On Saturday at 7:30 PM PT on FOX and KNBR 1050 AM, Stanford football will take on #6 USC on the road. Stanford comes in at 1-0 overall while USC comes at 2-0.
Last time out: Stanford defeated Hawaii 37-24 on the road in their opening game. Stanford senior tight end Benjamin Yurosek had 9 receptions for 138 yards and 1 touchdown.
RECAP: Cardinal runs roughshod over Rainbow Warriors
READ: Stanford PFF Grades: Hawaii
On USC: The Trojans are once again a top 10 team. They have an electric offense led by their dynamic quarterback Caleb Williams, who won the Heisman Trophy last season. In their two wins against San Jose State and Nevada, Williams has thrown for 597 yards, 9 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions on a 73.47% (36-49) completion percentage. Williams has also rushed for 40 yards on 11 attempts, though his feet have yet to set foot in the end zone.
The top running back on this Trojans team is redshirt junior MarShawn Lloyd, who has rushed for 118 yards and 1 touchdown on 16 attempts. He’s running the ball really hard and is difficult to bring down. The number two running back is freshman Quinten Joyner, who has rushed for 99 yards and 1 touchdown on 9 attempts. Former Stanford running back Austin Jones is now in his second season with the Trojans, having rushed for 73 yards and 2 touchdowns on 8 attempts so far this season.
As for receivers, redshirt senior Tahj Washington is leading the Trojans with 5 receptions for 160 yards and three touchdowns while freshman Duce Robinson has 4 receptions for 115 yards and 1 touchdown. Junior Mario Williams has 6 receptions for 92 yards.
Defensively, junior safety Jaylin Smith leads the team with 14 total tackles (12 solo) as well as 2.5 tackles for loss. Sophomore corner Domani Jackson has 10 total tackles (8 solo) while redshirt senior inside linebacker Shane Lee has 10 total tackles as well (5 solo) to go along with 1.0 sack which is his lone tackle for loss. Edge rusher/defensive end Solomon Byrd leads the team in sacks with 1.5, which are his lone tackles for loss.
Keys to the game: The first thing Stanford needs to do is contain Caleb Williams. They can’t hope to stop him, but they can hope to at least contain him some. A big part of that is going to be their pass rush. David Bailey is going to have to have a big night off the edge and do all he can to put some pressure on him. If they can do that, they’ll have a chance.
The second thing Stanford needs to do is control possession. The less time the ball enters Williams' hands the better. If Stanford can control possession, move the chains, and then put up points in the process, that more than anything will help them win this game. USC’s defense is vulnerable as there is the chance to put up points and move the chains against them.
Finally, Stanford needs a big performance out of the run game. We know Benjamin Yurosek is going to bring it and that there will be a chance for Stanford to make plays in the pass game, but their running game is where things are a little questionable. They need E.J. Smith and Casey Filkins to ball out. If they do, Stanford just might pull off the upset.
Prediction: I can’t pick against USC given the point spread and their ranking. The Trojans should win this game with little trouble. That said, I’m going to give Stanford some benefit of the doubt and say they make it way more competitive than people expect. USC 42 Stanford 31 is my prediction.
Further reading and watching:
READ: Stanford Football Depth Chart: USC
READ: Q&A with TrojanSports.com
READ: Troy Taylor, Scotty Edwards, and Connor McLaughlin look ahead to USC
VIDEO: Stanford WR Tiger Bachmeier looks ahead to USC
VIDEO: Stanford LB Spencer Lytle looks ahead to USC
VIDEO: Stanford ILB coach Mark D’Onofrio looks ahead to USC
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Email: slamdunk406@yahoo.com
