Trojans Look To Bounce Back, Face No. 16 Stanford
No. 16 Stanford (4-1, 1-1 Pac-10) vs. Southern California (4-1, 1-1), 8 p.m. (ABC/ESPN)
Line: Stanford by 9 1/2.
Series Record: USC leads 59-26-3.
Last Meeting: 2009, Stanford 55-21.
WHAT'S AT STAKE
Both teams are looking to bounce back after losing their first games and remain in the thick of the Pac-10. The Cardinal fell 52-31 at Oregon, while the Trojans lost 32-31 to Washington. USC is also looking to avenge last year's loss to Stanford, when Cardinal coach Jim Harbaugh went for a 2-point conversion with a 27-point lead in the fourth quarter.
KEY MATCHUP
USC WR Ronald Johnson vs. Stanford CB Richard Sherman. Johnson is one of the top receivers in the Pac-10 with 26 catches for 358 yards and five TDs. Sherman, a converted receiver, will be one of the players tasked with trying to control USC's big-play threat.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Southern California: QB Matt Barkley leads the Pac-10 in passing efficiency, completing 66 percent of his throws with 12 TDs and four INTs. He threw a career-worst three interceptions in last year's loss to the Cardinal.
Stanford: RB Stepfan Taylor is coming off back-to-back 100-yard rushing games, with 108 against Notre Dame two weeks ago and 113 last week at Oregon. The Cardinal are counting on his running threat to help the play-action passing game.
FACTS & FIGURES
This marks the first time since 1986 that Stanford enters the game ranked and the Trojans are not. USC had been ranked for 108 out of 109 weeks before falling out this week. ... USC has won four straight at Stanford Stadium and hasn't dropped consecutive games to the Cardinal since 1999-01. ... Trojans RB Allen Bradford is averaging 9.8 yards per carry with 500 yards on 51 rushes. ... Trojans S T.J. McDonald leads all Pac-10 DBs with 42 tackles. ... Cardinal QB Andrew Luck has thrown two INTs in each of his past two games after having only four in his first 13 games. ... Stanford is looking for its first 5-1 start since 2001.
