jones-Grigsby (5.9 yards per carry, three touchdowns). Arizona has run for more than 200 yards in every game but one, and could make easy work out of a Trojans rushing defense that has struggled at times this season.
The Trojans’ front seven has improved over the last two weeks, holding Oregon State and Arizona State to a combined 89 yards on 43 rushing attempts. Before that? It was a struggle, allowing 452 yards on the ground against Boston College (with five touchdowns) and giving up 4.8 yards per carry against Fresno State.
Further reading
For full coverage of USC, head over to Conquest Chronicles. For more on Arizona, check out AZ Desert Swarm.
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