Stanford Stadium in Palo Alto at 5 p.m. PT on ABC and WatchESPN
Cardinal to Watch: Junior RB Christian McCaffreyWho else? USC fans are all too familiar with McCaffrey's exploits. He burned the Trojans twice last year en route to breaking Barry Sanders record for all-purpose yards in a season. In the first meeting at the Coliseum, McCaffrey broke out for a then career-high 115 rush yards. He would go on to make that performance seem pedestrian, topping the 100-yard mark 11 times last season. He singlehandedly trounced the Trojans in the Pac-12 Championship Game, accounting for 461 all-purpose yards (207 rush, 105 receiving and 149 return).
Click here for more on the Cardinal.
3 Keys
Find 5
The Trojans were well aware of McCaffrey's talents by the time of the Pac-12 Championship Game, but they could do little about it. Under new defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast, the hope is that the USC defense has improved at taking away an opponent's strength. In fact, head coach Clay Helton praised Pendergast for that exact ability this week after the Trojans shut down Alabama WR Calvin Ridley and Utah State RB Devante Mays in the first two games. The Crimson Tide were able to beat USC with options two and three, but the Cardinal offense is not quite as diverse. McCaffrey received 64 percent of the offensive touches (rushes + receptions) in Stanford's season-opening victory over Kansas State.
No Margin for Error
With the exception of the Pac-12 Championship Game, USC and Stanford tend to play cagey, low-scoring affairs in recent years. The Trojans emerged victorious in 2013 (20-17) and 2014 (13-10) by not turning the ball over, excelling in the kicking game, and playing stout defense, especially in the red zone. The winning formula should be similar this year. Pendergast and special teams coach John Baxter must work their magic, while the offense only needs to be efficient and mistake-free.
Stage for a Star
All week long, the Trojans have heard the name McCaffrey on repeat. "That makes us want to work hard to try to get our names out there," said USC senior RB Justin Davis. "Sometimes the whole Pac-12 gets so concerned about Christian McCaffrey, but we've got backs just as talented at USC. I just can't wait to display that." The Trojans have the tailbacks and wide receivers, including one JuJu Smith-Schuster, who have the ability to emerge from this game as the story. While the offense may not need to score 40 points to win, a few special plays could define the game and maybe even someone's career.
