:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/19111299/20130305_ajw_al2_509.0.jpg)
The Washington State Cougars and USC Trojans will kick off their Pac-12 slates when they face off in Los Angeles on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. PT. The Cougars come into the game looking to even their record after falling to Auburn in their season-opener. USC picked up a win in Hawai'i last weekend, but was hardly dominant against the Warriors.
WSU and USC last met in 2010, with the Trojans winning 50-16. WSU's last win in the series was 2002 in Pullman.
The Trojans come into the game ranked No. 25 in the AP poll and No. 22 in the Coaches' Poll. The last time the Cougars won a game over a ranked team on the road was a 55-16 win over No. 15 Oregon in 2003.
USC is still trying to figure out its starting quarterback situation. Cody Kessler and Max Wittek split time against Hawai'i, and it appears that they will do the same this weekend. The Trojans will likely rely heavily on the run until either Kessler or Wittek can play well enough to seize the job.
The Cougs showed flashes of Air Raid success against Auburn, but quarterback Connor Halliday still threw three interceptions. While Halliday's completion percentage and touchdown/interception ratio weren't great, he did do well in checking to runs at the line of scrimmage. That helped WSU running backs Teondray Caldwell and Marcus Mason both top seven yards per carry and the Cougars rush for 120 net yards as a team.
To provide some perspective on how long it has been since Washington State visited Memorial Coliseum, that last game in 2009 was Jeff Tuel's freshman debut.
Game time, TV schedule: 7:30 p.m. PT, Fox Sports 1
Radio stream: TuneIn Radio
Previews: USC offense | Most important player for WSU | Q&A with Conquest Chronicles