The No. 17 USC Trojans and No. 10 Stanford Cardinal both have designs on winning the Pac-12 in 2018, and get their conference schedule started early with a prime time game on Saturday at Stanford Stadium (8:30 p.m. ET, FOX).
USC vs. Stanford 2018 live stream: Time, TV channel, pick/prediction, and how to watch online
Two ranked rivals open the Pac-12 Conference schedule on Saturday night.
These two teams played in the Pac-12 championship game last season, and while Stanford still has Heisman Trophy finalist Bryce Love at running back, USC is relying on true freshman JT Daniels at quarterback.
Time, TV channel, and streaming info
- Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Stanford Stadium, Palo Alto, Calif.
- TV: FOX
- Streaming: FOX Sports Go
- Odds: Stanford is the favorite by 6 points.
USC vs. Stanford news
Three starting offensive linemen for the Trojans missed practice time with various injuries this week. Starting center Toa Lobendahn, who missed USC’s first game against UNLV with a pectoral strain, was held out of practice on Thursday, and he wasn’t alone, per Joey Kaufman of the Orange County Register:
[Clay] Helton added left tackle was limited due to knee tendinitis, with right tackle Chuma Edoga also limited. Edoga has dealt with hip soreness and was subbed out for portions of the season opener last Saturday.
Alternate offensive options
While Love is the one to watch as always for Stanford — especially after rushing for 285 yards in two games against USC in 2017 — the Cardinal opener saw Love bottled up, with 29 yards on 18 carries. That left room for the passing game, and 6’3 wide receiver J.J. Arcega-Whiteside reaped the benefits, catching six passes for 226 yards and three touchdowns in a 31-10 win over San Diego State.
All eyes were on Daniels last week, just the second true freshman ever to start a season opener at quarterback for USC. He threw for 282 yards and a touchdown against UNLV, but the Trojans stalled early and trailed before taking the lead for good in the final minute of the first half. What kept USC afloat, in addition to no turnovers from Daniels, was the three-pronged running attack of Aca’Cedric Ware, Stephen Carr and Vavae Malepeai, who combined for 201 yards on just 27 carries in the win.
USC vs. Stanford predictions
Stanford lost twice last season to the Trojans, but has beaten USC in three of their last four meetings in Palo Alto. Stanford is a 6-point favorite on Saturday, and S&P+ has the Cardinal winning 32-24.
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