Arizona Stadium in Tucson at 12:30 p.m. PT on FOX
Wildcat to Watch: The Running QuarterbacksWe don't know which quarterback to spotlight because we don't know which quarterback Rich Rodriguez plans on playing. He has used four different men behind center, largely due to injury issues, which make the picture even murkier this week. Whomever he chooses, Rodriguez will deploy an athletically-gifted quarterback who is more likely to hurt the Trojans on the ground than through the air. Sophomore QB Brandon Dawkins, who is in concussion protocol, is the fourth leading rusher in the Pac-12. Highly-touted freshman Khalil Tate (pictured), a Serra product, is a known entity to several Trojans. "Once he's got the ball in his hands, it's hard to get him down," USC CB Adoree' Jackson said of Tate. "One of those things where he's electrifying with the ball, he can beat you with his arm and beat you with his feet. A special kid." Junior Anu Solomon is the veteran QB, but he's dealing with a knee injury.
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3 Keys
Take the Show on the Road
The Trojans are 3-0 at home this season, but 0-3 away from the Coliseum. While life on the road is difficult, USC has a golden opportunity to scratch one against a slumping Arizona side which has lost three straight. With that said, the Wildcats are also dangerous, particularly in Tucson, where they took Washington, the current cream of the conference, to overtime. To secure a road victory and extend their winning streak to three, the Trojans must eliminate the mistakes that plagued them against Alabama (communication), at Stanford (penalties) and at Utah (turnovers). If USC plays a clean game, Arizona will not be able to keep up with an otherwise dominant team this month.
Release RoJo
Senior RB Justin Davis, who is fifth in the Pac-12 in rushing, will likely miss the game with a high ankle sprain. Without its primary ball carrier, USC will turn to the "Texas Two Step," Ronald Jones II and Aca'Cedric Ware. Jones has struggled to match the magic of his freshman season, but he appears primed to snap out of the slump with a big performance on Saturday. Last year against Arizona, Jones ran for a career-high 177 yards. With that in mind and ample opportunities, his confidence should be boosted.
Contain and Collapse
As USC head coach Clay Helton mentioned several times this week, Arizona head coach Rich Rodriguez invented or popularized many of the spread option concepts that almost every college team uses today. The Trojans will see a steady diet of "RPOs" (run/pass options) from Arizona's extremely mobile quarterbacks. The USC defense has handled Arizona State and Colorado's wide open attacks much better than Alabama and Stanford's ground-and-pound from earlier in the season. It is incumbent upon the Trojans front to contain the Wildcats QB, whomever it may be, in the pocket and force him to be a thrower.
