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Football: USC Trojans face fateful foe


USC

No. 1 USC (9-0, 6-0) returns to the site where it last lost a game when it travels to California (6-3, 3-3) Saturday afternoon.

The Trojans have won 31 straight since their overtime loss to the Golden Bears more than two years ago, and this game could be their biggest roadblock toward getting to the Rose Bowl and playing for a third straight national championship.

USC's offense comes in firing on all cylinders, as it scored on each of its seven first-half possessions in a 51-21 win over Stanford last week. The young defense also forced five turnovers by a Cardinal team that had not turned the ball over at all in their previous four games.

"It has been a work in progress all year with the defense," coach Pete Carroll told the Los Angeles Times. "We're holding our own."

California comes in having lost three of four, including a 27-20 overtime defeat at Oregon last week, but the Bears have played USC tough the last three years, losing by two in 2002, beating them in 2003 and losing by six last season.

UA

Riding its first winning streak in coach Mike Stoops' two-year reign, UA (3-6, 2-4) will host Washington (1-8, 0-6) Saturday.

The Wildcats come in off the biggest win in the program's recent memory, a 52-14 blowout victory over previously unbeaten UCLA.

In that win, running backs Mike Bell and Gilbert Harris had 153 and 113 yards respectively and each had a touchdown. Also, true freshman quarterback Willie Tuitama went 14-24 for 204 yards and two touchdowns to improve to 2-0 in his first two career starts, and the defense neutralized Heisman candidate Maurice Drew, holding him to just 41 rushing yards.

"It was good to see our team play as best we've played in a long time," Stoops said. "I really like what we did on both sides of the ball."

UA will now look to win its third straight game and its fourth of the season, which would clinch the team's best record in three seasons.

Oregon

Oregon (8-1, 5-1) travels to Washington State (3-6, 0-6) this week as it continues its march toward a possible 10-win season and BCS bowl.

Without quarterback Kellen Clemens for the rest of the season with a broken leg, the Ducks started Dennis Dixon in their game against California last week, but it was third-stringer Brady Leaf who finished the game with a touchdown pass in overtime that gave Oregon the victory.

The Ducks have used two quarterbacks in nearly every game this season, as Dixon saw some time in seven of the eight games started by Clemens before his injury. Coach Mike Bellotti will continue to do the same with Dixon and Leaf.

"Dennis is the starter and Brady will play," Bellotti said. "Obviously, I'd like to have one guy, but I think until somebody just grabs that thing, takes off and gets hot, we're going to have a chance to play them both."

The Cougars have lost six straight, but four of those losses have been by four points or less, and their running back, Jerome Harrison, has rushed for more than 100 yards in all nine games this season.

Reach the reporter at matthew.storey@asu.edu.


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