Cal Looks To Shock the Nation By Beating USC: Preview and Prediction
By Baily Deeter
Last week, USC failed to beat a team that has had their number for the last few years. This week, they take on a team that has had no success against them.
Cal looks to hand the Trojans another loss when they take on USC at 3 PM PT today. They are coming off of a tough loss against Ohio State, and they’re currently 1-2. USC was ranked second in the nationl before their game against Stanford, which they lost 21-14. They are now ranked 13th, but they want to boost their ranking.
Matt Barkley was dominated by the Cardinal, and he looks to bounce back against a Golden Bear defense that failed to contain Braxton Miller last week. Silas Redd looks to bounce back from a tough week, while top receivers Marquise Lee and Robert Woods look to make an impact. Marc Anthony has struggled so far, and USC’s receivers should be able to get open easily.
However, the Trojans will have some things to take care of, too. Zach Maynard has been very accurate lately, but he has to face a great USC defense. Keenan Allen will look to make an impact, just like he did last week. Allen caught nine passes for 80 yards against Ohio State, and he and Maynard have great chemistry. If Allen can pinpoint holes in USC’s secondary, he and Maynard will invent problems for USC’s defense.
Brendan Bigelow ran for an 81-yard touchdown last week, and he has 175 rushing yards on six carries this year. Expect the athletic sophomore to see a lot more playing time, and look for him to make an impact returning kicks. Isi Sofele will be key to Cal’s success, too. If he and Bigelow can get going, then the passing game will have a lot more success.
If Cal can’t establish the running game early, that will likely breed failure. USC is fired up for this game, and they will get creative. Expect them to be well-prepared for this game, and expect them to be pumped up to play in front of their fans for the first time in three weeks. For Cal to win, they will have to craft ways to beat a great Trojan team.
I’m expecting to see a good amount of points put up on the scoreboard, and I’m also expecting to see a lot more points on USC’s side. They will also have to get Redd going early, so they can set up Barkley. USC will probably mix in an occasional bomb with a steady diet of short passes, as they’ll try to create problems for Cal’s secondary with Lee and Woods. If Marc Anthony and the secondary can step up, the game could be close.
Cal may be able to keep it close for a little while, but I would be flabbergasted if they could pull off the upset. USC will probably score 30-50 points, and Cal will probably put up 10-30. My score prediction is 45-17 USC, as they take their anger out on Cal and put on a show for the home fans.