Arizona Football heads to Southern California for big Pac-12 Showdown
No. 22 Arizona Football (6-2, 4-1) travels to Los Angeles, CA to take on No. 17 USC Trojans (7-2, 5-1) in a huge Pac-12 showdown!
Already into November, and Arizona Football’s season is becoming more relevant as the Wildcats travel to Los Angeles, CA to take on the ranked Trojans, and a potential lead for first place in the Pac-12 South.
Who would have thought Arizona would be in the position they are in. Following the Wildcats’ loss to Utah, rumblings of head coach Rich Rodriguez being on the hot seat started to get louder. Enter Khalil Tate the very next week, and the team is now winners of four straight games, and are a half game back from the Trojans.
More from Wildcats Football
- Arizona Football begins Conference play against Stanford
- Arizona Football starts slow but runs away from UTEP
- How Wildcats Fans Can Claim $200 INSTANT Bonus at BetMGM Betting $10 Right Now
- Costly Mistakes doom Arizona Football in loss to Mississippi State
- How can Arizona Football beat Mississippi State on the road?
The team is scoring at will, the confidence is riding high, but the next test will be against a talented USC squad playing at home.
The benefit for Arizona perhaps, is that USC has been hit by the injury bug hard this year, which could potentially give the Wildcats an advantage.
If the Wildcats hope to come away victorious, they’re going to need to play a fundamentally sound football game, and Tate will have to continue to shock the world as he adds to his Heisman campaign.
Know Thy Foe:
Team: USC Trojans (7-2, 5-1); won last week 48-17 versus ASU
Conference: Pac-12
2016 Record: 10-3 (7-2); Beat Penn State 52-49 in the Rose Bowl last season.
Last Meeting vs Arizona: USC won last year in Tucson, 48-14.
Head Coach: Clay Helton is 23-9 overall as head coach in his second official season. Helton of course took over for Steve Sarkisian when he was let go in 2015 during the middle of the season.
Key Returners/ Starters: QB Sam Darnold, RB’s Ronald Jones and Stephen Carr (may be out this weekend), WR’s Tyler Vaughns, Steven Mitchell (may miss time vs Arizona), TE Tyler Petite. Defensively, the Trojans have numerous athletes that anchor that defense including; linebackers Uchenna Nwosu, Cameron Smith defensive backs Marvel Tell III and Jalen Jones.
USC also does a great job in creating pressure against opposing quarterbacks. Defensive linemen Rasheem Green, Christian Rector and Josh Fatu create havoc in the backfield, and between them have combined for 18.5 sacks thus far.
Key Injuries: DB Johnathan Lockett, LB/ DE Porter Gustin, and OL Viane Talamaivao among with numerous others.
Game Information:
When: Saturday, November 4th, 2017
Time: 7:45 PM MST
Where: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (Los Angeles, CA)
Spread: -7 USC
Overall Series Record: 31-8 USC. The Trojans have won the last four match-ups between these two schools, including last years’ blowout in Tucson, which was also Tate’s first collegiate start.
Our Prediction: USC 45 Arizona 41. Hoping we’re wrong, but winning against USC doesn’t happen often, especially in Los Angeles. Despite the numerous injuries the Trojans have, they still have tons of talent, and will provide a tough challenge for Arizona. The Wildcats should be able to score, but can they hold USC’s potent offense?
Listen to Rodriguez talk about last weeks performance, and the upcoming match-up versus USC
Must Read: More on Arizona Football
At Zona Zealots, we hope the Wildcats can extend the magic one more week. USC should be a tough one! Bear Down, Arizona!