| Saturday, November 23 No. 7 USC (8-2) at No. 24 UCLA (7-3) |
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PASADENA, California (Ticker) -- It has been a series of streaks between Pac-10 Conference rivals USC and UCLA. The seventh-ranked Trojans seek their fourth straight win over UCLA when they visit the Rose Bowl to face the 24th-ranked Bruins on Saturday. UCLA had won the eight previous meetings which came after a four-game unbeaten run by the Trojans. USC (8-2, 6-1) will try to extend the current streak and keep its slim Pac-10 Conference title hopes alive. The Trojans must win this week and hope Washington State loses its last two games to advance to the Rose Bowl. USC also is in contention for an at-large berth in the Bowl Championship Series it if wins this week against UCLA and next week against Notre Dame. UCLA (7-3, 4-2) also has an outside chance of playing on its home field on New Year's Day. UCLA will play in the Rose Bowl if wins its last two games and Washington State loses twice. The Bruins and Cougars meet on December 7. The Trojans have won five straight games behind the right arm of Carson Palmer, who has emerged as a Heisman Trophy candidate. In his last four games, Palmer has thrown for 1,327 yards and 15 touchdowns. Palmer has a touchdown pass in every game this season and at least two on seven occasions. Palmer did not have a huge game against the Bruins last season, throwing for just 180 yards. But the Trojans thoroughly dominated UCLA, 27-0, USC's first shutout in the series since 1947. Pete Carroll is 12-3 as USC coach after losing five of his first seven games. UCLA has weathered the loss of quarterback Cory Paus and has used a pair of freshman signal-callers - Drew Olson and Matt Moore - to keep the offense productive. The Bruins have won three straight games, combining for 97 points in wins over Stanford, Washington and Arizona. Olson and Moore have played the last three games and have not thrown an interception. But this week they will be throwing against a USC secondary that features star safety Troy Polamalu. Another freshman, Tyler Ebell, has taken some of the pressure off the quarterbacks by rushing for over 100 yards in six straight games. UCLA was off last week after recording six sacks in a 37-7 win at Arizona.
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