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Oregon and USC made quarterback changes about midway through the season, replacing their experienced veterans with freshman hopefuls. Their plans to re-energize the teams have since worked, as both programs have been on the rise in recent games. The freshmen signal-callers will go head-to-head in hopes of keeping their seasons rolling in the right direction on Saturday, Nov. 5. Kickoff from Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is set for 4:05 p.m. PT.
Here’s everything you need to know about today’s football action:
Week 10 — Oregon Ducks (3-5, 1-4 Pac-12) @ USC Trojans (5-3, 4-2 Pac-12)
Date: Saturday, November 5, 2016
Time: 4:05 p.m. PT
Place: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (Los Angeles, Calif.)
TV: ESPN
Radio: 590AM (Eugene); 750AM/102.9FM (Portland)
Online Radio: Oregon IMG Sports Network
Follow Along: Live Stats; @AddictedToQuack
Odds: Oregon (+17)
Kickoff Weather: Sunny, 73°
At A Glance
- Oregon Ducks (3-5, 1-4 Pac-12) — The Ducks need to win three of their final four games to become bowl eligible… Oregon has notched 20-plus points for 38 straight games, the nation’s longest active streak… In Herbert’s second start at California, the true freshman set a school record for total offense (512) and broke Bill Musgrave’s 1989, single-game passing record (489)… Herbert has thrown 12 TD passes over his first three starts to match Marcus Mariota (2012) and Joey Harrington (2000) for the most TD passes over a three-game span… The Ducks are second in the Pac-12 in total offense (519.1 yards/game), first in rushing offense (248.0) and fourth in passing offense (271.1)… Oregon comes in at No. 125 of 128 FBS teams in scoring defense and No. 127 in total defense.
- USC Trojans (5-3, 4-2 Pac-12) — USC started the season 1-3, falling to three of college football’s early favorites in No. 1 Alabama, Stanford and No. 16 Utah. Since then, the Trojans have notched wins over Arizona State, Colorado, Arizona and Cal, winning by an average of 20 points. Redshirt freshman QB Sam Darnold started those four wins, replacing junior Max Browne and averaging 294 passing yards over that span for 16 total TDs… In USC’s most recent outing against Cal last Thursday, The Trojans scored the first 21 points before keeping the Golden Bears at arm’s length the rest of the way for a 45-24 victory… With games remaining against Oregon, No. 4 Washington, UCLA and Notre Dame, the Trojans need just one more win to become bowl eligible.
All-Time Series
- The Ducks are 20-38-2 against the Trojans all-time, dating back to their first meeting in 1915. Since 1994, Oregon has gone 10-4 versus USC, most recently topping the Trojans 48-28 in Eugene last season.
In Their Words
Below, you’ll find interviews from Oregon head coach Mark Helfrich and quarterback Justin Herbert, as well as a game preview from Andy McNamara and Rob Moseley of GoDucks.com.
“From a schematic standpoint, they’re very well-coached in all three phases, and then just exceptionally talented,” coach Mark Helfrich said of the Trojans. “It’s a challenge at every level, whether it’s stopping the run, the play-action element, the quarterback run element that he presents I think is a little bit underrated. Special teams obviously, and Adoree Jackson, getting him out of the game is a huge key to success there. Defensively, they’re very good at a base package at each personnel group that they present, and they always have a little package, a little wrinkle for everybody each week, so it’s a little bit difficult to predict what that will be. I’m sure they’ll have a little something for a new quarterback, offensive line, all those kind of things.”
“They’re a very athletic team, very good team, well coached, and it’s going to take a good effort this week to win,” quarterback Justin Herbert said of USC. “They’re going to do a lot of things well. They’re going to play different coverages, bring different guys and bring a lot of things at us.”
“The only freshman in the country rated higher than Herbert in terms of quarterback efficiency is Sam Darnold,” said Andy McNamara of GoDucks.com. “(Darnold’s) last four games, he’s been lights-out, 16 touchdown passes. Much better numbers for him at home compared to road games that he played early in the season.”
“USC’s schedule has been very favorable,” McNamara continued. “They got off to a rough start, 1-3. They’ve been home for a long time now, had a bye week. They had an extra day to prepare for the Ducks, played on a Thursday night after the bye. That’s definitely in their favor. They’ve got that momentum. Darold has secured that quarterback spot and really added the passing game back into the USC offense that had been missing last year and had to rely heavily on the run. Defensively, they always have guys. Adoree Jackson is the big name that people know about. He’s also a key contributor on special teams and occasionally on offense.”