Stanford (Off) vs USC (Def)

Andrew Luck and the Cardinal offense have been a wrecking crew this season.  Last week vs. the Huskies, they gashed Washington on the ground. Using six or seven lineman for much of the game, the Cardinal pounded Washington relentlessly, piling up a school-record 446 yards rushing.  The Cardinal line was so overpowering that running backs Stephan Taylor and Tyler Gaffney were both over 100 yards rushing less than four minutes into the third quarter. 

"It's real fun to get the snap, hand it off and see those big guys work,” Luck said of the offensive line. “It’s a thing of beauty to see those 300-pounders move on their feet.  It’s amazing." 

Look for the Cardinal to come out against the Trojans with the same mind set as they did last week vs. Washington.  Pound, pound, pound the ball-utilizing six and seven lineman-in order to wear the Trojan defense down.  If the Cardinal are successful, then Luck can go to play action passes over the middle to his trio of tight ends or downfield to speedy wideout Chris Owusu.  Owusu has been a big disappointment thus far this season and the team needs him to pick it up down the stretch. 

However, the Trojan defense has been stout against the run this season.  They have only given up 638 yards rushing, which ranks 2nd best in the Pac-12.  The big question is will USC's defense hold its ground against the powerful Stanford running game?  Look for Trojan defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin to employ a 4-3 under defensive scheme against Luck and the Cardinal.  This is USC's base defense that Kiffin developed and perfected at Nebraska.  It’s primarily a gap control defense designed to stop the run and pressure the passer.  Kiffin uses the one-gap approach to enable USC’s defense to be aggressive up the field.  This forces offensive linemen to contend with line games. They also employ an occasional zone dog (zone blitz) to keep them off-balance. 

Stanford’s offensive line still has a big edge here and, led by OG David DeCastro and LT Jonathan Martin, they have simply dominated every defensive front they have played this season. 

USC (Off) vs. Stanford (Def)

The potent Trojans’ passing attack-featuring Matt Barkley throwing to the sensational Robert Woods and Marquise Lee-will pose a huge challenge to the Cardinal secondary.  Woods and Lee are both speedy and very physical when going for the ball.  The Trojans’ offense ranks fourth in the Pac-12. 

They are a balanced unit, averaging 286 yards passing/gm and 145 yards rushing.  Their offensive line is led by angular LT Matt Kalil.  It will be interesting the matchup between Kalil and Cardinal OLB Chase Thomas, who moves around a lot.  Thomas did a good job of bull rushing Kalil last season when the two teams met in Palo Alto. 

Something has got to give here as Stanford's defense ranks first in the conference in rushing defense, allowing just 75 yards rushing per game. The Cardinal is also stingy against the pass, ranking fourth in the conference in that category.  Stanford needs hard-hitting strong safety Delano Howell back against the Trojans.  He sat out the Washington game with a hand injury. 

Look for the Trojans to come out and attempt to be balanced against Stanford.  Running backs Marc Tyler and Curtis McNeal have both run well and each possesses the ability to take over a game (see McNeal vs. Notre Dame).  Look for Stanford to blitz the A and B gaps with stunts and twists while the Stanford secondary plays off of Woods and Lee to keep the Trojans’ wide receivers in front of them. They cannot afford to give up big plays. 

Edge:  Stanford 

PREDICTION

Stanford is too balanced for SC to contain for four quarters.  The Cardinal are determined to remain undefeated going into their November showdown against Oregon.  USC can only play for pride.  Luck does not make mistakes and operates behind one of the best offensive lines in the country. 

After last week's demolishing of Washington, Huskies head coach Steve Sarkisian was asked if he could recall seeing such a dominant line.  

"2005, USC," Sarkisian answered.  "I watched it every game (as an assistant coach for Pete Carroll's 12-1 team)."  

STANFORD 45  USC 27