PREMIUM
Game of the Month (10* NCAAF) >> Oklahoma over TCU in October!
(NCAAF) USC vs. UCLA,
11/19/2016 5:30 PM, Score: 36 - 14
Point Spread: 13.50 | -102.00 UCLA (Home)
Result: Loss
Point Spread: 13.50 | -102.00 UCLA (Home)
Result: Loss
The set-up: Both UCLA (16th) and USC (20th) opened in the AP's top-25 preseason poll but both lost their season-openers, UCLA 31-24 in OT at Texas A&M and USC 52-6 to No. 1 Alabama at Arlington. Four games into the 2016 season UCLA was 2-2 and USC 1-3. However, the two Los Angeles-based rivals enter their annual showdown (Battle for the Victory Bell) in vastly different positions. UCLA ended its four-game slide with a 38-24 home win over Oregon State last Saturday and enters this contest just 4-6. Meanwhile, the Trojans won in Seattle last Saturday 26-13 over previously unbeaten and No. 4 Washington. USC's six-game winning streak is its longest since 2008 and its 6-2 record leaves them a half-game back of 6-1 Colorado in the Pac-12 South, although the Buffs own the tiebreaker due to a 20-10 win over the Trojans.
USC: The Trojan's season turned around when redshirt freshman Sam Darnold was made the team's starting QB in USC's fourth game at Utah. USC lost that game in Salt Lake City 31-27 but Darnold has led them to six wins in a row since. Darnold completed 22 of 33 passes for 287 yards, the most allowed by the Huskies this season, and two TDs in USC's upset last Saturday. For the season, he's completing 68.1% with 22 TDs and just six INTs. The USC running game has also done well, averaging 201.1 YPG (38th) on 5.4 YPC. USC's defense allowed 25.7 PPG last year on 401.0 YPG but has cut that to 22.5 PPG (32nd) on 363.4 YPG (34th) here in 2016. Another area where USC has made great strides this year is wh=ith its special teams, as the Trojans lead the conference in punt return average and kickoff coverage.
UCLA was the team which opened with the young hot-shot QB in sophomore Josh Rosen but he's missed four games because of a shoulder injury and won't return this season. Fifth-year senior Mike Fafaul will be starting his fourth game in place of Rosen on Saturday, coming off a solid game in the win over Oregon St, completing 25 of 47 passes for 281 yards but without a TD and one INT. Head coach Jim Mora has praised Fafual saying, "He played behind Brett (Hundley), and then Josh got the job, and he has hung in there. "He's everything that you want in a quarterback in terms of studying the game and it being serious to him. It's just great." Still, Fafual has nine TDs (five came in one game) and 10 INTs on the season and gets no help from a UCLA running game which ranks 127th out of 128 Division I teams (87.2 YPG on 2.9 YPC).
The pick: The Trojans are on a roll and have won 13 of the past 17 games against UCLA. However, last Saturday's win at Washington sets up a huge let down situation in this long-time rivalry. UCLA may not win but I'm taking almost two TDs and making the Bruins a 10* play.
USC: The Trojan's season turned around when redshirt freshman Sam Darnold was made the team's starting QB in USC's fourth game at Utah. USC lost that game in Salt Lake City 31-27 but Darnold has led them to six wins in a row since. Darnold completed 22 of 33 passes for 287 yards, the most allowed by the Huskies this season, and two TDs in USC's upset last Saturday. For the season, he's completing 68.1% with 22 TDs and just six INTs. The USC running game has also done well, averaging 201.1 YPG (38th) on 5.4 YPC. USC's defense allowed 25.7 PPG last year on 401.0 YPG but has cut that to 22.5 PPG (32nd) on 363.4 YPG (34th) here in 2016. Another area where USC has made great strides this year is wh=ith its special teams, as the Trojans lead the conference in punt return average and kickoff coverage.
UCLA was the team which opened with the young hot-shot QB in sophomore Josh Rosen but he's missed four games because of a shoulder injury and won't return this season. Fifth-year senior Mike Fafaul will be starting his fourth game in place of Rosen on Saturday, coming off a solid game in the win over Oregon St, completing 25 of 47 passes for 281 yards but without a TD and one INT. Head coach Jim Mora has praised Fafual saying, "He played behind Brett (Hundley), and then Josh got the job, and he has hung in there. "He's everything that you want in a quarterback in terms of studying the game and it being serious to him. It's just great." Still, Fafual has nine TDs (five came in one game) and 10 INTs on the season and gets no help from a UCLA running game which ranks 127th out of 128 Division I teams (87.2 YPG on 2.9 YPC).
The pick: The Trojans are on a roll and have won 13 of the past 17 games against UCLA. However, last Saturday's win at Washington sets up a huge let down situation in this long-time rivalry. UCLA may not win but I'm taking almost two TDs and making the Bruins a 10* play.
