No. 4 Washington will take the field as a presumptive Playoff team for the first time on Saturday night, and it has a dangerous matchup with No. 20 USC in town. After years of trying, the Huskies have finally broken through to the sport’s highest level, but the hunter is now the hunted, and they have to put away a USC team with loads of talent.
USC vs. Washington 2016: Start time, live stream, TV schedule, and 3 things to know
It’s a big-time showdown out west with major Playoff implications.
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The main event in this game is the two young quarterbacks: Jake Browning and Sam Darnold. But just as important are the two running backs, Myles Gaskin and Ronald Jones II — both of these teams depend on the running game, and the running back who can get loose more often will give his team a huge advantage.
Washington's defense would appear to give it an advantage here. The Huskies are No. 12 in Defensive S&P+, but USC isn't far behind at No. 23. The Huskies took a big hit this week, though, when they lost leading pass rusher Joe Mathis for the season with a foot injury.
How to watch, stream, and listen
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FOX
Radio: USC | Washington
Online streaming: FOX Sports GO
Spread: Washington is favored by 9 points.
Make friends: Get to SB Nation’s team blog chats for this game at Conquest Chronicles for USC fans and UW Dawg Pound for Washington fans.
Three big things to know
1. Washington needs to be very careful here because USC is the biggest roadblock between it and an undefeated season. After an extremely shaky start to the season, the Trojans have ripped off five straight wins, including one over Colorado. Even though this could be a preview of the Pac-12 title game, neither team can afford to hold anything back.
2. Browning probably isn’t a serious Heisman contender, but he can inject himself into the conversation with a big game in a convincing win over a big-name team like USC. His yardage numbers are not eye-popping, but he’s tied for the most touchdown passes in the country with 34, and that’s with only three interceptions.
3. USC has a hot young quarterback of its own in Darnold. His insertion into the starting job saved the Trojans’ season, as they’ve gone 5-1 in the six games he’s started. That loss was his first college start, which came on the road at Utah. Let’s hope both Browning and Darnold put on a show for us.
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