The Stanford Cardinal will look to avenge last season’s loss to the USC Trojans as they face them at home in their first Pac-12 matchup of the season.
No. 13 Stanford will host Pac-12 rival No. 14 USC in their next game after beating UC Davis, 45-0. Quarterback Kevin Hogan is coming off a fantastic performance that included four total touchdowns, which all came in the first half.
The running game did not have any feature back, but it finished with 149 yards. Wide receiver Ty Montgomery continued to be a top threat as he caught five passes for 77 yards and a touchdown. He also showed off his speed with a 60-yard punt return touchdown.
The Trojans will be hard to stop after scoring 52 points in their opener against Fresno State. Quarterback Cody Kessler had four touchdown passes and added a touchdown on the ground.
Running back Javorius “Buck” Allen led the team in rushing with 133 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries. Freshman wide receiver JuJu Smith impressed with 123 yards and a touchdown on four catches, and Nelson Agholor added 57 yards and two touchdowns on five receptions.
The defense also shined with four interceptions, so Hogan and the Cardinal offense may have its hands full. However, the Trojans will need to stop the Cardinal’s rushing attack after allowing Fresno State to rush for 157 yards.
Otherwise, they may be in trouble since the Cardinal thrive on running the ball and controlling the clock. Stanford will also undoubtedly have revenge on their minds after losing to USC last year.
Prediction: Stanford 24, USC 21
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