Late night Pac-12 games have a tendency for points. Lots and lots of points. Thursday night should be no different, when USC hosts Cal.
How to watch California vs. USC: Game guide, TV schedule, streaming, odds
Can the Bears pull off the upset and reach bowl eligibility?
Susan Ragan-USA TODAY Sports
The Trojans opened the season with a blowout win over Fresno State and a hard-fought road victory over Stanford, looking well on their way to resembling the dominant USC teams of old. The very next week, Boston College ran all over them for an upset, and USC is 1-2 against currently ranked teams since: a win against Arizona, losses against Arizona State and Utah. The Trojans have been passing the ball well and the defense has been playing well in recent weeks. They'll need that against a dangerous Cal team, but there is good news: defensive back Su'a Cravens should play for USC despite an injury.
Cal has recovered well from a disappointing 1-11 first season under Sonny Dykes and is now one win away from a bowl berth. The Bears throw the ball better than almost any team in the nation, and boast conference wins over Colorado, Washington State and Oregon State. A win over USC would give them their first victory against a team with a winning record under Dykes.
How to watch, listen, and stream
Game time: 9 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Radio: For Cal, 810 AM. For USC, ESPNLA 710.
Online streaming: WatchESPN
The numbers
Rankings and records: Neither team is ranked. USC is 6-3 with a 5-2 record in conference play, while Cal is 5-4 with a 3-4 Pac-12 record. The Trojans lead the all-time series 66-29-5 and have won the last nine games between the two schools.
Vegas: USC opened as 12-point favorites. The line has since moved to 14.5.
Weather forecast: 57 degrees and partly cloudy.
Two things at stake
A win for Cal would grant them bowl eligibility.
A loss for USC would knock them out of divisional competition.
One big matchup
Cal passing attack vs. USC secondary. We know USC will be able to pass on Cal. Cody Kessler has done a good job for the Trojans this season, and the Bears have been unable to consistently stop opposing passing attacks. Cal's Bear Raid offense is dangerous no matter who they're playing, but USC has had a fine passing defense this season. The Bears' only chance at pulling off the upset will require quarterback Jared Goff being able to sling the ball around.
Further reading
For full coverage of Cal, head over to California Golden Blogs. For more on USC, check out Conquest Chronicles.
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