Scouting Report: USC vs. Washington State
By Phil Collin
Daily Breeze
 

The basics

Kickoff: 12:30 p.m., Coliseum

TV/Radio: ABC (Ch. 7), KSPN (710 AM), KMXE (830 AM)

Records: No. 3 USC is 4-0, 2-0 Pacific-10; Washington is 4-1, 2-0.

Point spread: USC is favored by 19.

Rivalry: USC has won four straight times and holds a 46-26-4 lead in a series that began in 1923. The Trojans recorded their most recent shutout when they defeated the Huskies, 38-0, two years ago in the Coliseum, where USC holds a 28-10 lead.

Coaches: Pete Carroll is 58-10 (fifth season) at USC. Tyrone Willingham is 6-10 (second year) at Washington and 71-65-1 (12th season) overall.

What's at stake

USC: The case can be made that the Trojans have come back to the Pac after they struggled in their first two conference games. Should the Huskies catch them at the right time, the Trojans could be in trouble down the line during the tougher stretch of their schedule.

Washington: A team that won only three games (one in the Pac-10) in the previous two seasons is now brimming with confidence and a victory could signal a turnaround in the program.

Keys to victory

USC: The Trojans have a lot of containing to do with an athletic Huskies team that has scored 17 touchdowns, or only 12 fewer than they did in 11 games last season. The secondary must shore up its coverage from last week and the defensive line needs to add pressure.

Washington: As a team, the Huskies are averaging 4.6 yards per carry and if they can carve out some running room, they can do some damage with an athletic quarterback.

Star watch

USC: When he was absolutely needed last week, senior flanker Steve Smith came through with a career game with 11 catches for 186 yards and two touchdowns. He may need to do even more this week with injuries to senior Chris McFoy and junior Dwayne Jarrett forcing USC to turn to its youth.

Washington: Carroll knows he doesn't have anyone on his team as fast as Huskies quarterback Isaiah Stanback, who has grown into a confident senior. Not only will Stanback scramble for yardage (61.2 yards per game), he can buy time and hit passes downfield.

Injury report

USC: FL Chris McCoy (shoulder), OG Jeff Byers (back) and LB Luthur Brown (hamstring) are out. SE Dwayne Jarrett (shoulder) is questionable. DT Sedrick Ellis (knee) and OL Chilo Rachal (ankle) are probable.

Washington: LB E.J. Savannah (broken thumb) is doubtful. TE Robert Lewis (broken foot) is possible.

Key matchups

USC will be interested if the return of junior nose tackle Sedrick Ellis can help revive the pass rush, but the Huskies, led by senior guard Clay Walker, have given up only five sacks in five games.

Notables

Fact: Since falling to Stanford, 21-16, in 2001, Carroll's teams have outscored Willingham's teams, 181-61, in four games.

Quote: "Now they 're more realistic. They 're more like a college football team.''

-- Washington linebacker Scott White, comparing this year's Trojans to last year's.

Numbers: USC's win streaks: 36 in regular season games, 28 at home and 25 in the Pac-10. ... The Trojans have gone two games without winning the turnover battle but still lead the conference with a plus-1.3 margin. ... Washington has not started 3-0 in the Pac-10 since 1997. ... The Huskies are allowing 340.4 yards per game, down from 419 last year. ... Senior Sonny Shackelford leads Washington's receiving corps with 21 catches for 315 yards and five touchdowns. ... Former Narbonne star Dashon Goldson, limited by an ankle injury much of the season, had seven tackles last week. The senior with 22 career starts has been converted from safety to cornerback.

Prediction

Is the Pac-10 catching up to USC, which has scored only 48 points in the last two weeks? This may provide an answer if Stanback and the Huskies can scramble to make plays. USC 28, Washington 17

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