USC vs California NCAA Football Picks and Tips 11/16/2019

Saturday, November 16, 2019

California Memorial Stadium

Devon Modster and the California Golden Bears host the USC Trojans at California Memorial Stadium on Saturday, November 16, 2019. USC opens this matchup as 6-point favorites. The Trojans are 4-5-1 ATS and 5-5-0 when betting on the total. The Golden Bears are 2-7-0 when wagering on the over/under and 4-5-0 against the spread.

In their last game, the USC Trojans played the Arizona State Sun Devils and notched a win by a score of 31-26. Running the show from under center for the Trojans was Kedon Slovis who went 29/39 with 432 yards passing and completed 4 TD's. He tossed 1 interception during the game. Kenan Christon paced the team on the ground for that game. His longest run of the day went for 11 yards but he never crossed the endzone by way of the rush. He ran for a total of 62 yards via 20 carries which meant he was running for 3.1 yards per tote. Amon-Ra St. Brown was the leader in receiving yardage by earning 173 yards on 8 receptions. He earned an average of 21.6 yards per reception for that game. The Trojans ended up running the ball 27 times and totaled 74 yards which had them averaging 2.7 yards per attempt. Overall, they ran 72 plays for 551 yards. Overall, the Trojans got 23 first downs and they had 11 penalties for 93 yards telling us that this team was extremely undisciplined. When it comes to their defensive performance, USC gave up 28 catches on 44 tries for a total of 292 yards, and a completion percentage of 63.6%. On the ground, the Trojans gave up 47 yards on 21 tries which is an average of 2.2 yards per carry allowed. For this contest, they allowed a total of 339 yards and forced 3 takeaways.

The Trojans come into this matchup with a record of 6-4 this year. They are one of top scoring teams in the nation with an average of 30.5 points per game, which has them at 60th in the nation. As a unit, they have an average of 133.5 rushing yards per contest which is 8th in the Pac-12. For total yards, they sit in 3rd in the conference and 16th in the nation with 4,445 yards. The Trojans have one of the average defenses in the nation, allowing 28.1 points per game putting them 7th in the conference. When it comes to yards through the air, the Trojans have allowed 3,110 yards. Opponents are completing 62% of the passes they throw against them and averaging 7.1 yards per try. When talking about yards rushing, USC is giving up 170.8 yards per contest ranking them 10th in the Pac-12 Conference and 77th in college football. They are allowing teams to run for an average of 4.6 yards per rush putting them 9th in the conference and 87th in the country overall. Overall, they have allowed 1,708 yards rushing through 10 games.

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In their last game, the California Golden Bears went up against the Washington State Cougars and notched a win by a score of 33-20. Christopher Brown Jr. paced the team on the ground during the game. His longest run of the day went for 27 yards and he notched 1 TD for the game. He rushed for 95 yards via 19 carries which gave him an average of 5.0 yards per carry. Makai Polk was the leader in receiving yardage with a tally of 71 yards on 3 receptions. He earned an average of 23.7 yards per catch during the game. Taking the lead at quarterback for the Golden Bears was Devon Modster who went 16/24 with 230 yards passing and added 3 touchdowns. He walked away from this game with no interceptions. The Golden Bears ended up running the ball 36 times and totaled 196 yards giving them an average of 5.4 yards per rush. On the day, they ran 60 plays which added up to 426 yards. On the day, the Golden Bears racked up 19 1st downs and they had 6 penalties for 50 yards which tells us their heads weren't always in the game. On the defensive side of the ball, California gave up 45 completions on 58 throws totaling 407 yards, and a completion percentage of 77.6%. Overall, they allowed a total of 423 yards and earned 2 turnovers. In the running game, the Golden Bears gave up 16 yards on 14 runs which means they had an average of 1.1 yards per attempt allowed.

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The Golden Bears come into this game with a record of 5-4. In terms of offensive proficiency, the Golden Bears have one of the most lackluster offenses in the nation. California is having a year to forget in the ground game by averaging 125.9 rushing yards per game, which has them at 110th in college football. As a team, they have compiled a total of 1,133 rushing yards through 9 games, so they'll need to look to improve on these numbers if they want to compete with the better teams in the nation. The Golden Bears average 308.8 yards per game overall ranking them 120th in the country and 12th in the Pac-12. The Golden Bears are allowing 20.7 points per contest ranking them 3rd in the Pac-12 and 27th in the nation. Their pass defense is one of the middle of the road units in the country. They are allowing 234.7 passing yards per contest. For yards through the air allowed per game, the Golden Bears are ranked 4th in the Pac-12 Conference. When it comes to points allowed, they have given up 186 points in total. In discussing yards rushing, they are allowing 144.6 yards per game which puts them at 51st in the country and 6th in the Pac-12. In 2019, they have conceded a total of 1,301 rushing yards and 11.7 rushing TDs.

Who will win tonight's Trojans/Golden Bears college football game against the spread?

Josh's Pick: Take the Trojans -6

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