Scouting Report: WSU At Usc

3:30 p.m., L.A. Memorial Coliseum

Offense

Washington State: To win, the Cougars need to hold the ball and grind out several long drives. That might be a tough thing do against a defense that is second against the pass and fourth against the run in the Pac-10. But quarterback Matt Kegel has been handed a game plan the coaches hope will help WSU dominate time of possession as it did last week against Oregon. Derrick Roche is back from a sprained knee and gives the Cougars seven offensive linemen. Running back Deon Burnett has had one of his better weeks of practice, but will still be the second option behind David Minnich.

USC: Quarterback Carson Palmer was supposed to be on his way to the NFL after this season. But his stock has dropped dramatically after throwing 15 interceptions and having a quarterback rating of only 112.97. Still, given time, he has an accurate arm. He also has the fastest receiver in the league in Kareem Kelly. The backfield features Sultan McCullough, who averages 111 yards per game and 5.8 yards per carry.

Advantage: USC

Defense

Washington State: The Cougars’ defense is the most improved part of the team. Freshman Rien Long has been a pleasant surprise starting at defensive tackle. Freshman Isaac Brown is also showing a good rush from his defensive end spot. The pair helped rattle Oregon’s Joey Harrington and will be counted on to do the same this week. In nickel and dime packages, the Cougars will have to rely on unproven freshman Jason David or little-used JC transfer Mike Freeman.

USC: Linebackers Zeke Moreno and Markus Steele are the heart of the USC defense. These two allow the Trojans to run multiple blitz packages, which they will surely do against the Cougars. Senior defensive lineman Ennis Davis has come up with nine tackles for loss, including five sacks. The secondary has been able to go to single coverage against many opponents, but against the height of the Cougars, it will probably change that philosophy. USC is not very opportunistic. The Trojans have only seven interceptions and eight fumble recoveries.

Advantage: USC

Special teams

Washington State: The kicking saga continues for the Cougars. They took two kickers, something they have not done in years. Anousith Wilaikul has been inconsistent, so freshman Drew Dunning will get a shot. Dunning is likely to kick close-range field goals and maybe extra points. The Cougars have also shifted more first-teamers to the kickoff coverage and punt teams. Kicker/punter Alan Cox has had four tackles in the past two weeks, so something needed to be done to shore up these units.

USC: The Trojans have used three kickers but have only two field goals longer than 30 yards. Coach Paul Hackett will either go for it on fourth-and-short inside the 35 or pooch punt. The Trojans have plenty of speed on the return teams but have not broken a long one. They have a few punt blocks, but those were early in the year.

Advantage: USC

Predicted score: USC 24, WSU 21