Saturday, September 9
Los Angeles, CA
5:30 PM
USC
vs
Stanford
2017 Game 2: USC vs. Stanford
September 08, 2017 | Football, USC Ripsit Blog, Features
The Cardinal have won seven of the last nine games in the series.
No. 6 USC Trojans vs. No. 14 Stanford Cardinal
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum at 5:30 p.m. PT on FOX
Cardinal to Watch: Junior RB Bryce Love
Life after Christian McCaffrey is not so bad for Stanford. While they lost one of the best playmakers in the country, the Cardinal have several dangerous weapons led by the speedy Love. He exploded for 180 yards on only 13 carries in the season-opening win over Rice. He may not be able to maintain that 13.8 yards per carry all season, but he posted impressive 7.8 and 7.0 averages as a freshman and sophomore respectively. Love forms a two-headed monster with Cameron Scarlett who accounted for three touchdowns against Rice in Australia.
Click here for more on the Cardinal.
3 Keys
Trench Warfare
The USC-Stanford rivalry started taking its current shape in 2009 when the Cardinal pounded out 325 rush yards in the Coliseum. Since then, the winner of the rushing battle has won the game eight of the last nine times. Stanford does not keep its game plan a secret. The Cardinal are looking to control the ball and work the clock. To do so, they need to stay in 3rd-and-manageable situations. To counter that, USC head coach Clay Helton has his defense focused on first down to put Stanford off schedule. On the other side of the ball, the USC offense can continue to lean on Ronald Jones II and Stephen Carr as the passing game works the kinks out.
Mackey Watch
When Stanford does put the ball in the air, QB Keller Chryst has a plethora of imposing tight ends at his disposal. In game one, he picked out four of them, including two scores thrown to freshman TE Colby Parkinson and another to sophomore TE Kaden Smith. The Trojans will need to rely on the cover skills of ILB John Houston Jr. plus safeties Chris Hawkins and Marvell Tell III to counteract the Cardinal's impressive targets. Helton held USC TE Daniel Imatorbhebhe for most of the opener as he works back from a hip flexor issue. If he is fully healthy, QB Sam Darnold has another talented and dependable target to lift up the passing game.Â
"Win the Crowd and You Will Win Your Freedom"
It felt like the right week for a Gladiator quote. USC's most memorable win over Stanford in the Jim Harbaugh/David Shaw era came in 2013 when the Trojans walked off on a Andre Heidari field goal as the crowd spilled onto the field. The Coliseum was so electric that night that anyone in attendance will never forget it. The Trojans need that kind of boost from the atmosphere on Saturday. Emotion can cover up a lot of sins on a football field.
Â
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum at 5:30 p.m. PT on FOX
Cardinal to Watch: Junior RB Bryce LoveLife after Christian McCaffrey is not so bad for Stanford. While they lost one of the best playmakers in the country, the Cardinal have several dangerous weapons led by the speedy Love. He exploded for 180 yards on only 13 carries in the season-opening win over Rice. He may not be able to maintain that 13.8 yards per carry all season, but he posted impressive 7.8 and 7.0 averages as a freshman and sophomore respectively. Love forms a two-headed monster with Cameron Scarlett who accounted for three touchdowns against Rice in Australia.
Click here for more on the Cardinal.
3 Keys
Trench Warfare
The USC-Stanford rivalry started taking its current shape in 2009 when the Cardinal pounded out 325 rush yards in the Coliseum. Since then, the winner of the rushing battle has won the game eight of the last nine times. Stanford does not keep its game plan a secret. The Cardinal are looking to control the ball and work the clock. To do so, they need to stay in 3rd-and-manageable situations. To counter that, USC head coach Clay Helton has his defense focused on first down to put Stanford off schedule. On the other side of the ball, the USC offense can continue to lean on Ronald Jones II and Stephen Carr as the passing game works the kinks out.
Mackey Watch
When Stanford does put the ball in the air, QB Keller Chryst has a plethora of imposing tight ends at his disposal. In game one, he picked out four of them, including two scores thrown to freshman TE Colby Parkinson and another to sophomore TE Kaden Smith. The Trojans will need to rely on the cover skills of ILB John Houston Jr. plus safeties Chris Hawkins and Marvell Tell III to counteract the Cardinal's impressive targets. Helton held USC TE Daniel Imatorbhebhe for most of the opener as he works back from a hip flexor issue. If he is fully healthy, QB Sam Darnold has another talented and dependable target to lift up the passing game.Â
"Win the Crowd and You Will Win Your Freedom"
It felt like the right week for a Gladiator quote. USC's most memorable win over Stanford in the Jim Harbaugh/David Shaw era came in 2013 when the Trojans walked off on a Andre Heidari field goal as the crowd spilled onto the field. The Coliseum was so electric that night that anyone in attendance will never forget it. The Trojans need that kind of boost from the atmosphere on Saturday. Emotion can cover up a lot of sins on a football field.
Â
Players Mentioned
TB
/ Football
QB
/ Football
S
/ Football
ILB
/ Football
TE
/ Football
TB
/ Football
S
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