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USC Football vs. Colorado: Preview, predictions, live stream

By Dana Becker

LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 04: Running back Ronald Jones II #25 of the USC Trojans lands in the end zone for a touchdown in the fourth quarter of the game against the Arizona Wildcats at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on November 4, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 04: Running back Ronald Jones II #25 of the USC Trojans lands in the end zone for a touchdown in the fourth quarter of the game against the Arizona Wildcats at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on November 4, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) /
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USC football looks to keep the momentum going when they hit the road for a Pac-12 contest with Colorado this Saturday.

The Trojans (8-2, 6-1 Pac-12) can seal a division title against the defending South champions on their home field this weekend after scoring almost 100 points in their last two games. Behind quarterback Sam Darnold and running back Ronald Jones II, USC out-scored Arizona last week, 49-35. That came on the heels of a 48-17 victory over Arizona State.

After scoring 49 and 42 in the first two weeks vs. Western Michigan and Stanford, the Trojans didn’t surpass 38 points again until the win over the Sun Devils.

Darnold now sits at 2,869 yards and 22 touchdowns, with Jones having gained 1,082 yards and scored 13 times. USC is averaging 35 points and 492 yards per game on the season.

Following a surprising run to the league title game, the Buffaloes (5-5, 2-5 Pac-12) are still in need of a win over either USC or Utah to gain bowl eligibility. They are coming off a 41-30 setback to Arizona State and are 2-2 over their last four.

Steven Montez has thrown for over 2,400 yards and Phillip Lindsay has ran for 1,334 with 12 touchdowns. The Colorado defense, though, is allowing over 26 points and 440 yards.

Here’s how to watch Saturday’s USC vs. Colorado game:

Date: Saturday, Nov. 11
Time: 4 p.m. ET
Location: Boulder, Colo.
Venue: Folsom Field Stadium
TV: FOX
Live Stream: FOX Sports Go

Keys to Victory

How Darnold continues to play will be the difference in the Trojans looking like legit threats to unseat Washington in December. The sophomore completed 20 of 26 for 311 yards last week against Arizona, giving him five 300-yard games this season.

Darnold, though, has struggled with interceptions, throwing 11 in 349 attempts – up from the nine he tossed in 366 passes last year. Six of those, though, came in the first three weeks, showing his improvement.

Jones has also picked up his game recently, running for 216 yards vs. Arizona State and 194 last week, combining to score five times in those two games. He has six games of over 111 yards.

Lindsay, a senior who ran for 1,252 yards last year, will be the key for Colorado. If he can secure his sixth 100-yard game – or even better, his second 200-yard performance – the Buffaloes will be able to control the time of possession, limiting what Darnold and Jones can do on the field.

Prediction

It is an outside chance, but USC is still holding out hope that crazy upsets happen over the next several weeks, positioning them back as a contender in the College Football Playoff.

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Before they can worry about that, though, they need to win the Pac-12. And that starts with taking care of Colorado and claiming the division title.

Prediction: USC 52, Colorado 17

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