USC vs. Oregon State 2017: The matchup, by the numbers

USC vs. Oregon State takes place this Saturday at the Coliseum, featuring two teams needing to pick themselves up off the mat. Here’s the stats to prove it.

After losing last week to Washington State, the Trojans will be looking to correct their mistakes and get back on the winning track in Saturday’s USC vs. Oregon State game at the Coliseum.

Here are some of the more interesting stats leading into the showdown between the Trojans and Beavers.

The No. 1 Beavers

The Beavers are indeed tied for first in the nation in red zone efficiency, with a 100 percent scoring rate through five games. However, it should also be noted they have only been in the red zone 10 times, scoring nine touchdowns.

By comparison, USC is tied for No. 59 in FBS at 85.7 percent, scoring on 18 of their 21 trips to the red zone. Of those 18 scores, only 13 were touchdowns, with the remaining five being field goals.

The three times the Trojans did not score was a missed field goal and a fourth-down stop against Texas, along with the end of the game drive against Stanford.

Sam Darnold’s 0.0 QB rating

Sam Darnold usually thrives under pressure. Yet last week, the Trojan quarterback had his worst game as a starter. He finished the game at Washington State with a 0.0 passer rating under pressure, per Pro Football Focus.

There were three starting offensive linemen missing for USC, but the stat is still glaring. In all of 2016, Darnold was typically lights out against the blitz, with an adjusted completion percentage of 79 percent, according to PFF.

The redshirt sophomore’s struggles last week were more an indictment on the Trojans’ play calling than himself, with offensive coordinator Tee Martin refusing to lean on the running game or the quick passing game.

OSU’s last-ranked D

Despite the constant criticism of the USC defense, the Trojans’ offense has been the more underwhelming unit through five weeks. However, the Beaver defense is the perfect remedy to get things back on track.

Oregon State’s defense ranks dead last in the Pac-12 in sacks, third down conversions, fourth down defense, first down defense, scoring defense and pass efficiency. They’re also 11th in the Pac-12 in passing yards allowed, rushing defense and total defense.

If the USC offense doesn’t look as potent as it did against Stanford in Week 2, then there will be serious questions about the direction the offense is headed in.

The 23-game Coliseum streak

Not only do the Trojans currently own a 12-game winning streak at the Coliseum, taking all 12 games since Clay Helton took over as interim head coach two years ago, but they’ve won 23 games on the bounce over Oregon State at home.

The Beavers haven’t won at the Coliseum itself since 1971, in what was a UCLA home game. But it’s been 57 years — dating back to 1960— since their most recent Coliseum win over the Trojans.

What’s happened since 1960? USC has won seven national championships,

seven

six Heisman Trophies and have appeared in 23 Rose Bowls. The Beavers only have claim to Terry Baker’s 1962 Heisman and a 34-7 Rose Bowl loss to Michigan in 1965. (Though they did beat Notre Dame by 32 points in the Fiesta Bowl once.)