Pac 10 Sports Blog

The Pac-10 Conference’s Rivalry Week, Part 2, belonged to the Oregon Ducks.

Seven days after California beat Stanford in the Big Game and Washington State edged Washington for the Apple Cup, the Ducks and their in-state rival the Oregon State Beavers squared off in the annual grudge match known as the Civil War.

It turned out to be no contest.

Propelled by a high-octane offense that produced 37 points in the first half and 28 more after the intermission, visiting Oregon soared to a 65-38 victory last Saturday in Corvallis, foiling Oregon State’s chance to clinch a long-awaited Rose Bowl berth.

As a result, USC now has the inside track to represent the Pac-10 in Pasadena on Jan. 1. The Trojans will line up Saturday against cross-town foe UCLA during the conference’s Rivalry Week, Part 3.

If coach Pete Carroll’s fifth-ranked Trojans prevail over UCLA in the battle for the Victory Bell, they will earn the outright conference championship and will meet Joe Paterno’s Penn State Nittany Lions in the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day.

Here is a look at Saturday’s Pac-10 slate, which includes the rivalry clash between the Arizona Wildcats and Arizona State Sun Devils.

Washington (0-11 overall, 0-8 Pac-10) @ California (7-4, 5-3)
1 p.m. MST Saturday
Tyrone Willingham will coach his final game for the Huskies as Washington attempts to avoid a winless season.
California appears set to accept an invitation to the Emerald Bowl in San Francisco. The Golden Bears likely will hand the ball early and often on Saturday to tailback Jahvid Best, who ran for 201 yards two weeks ago against Stanford and has rushed for 1,083 yards on the season.
The Huskies defeated the Golden Bears last year in Seattle, 37-23. Washington hasn’t won since.
Prediction: California 38, Washington 17

USC (10-1, 7-1) @ UCLA (4-7, 3-5)
2:30 p.m. MST Saturday
The Trojans have clinched at least a share of their seventh consecutive conference title. They can win it outright with a victory over UCLA and can consequently earn their fourth consecutive Rose Bowl appearance.
The Bruins will be aiming to duplicate their rivalry performance of two years ago, when they sprang a 13-9 upset over the Trojans, costing USC an opportunity to play in the national championship game.
More likely is a repeat of the type of contest which took place last season, when USC held the Bruins to 168 total yards and forced four turnovers in a 24-7 victory.
This year’s USC team is ranked first in the nation in scoring defense and total defense, allowing just 7.8 points and 210.5 yards per game. The UCLA offense does not figure to have any more success against the Trojans than Notre Dame did last week, when USC romped 38-3, limiting the Fighting Irish to 91 total yards and four first downs.
Prediction: USC 34, UCLA 0

Arizona State (5-6, 4-4) @ Arizona (6-5, 4-4)
6 p.m. MST Saturday
The winner of Saturday night’s Duel in the Desert not only will enjoy statewide bragging rights and possession of the rivalry’s Territorial Cup — they’ll also receive a trip to Vegas.
For the Sun Devils, it’s all or nothing. If they defeat the UA for the fourth consecutive season, the Las Vegas Bowl awaits. If the Sun Devils fold, their season becomes a bust, with a losing record and no offer to participate in any bowl game.
For the Wildcats, the consequences for losing wouldn’t be quite so bad — they’d still receive an invitation to Honolulu to play in the Hawaii Bowl. Nonetheless, this is a case for Arizona where the importance of the victory outweighs the relative value of the reward.
In other words, while the Wildcats certainly have nothing against the premise of spending a week in Hawaiian paradise, they’d much rather experience the sights and sounds of Sin City — if defeating the archrival Sun Devils is the required means to get there.
The outcome of the UA-ASU matchup figures to be decided by what happens throughout the night when the host Wildcats have the ball. While the Arizona offense — featuring quarterback Willie Tuitama, running backs Nic Grigsby and Keola Antolin, wide receiver Mike Thomas and tight end Rob Gronkowski — is capable of putting up 30-plus points, the Arizona State defense boasts a cadre of playmakers who possess the ability to shut the Wildcats down. The Sun Devils showed off their defensive skills on Nov. 28 in a 34-9 victory over UCLA, holding the Bruins to three field goals and returning four UCLA turnovers for touchdowns.
If the Duel in the Desert evolves into a shootout, the mundane Arizona State offense will be hard-pressed to keep up. Heading into the season, the Sun Devils had the on-paper look of a juggernaut, but it hasn’t turned out that way. While the passing offense led by fourth-year starting quarterback Rudy Carpenter has been reasonably productive (averaging 229.1 yards per game), the ASU rushing attack has been pathetic (gaining an average of 93.7 yards per contest).
Prediction: Arizona 20, Arizona State 17

By Tom Kessler
DFN Sports Staff Writer

With their starting quarterback and star running back sidelined with shoulder injuries, the Oregon State Beavers pulled off a last-minute comeback at Arizona. The Beavers’ 19-17 victory kept them on track to earn their first Rose Bowl berth since the 1964 season.
Trailing the Arizona Wildcats 17-16 with 1:19 remaining in their Pac-10 clash in Tucson last Saturday, the Beavers drove from their own 20-yard line to the Arizona 7. The key play in the series was a 47-yard pass from backup quarterback Sean Canfield to receiver Sammie Stroughter.
Canfield, a junior who threw for 224 yards and a touchdown in relief of injured starter Lyle Moevao, found Stroughter alone and beyond the defense along the left side. It was the fifth catch of the night for Stroughter, a senior who finished with 116 receiving yards and a touchdown.
The big play set up a 24-yard field goal attempt for Oregon State sophomore Justin Kahut, whose successful kick sailed through the uprights with no time left, lifting the Beavers to the 19-17 triumph.
At 7-1 in the conference, the Beavers are deadlocked with USC atop the Pac-10 standings. Each of the leaders has one league game remaining, but Oregon State owns the tie-breaker advantage based upon a 27-21 victory over the Trojans on Sept. 25.
Here is a look at this week’s match-ups involving Pac-10 teams, beginning with a rivalry showdown that has direct Rose Bowl implications.

Oregon (8-3 overall, 6-2 Pac-10) @ Oregon State (8-3, 7-1)
7 p.m. EST Saturday
All that stands now between the 17th-ranked Beavers and their first trip to Pasadena in 44 years is one more Pac-10 opponent. That foe, however, is no ordinary adversary. The 19th-ranked Oregon Ducks, who are averaging 39.8 points per game this season to lead the conference in scoring offense, would like nothing better than to spoil the Beavers’ plans in this in-state grudge match known as the Civil War.
The high-powered Ducks, who also lead the league in total offense (at 458.5 yards per game) and rushing offense (with 268.1 yards per contest), feature game-breaking running backs Jeremiah Johnson and LeGarrette Blount as well as dual-threat quarterback Jeremiah Masoli. Johnson (with 863 yards) and Blount (816 yards) are ranked fifth and sixth, respectively, in the Pac-10 in rushing. Masoli has passed for 1,212 yards and has rushed for 559.
Oregon State is ranked fourth in the conference in scoring offense (at 32.4 points per game) and third in total offense (at 414.2 yards per contest), but the Beavers could be without two of their main weapons in Moevao and freshman tailback Jacquizz Rodgers.
Moevao is aiming to come back from the shoulder injury that kept him out last week. If Moevao can’t play, the Beavers will again rely upon Canfield.
Rodgers, the Pac-10’s leading rusher with 1,253 yards, left the game against Arizona in the first quarter with a shoulder sprain. Oregon State head coach Mike Riley said this week that Rodgers is doubtful to play against Oregon.
Rodgers’ brother James Rodgers rushed for 102 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries last week at Arizona. James Rodgers, a sophomore wide receiver, has caught 50 passes for 612 yards this season for the Beavers. His per-game average of 55.6 yards receiving ranks fifth in the Pac-10.
Stroughter is the Pac-10 leader in receiving with 73.4 yards per game, for a season total of 807.
Oregon State holds a statistical edge defensively over Oregon. The Beavers rank second behind USC in the Pac-10 in scoring defense (at 21.4 points per game, tied with California) and second in total defense (allowing 289.6 yards per game). Oregon is rated sixth in the conference in scoring defense (27.1 points per game) and seventh in total defense (375.7 yards per game).
Oregon stands alone in third place in the Pac-10 standings, one game ahead of California, which posted a 37-16 victory last week over rival Stanford (5-7, 4-5). The Cal Golden Bears (7-4, 5-3) will close out their league season on Dec. 6 with a home game against Washington (0-11, 0-8).
Last year’s Civil War game between Oregon and Oregon State was a classic in Eugene, as the visiting Beavers defeated the Ducks, 38-31 in double-overtime. James Rodgers scored the winning touchdown for Oregon State on a 25-yard run in the second overtime.
Saturday’s game at Reser Stadium in Corvallis should be another thriller.
Prediction: Oregon 31, Oregon State 28

UCLA (4-6, 3-4) @ Arizona State (4-6, 3-4)
9:30 p.m. EST Friday
The loser of this night-after-Thanksgiving match-up in Tempe will be eliminated from bowl consideration, while the winner will need to post another victory on Dec. 6 to earn post-season eligibility. Both teams will play in rivalry games on Dec. 6, when Arizona State will travel down Interstate 10 to battle Arizona in the Duel in the Desert and UCLA will host cross-town foe USC.
Arizona State has won two straight after floundering through a six-game losing streak. The Sun Devils blanked Washington State, 31-0, in their most-recent game on Nov. 15, posting their first shutout since a 19-0 triumph over top-ranked Nebraska in 1996.
The Bruins also played stellar defense in their last game, forcing five turnovers in a 27-7 win at Washington on Nov. 15.
Arizona State defeated UCLA last year, 24-20, as tailback Keegan Herring rushed for 116 yards and a touchdown.
Prediction: Arizona State 23, UCLA 17

Notre Dame (6-5) @ USC (9-1)
8 p.m. EST Saturday
The Trojans have won six in a row in their non-conference rivalry against the Fighting Irish. Last year’s game in South Bend was no contest, as Mark Sanchez threw four touchdown passes to lead USC to a 38-0 rout.
The rugged USC defense, which is allowing just 8.3 points and 222.5 yards per game, should dominate the Irish again.
Prediction: USC 31, Notre Dame 3

Washington State (2-10) @ Hawaii (6-5)
11 p.m. EST Saturday
Washington State edged rival Washington last week, 16-13 in double-overtime, as Nico Grasu kicked a 28-yard field goal on the final play of regulation to tie the game and then booted a 37-yarder in the second overtime to win it.
The dramatic victory was the Cougars’ first of the year in Pac-10 competition. Washington State fans stormed the field in jubilation afterward, as the Cougars won the Apple Cup for the second consecutive season.
The Hawaii Warriors, meanwhile, have scored 91 points in their last two games, defeating New Mexico State, 42-30, and Idaho, 49-17.
Washington State has allowed 546 points this season for a per-game average of 45.5.
Prediction: Hawaii 52, Washington State 17

By Tom Kessler
DFN Sports Staff Writer

The Oregon State Beavers are just two wins away from clinching their first trip to the Rose Bowl in 44 years.
The Beavers took another giant step toward a New Year’s Day invitation to Pasadena last Saturday when they defeated the California Golden Bears, 34-21, in Corvallis. With the victory, Oregon State improved to 6-1 in the Pac-10.
The USC Trojans, who pulled away in the second half Saturday night for a 45-23 triumph over Stanford, currently stand atop the conference at 7-1. Oregon State, however, can leapfrog over the Trojans and into the Rose Bowl if the Beavers (who defeated USC, 27-21, on Sept. 25) win their final two regular-season games, against Arizona this Saturday and against rival Oregon on Nov. 29.
The Oregon Ducks, who hold sole possession of third place in the Pac-10, defeated fourth-place Arizona, 55-45, in a shootout at Autzen Stadium in Eugene last Saturday. Meanwhile, in games last week involving teams in the lower tier of the conference standings, Arizona State shut out Washington State, 31-0, and UCLA defeated Washington, 27-7.
Three games are on the Pac-10 schedule for this Saturday, with the spotlight contest kicking off at 7 p.m. EST in Tucson when Arizona hosts Oregon State.

Washington (0-10 overall, 0-7 Pac-10) @ Washington State (1-10, 0-8)
3 p.m. EST
The Apple Cup rivalry series has produced 64 victories for the UW Huskies and 30 wins for the WSU Cougars, with six ties. Last year’s game, the 100th Apple Cup, was won by Washington State, 42-35.
This season’s match-up is unique in that neither team has posted a victory all year over a Division I-A program.
Washington State’s only win came on Sept. 20 over Division I-AA Portland State. Washington hasn’t beaten anybody and is the only winless team in the FBS. The Huskies should be able to change that Saturday against a Washington State squad that has been outscored 440-61 in eight Pac-10 games.
Prediction: Washington 31, Washington State 24

Stanford (5-6, 4-4) @ California (6-4, 4-3)
3:30 p.m. EST
These northern California rivals have met 110 times in the Big Game since 1892, with Stanford posting 55 victories, Cal winning 44, and 11 contests ending in ties. Total points scored in the series: 1,780 for Cal, 1,755 for Stanford.
The Cardinal prevailed in last year’s grudge match, 20-13. They’ll try to win a similar type of ball-control struggle on Saturday, handing the rock early and often to senior Toby Gerhart, who is the first Stanford running back in 18 years to rush for more than 1,000 yards in a season. Gerhart, who finished with 101 yards and a touchdown on the ground last week against USC, now has 1,033 rushing yards this year and is just 52 yards away from breaking Stanford’s single-season record, set by Tommy Vardell in 1991.
Stanford needs a victory Saturday in its regular-season finale to qualify for a bowl game.
Cal, which is already bowl-bound, finishes the regular season with two home games. In addition to Saturday’s tussle against Stanford, the Golden Bears also will host Washington on Dec. 6.
Prediction: California 24, Stanford 21

Oregon State (7-3, 6-1) @ Arizona (6-4, 4-3)
7 p.m. EST
The Arizona defense was torched last Saturday by Oregon for 45 points and 411 total yards — in the first half.
The Wildcats rallied to make a game of it in the second half, closing a 45-17 deficit at the intermission to 48-45 on freshman tailback Keola Antolin’s fourth touchdown of the day with 6:38 remaining. The Ducks, however, clinched it on a 40-yard touchdown run by LeGarrette Blount with 3:38 left.
Saturday’s contest between Oregon State and Arizona could develop into another shootout. Oregon State freshman Jacquizz Rodgers leads the Pac-10 in rushing with 1,233 yards, while the Wildcats can counter with the 1-2 punch of sophomore Nic Grigsby (who has 941 yards rushing on the season) and Antolin (who has rushed for 398 yards). The Beavers’ Rodgers and the Wildcats’ Grisby each have run for 11 touchdowns, while the UA’s Antolin has nine rushing TDs.
Junior quarterback Lyle Moevao has passed for 1,967 yards and 14 touchdowns for the Beavers, while UA senior Willie Tuitama has thrown for 18 touchdowns and a conference-leading 2,321 yards.
Prediction: Oregon State 38, Arizona 35

By Tom Kessler
DFN Sports Staff Writer

The USC Trojans earned another key victory in the Pac-10 title chase last week when they defeated California, 17-3. Oregon State, meanwhile, remained just a half-game behind the first-place Trojans by knocking off UCLA, 34-6.
Elsewhere in the conference last Saturday, Oregon edged Stanford in a 35-28 thriller. Arizona became bowl-eligible by pounding Washington State, 59-28, while Arizona State snapped a six-game losing streak with a 39-19 win over Washington.
Another full slate of Pac-10 action is on this week’s schedule. Here is a look at the five match-ups.

California (6-3 overall, 4-2 Pac-10) at Oregon State (6-3, 5-1)
3:30 p.m. EST
Oregon State controls its own destiny in the race for the Rose Bowl, owning a tie-breaker advantage over USC thanks to a 27-21 victory over the Trojans on Sept. 25. If the Beavers can defeat California, Arizona and Oregon to close out their regular-season schedule, they will be playing in Pasadena on Jan. 1.
Oregon State tailback Jacquizz Rodgers has been a major factor in the Beavers’ success. With 144 yards rushing last week against UCLA, Rodgers increased his season total to 1,089 yards, setting a new Pac-10 freshman record. He is on pace to become the first freshman ever to lead the Pac-10 in rushing.
California will be looking to get its offense back on track after being held to three points and 165 total yards last week against USC.
Prediction: Oregon State 31, California 27

Washington State (1-9, 0-7) at Arizona State (3-6, 2-4)
5:30 p.m. EST
While the Sun Devils’ season has been a disappointment, they can still qualify for a bowl game if they finish with victories over Washington State, UCLA and rival Arizona.
Arizona State should have no trouble with a Washington State team that has allowed 409 points in seven Pac-10 games.
Prediction: Arizona State 49, Washington State 10

Arizona (6-3, 4-2) at Oregon (7-3, 5-2)
6:30 p.m. EST
This game has the makings of an entertaining shootout between two teams that have plenty of offensive firepower.
Oregon is the top rushing team in the Pac-10 with an average of 274.3 yards per game. Quarterback Jeremiah Masoli led the Ducks on a buzzer-beating drive last Saturday against Stanford, as LeGarrette Blount scored the winning touchdown on a 3-yard run with six seconds remaining.
Meanwhile, Arizona amassed 531 yards of total offense last week against Washington State. Nic Grigsby rushed for 189 yards and Willie Tuitama passed for 214 for the Wildcats.
In winning their sixth game of the season, the Wildcats have qualified to play in a bowl game. It will be Arizona’s first bowl trip since 1998.
Prediction: Oregon 34, Arizona 31

USC (8-1, 6-1) at Stanford (5-5, 4-3)
7 p.m. EST
This year’s Stanford team is better than the one that went to Southern Cal last season as a 41-point underdog and shocked the Trojans, 24-23.
This year’s USC defense, however, has been dominant in eight of the Trojans’ nine games, with the lone exception being the 27-21 loss to Oregon State in late September. Since that loss, USC has won six straight and has outscored its opponents, 231-23.
For the season, the Trojans lead the nation in scoring defense (at 6.7 points allowed per game) and total defense (206.4 yards per game). They should be able to maintain those rankings by shutting down Stanford’s grind-it-out, ball-control offense.
Prediction: USC 31, Stanford 3

UCLA (3-6, 2-4) at Washington (0-9, 0-6)
10:15 p.m. EST
Rick Neuheisel takes his new team, the Bruins, to Seattle to face the Huskies, a team that he coached from 1999-2002.
While Washington is the only FBS team in the country that has not won a game this season, the losing streak could end on Saturday.
Prediction: Washington 24, UCLA 21

By Tom Kessler
DFN Sports Staff Writer

The California Golden Bears defeated visiting Oregon, 26-16, in the rain at Berkeley last Saturday, improving to 4-1 in the Pac-10. The Bears trail first-place USC (a 56-0 winner over Washington last week) by a half-game, and the two contenders will face off Saturday night in a showcase matchup in SoCal.
Meanwhile, the Oregon State Beavers are also very much a factor in the conference race at 4-1. With an earlier victory over USC in their pocket, the Beavers kept chopping wood in the title chase by holding on for a 27-25 win over Arizona State last week.
Stanford, Arizona and Oregon each have two losses in the league. The Cardinal posted a 58-0 shutout over Washington State last week, while the UA Wildcats had a bye.

Here is a look at Saturday’s full slate of games in the Pac-10.

Stanford (5-4 overall, 4-2 Pac-10) @ Oregon (6-3, 4-2)
3:30 p.m. EST
The Ducks didn’t take to the water in the California quagmire last week. Oregon’s lengthy list of miscues included two turnovers that led to short touchdown drives for the Golden Bears.
Stanford running back Toby Gerhart needs 89 more yards to become the school’s first 1,000-yard rusher since the player known in Cardinal lore as “Touchdown Tommy” achieved the feat 17 years ago. Tommy Vardell, who went on to a productive NFL career as a first-round draft choice for the Cleveland Browns, churned out 1,084 yards on the ground for Stanford in 1991.
The Ducks won last year’s game over the Cardinal, 55-31. This one figures to be much closer.
Prediction: Oregon 24, Stanford 21

Arizona (5-3, 3-2) @ Washington State (1-8, 0-6)
5 p.m. EST
Arizona is closing in on qualifying for the Tucson school’s first bowl game since 1998. One more win would make the Wildcats bowl-eligible, while two victories would virtually guarantee them a bowl-game invitation.
Meanwhile, in Pullman, an early-season win over Division I-AA Portland State can’t mask the fact that Washington State is having one of the worst seasons ever by a Pac-10 team.
Just how bad have the Cougars been in 2008?
They have lost their six conference games by scores of 66-3, 63-14, 28-3, 66-13, 69-0 and 58-0.
They have scored a total of 33 points in those games.
They have already set a Pac-10 record in defensive futility by allowing 350 points in their conference games, and that total could approach or eclipse the 500-point plateau by the time WSU’s league schedule is complete.
Back on Aug. 30, Arizona hung 70 points on its over-matched opening-night opponent, the Idaho Vandals. A repeat performance for the Wildcats could be in the offing on Saturday.
Prediction: Arizona 63, Washington State 6

Oregon State (5-3, 4-1) @ UCLA (3-5, 2-3)
6 p.m. EST
Oregon State quarterback Lyle Moevao left last week’s game against Arizona State in the second quarter with an injury, but backup Sean Canfield passed for 218 yards and two touchdowns to guide the Beavers to a hard-fought victory over the Sun Devils.
Oregon State tailback Jacquizz Rodgers needs 55 more rushing yards to become the third freshman in Pac-10 history to reach the 1,000-yard mark. He leads the league with 118.1 yards per game and is on pace to become the first freshman ever to win the league rushing title.
UCLA defeated Oregon State last season, 40-14. An approximate reversal of that score sounds about right for Saturday’s game in Pasadena.
Prediction: Oregon State 38, UCLA 10

Arizona State (2-6, 1-4) @ Washington (0-8, 0-5)
7 p.m. EST
In an attempt to provide a spark to their moribund rushing attack, ASU gave junior Shaun DeWitty his first career start at tailback last week against Oregon State. DeWitty responded by rushing for 110 yards on 16 carries, and he’ll aim to surpass those numbers Saturday against winless Washington.
While the Sun Devils have lost six straight, they still can qualify for a bowl game if they win their last four over Washington, Washington State, UCLA and Arizona.
Prediction: Arizona State 34, Washington 14

California (6-2, 4-1) @ USC (7-1, 5-1)
8 p.m. EST
The Golden Bears can shake up the Pac-10 title race by pulling off an upset against the seventh-ranked Trojans. In order to do it, however, No. 21 California will have to solve a USC defense that has allowed more than 10 points in a game just once all season.
Oregon State scored 27 in its stunning victory over the Trojans on Sept. 25. In their other seven games, the Trojans have allowed 7, 3, 10, 0, 0, 10 and 0 points, for a total of 30.
For the season, USC is first in the nation in both scoring defense (at 7.1 points per game) and total defense (211.6 yards per game).
The Trojans will need to be prepared to face either California starting quarterback Kevin Riley, who left the Bears’ game against Oregon last week with a concussion, or backup and sometimes-starter Nate Longshore, who filled in admirably with 136 passing yards, or both.
The Golden Bears stayed close in this matchup last year, losing to the Trojans, 24-17, at Berkeley.
Prediction: USC 27, California 10

By Tom Kessler
DFN Sports Staff Writer

Highlighted by Stanford’s 24-23 victory over Arizona, last week’s Pac-10 results also included a 31-24 triumph for Oregon over UCLA, a 28-0 shutout for USC over Arizona State, and Oregon State’s 66-13 runaway over Washington State.
Saturday’s conference schedule features four games, with Arizona State and Oregon having the week off.

USC (4-1 overall, 2-1 Pac-10) @ Washington State (1-6, 0-4)
3:30 p.m. EDT Saturday
The sixth-ranked Trojans have rebounded from their loss to Oregon State by turning in dominating performances against Oregon and Arizona State.
USC should be able to name the score against over-matched Washington State. The Cougars lost another quarterback in last week’s defeat at Oregon State when freshman Marshall Lobbestael went down with a season-ending knee injury.
The Trojans hold a 55-8-4 lead in the all-time series against the Cougars. USC won last year’s game, 47-14, in Pullman.
Prediction: USC 63, Washington State 3

Stanford (4-3, 3-1) @ UCLA (2-4, 1-2)
4 p.m. EDT Saturday
The Cardinal rallied past Arizona last week when Toby Gerhart scored the winning touchdown on a 1-yard run with 25 seconds remaining. Gerhart rushed for 116 yards on 24 carries in the game, while his teammate Anthony Kimble finished with 110 yards rushing on 10 attempts.
The Bruins, meanwhile, were surprisingly competitive in their seven-point loss to Oregon, as UCLA quarterback Kevin Craft passed for 288 yards and a touchdown.
The Bruins have won the last four games in the series against Stanford, including a 45-17 victory last year in a contest that saw UCLA running back Kahlil Bell rush for 195 yards.
The Bruins will need another productive day from Bell on Saturday in a matchup that figures to be close and low-scoring.
Prediction: Stanford 17, UCLA 14

Oregon State (3-3, 2-1) @ Washington (0-5, 0-3)
7 p.m. EDT Saturday
The Beavers rushed for 323 yards in their lopsided victory last week over Washington State. Jacquizz Rodgers, the Pac-10’s leading rusher with an average of 119.7 yards per game, gained 168 yards on the ground to lead Oregon State.
Redshirt freshman Ronnie Fouch will get his second start at quarterback for the Huskies, who had a bye last week. Fouch is filling in for the injured Jake Locker.
Oregon State defeated Washington last year, 29-23, at Corvallis.
Prediction: Oregon State 30, Washington 17

California (4-1, 2-0) @ Arizona (4-2, 2-1)
10 p.m. EDT Saturday
The 25th-ranked Golden Bears are the only Pac-10 team that is undefeated in conference play. They will seek to unleash a prolific ground attack featuring running backs Jahvid Best and Shane Vereen against an Arizona defense that was gashed for 286 yards rushing last week against Stanford.
Best is second in the Pac-10 with an average of 105.2 yards rushing per game, while Vereen ranks sixth   at 74.4 yards per contest.
Arizona’s Nic Grigsby is third in the league with 102.3 yards rushing per game.
The Golden Bears enjoyed a bye last week after defeating Arizona State, 24-14, on Oct. 4. Nate Longshore passed for three touchdowns against the Sun Devils. Best missed the game against ASU with a dislocated elbow, but he hopes to return to the lineup against the Wildcats.
California leads the all-time series against Arizona, 13-12-2. The Golden Bears won last year’s game, 45-27, jumping out in front 28-3 in the first quarter. Longshore threw for 235 yards and a touchdown in the contest, while Arizona’s Willie Tuitama attempted 61 passes, completing 42 for 309 yards and one score.
Prediction: California 27, Arizona 21

Last Saturday’s five games involving Pac-10 teams unfolded predictably: Stanford fell to Notre Dame, 28-21; California defeated Arizona State, 24-14; Arizona took care of Washington, 48-14; USC hammered Oregon, 44-10; and UCLA won easily over Washington State, 28-3. Two nights earlier, Oregon State fell to Utah in a non-conference matchup, 31-28.
Four league contests are on this week’s schedule, with California and Washington enjoying a bye.

Arizona (4-1 overall, 2-0 Pac-10) at Stanford (3-3, 2-1)
5 p.m. EDT Saturday
The Wildcats have played impressively in four of their five games this season, the only exception being a 36-28 loss to New Mexico in Week 3.
Senior quarterback Willie Tuitama has thrown for 1,207 yards and 13 touchdowns, with just two interceptions (both against New Mexico). Tight end Rob Gronkowski caught three touchdown passes in last week’s victory over Washington.
Meanwhile, the Arizona defense is ranked second in the country, having allowed just 226.2 yards per game. Stanford will try to run right at the teeth of that defense, handing the ball early and often to 6-1, 235-pound running back Toby Gerhart, a junior who has rushed for 525 yards and six touchdowns.
The Cardinal edged the Wildcats last year in Tucson, 21-20. Nic Grigsby finished with 126 yards rushing for Arizona.
Prediction: Arizona 27, Stanford 20

Arizona State (2-3, 1-1) at USC (3-1, 1-1)
3:30 p.m. EDT Saturday
The Trojans have won the last eight games in the series, including a 44-24 triumph on Thanksgiving night last season.
Rudy Carpenter passed for 240 yards and a touchdown in that game for the Sun Devils, but the Arizona State senior is unlikely to play Saturday because of an ankle injury he sustained last week against California. If Carpenter can’t go, the Sun Devils will turn to junior Danny Sullivan.
USC quarterback Mark Sanchez (who has thrown for 1,069 yards and 13 touchdowns this season) has been hobbled this week by a bruised left knee he suffered against Oregon, but the Trojans appear confident that he’ll play Saturday. If he doesn’t, head coach Pete Carroll said that Mitch Mustain will get the call.
The Trojans also are hopeful that standout linebacker Rey Maualuga will return to the lineup after missing last week’s game with a sprained knee.
Arizona State has lost three straight after opening the season with victories over Northern Arizona and Stanford.
Prediction: USC 31, Arizona State 10

Washington State (1-5, 0-3) at Oregon State (2-3, 1-1)
6:30 p.m. EDT Saturday
In last year’s matchup, the Beavers rushed for 218 yards and six touchdowns in a 52-17 victory over the Cougars. Meanwhile, the Oregon State defense intercepted seven passes in the game.
More of the same could be on tap for Saturday, as Washington State will be hard-pressed to contain tailback Jacquizz Rodgers. The Oregon State freshman leads the Pac-10 in rushing with an average of 110 yards per game. Freshman quarterback Marshall Lobbestael will start his third game for Washington State.
Prediction: Oregon State 56, Washington State 14

UCLA (2-3, 1-1) at Oregon (4-2, 2-1)
10:15 p.m. EDT Saturday
The Ducks will aim to rebound from last week’s shellacking at USC.
Oregon has rushed for a league-best 267.2 yards per game. Running backs Jeremiah Johnson and LeGarrette Blount will look to maintain that average against the struggling Bruins.
Oregon’s defense leads the Pac-10 with 18 sacks, which does not bode well for UCLA quarterback Kevin Craft.
Prediction: Oregon 41, UCLA 10

By Tom Kessler
DFN Sports Staff Writer

The Pacific 10 Conference dominates the headlines along the USA’s West Coast throughout the football & basketball seasons and this fall should be no different. Arizona State and Oregon come off of fantastic seasons and USC is a perennial title contender, and the 2008 NCAA college football previews are now live at College Sports Fans. All ten Pac 10 team previews are now here so that fans like you can see how your team is expected to fare in 2008.

2008 Pac 10 Football Preview

• 2008 Arizona Wildcats football preview
• 2008 Arizona State Sun Devils football preview
• 2008 California (Cal) Golden Bears football preview
• 2008 Oregon Ducks football preview
• 2008 Oregon State Beavers football preview
• 2008 Stanford Cardinal football preview
• 2008 UCLA Bruins football preview
• 2008 USC Trojans football preview
• 2008 Washington Huskies football preview
• 2008 Washington State Cougars football preview