The annual USC vs. Cal game doubles as Homecoming, kicking off at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN at the Coliseum. Here is everything you need to watch the game.
The Bears may be out of the Pac-12 North race, but the Trojans are fighting to keep their Pac-12 South hopes alive this Saturday.
The USC vs. Cal matchup pits an exceptional Bear defense against a Trojan offense in transition.
Head coach Clay Helton dismissed offensive line coach Neil Callaway and took over playcalling duties from offensive coordinator Tee Martin last week. Those changes seemed to make an impact as the Trojans downed Oregon State in Corvallis, but the Beaver defense pales in comparison to Cal’s, which ranks in the Top 20 nationally. This week will clarify the state of the offense.
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The Bears have ridden that defense to a couple of positive results in recent weeks. Though they stand 5-4 on the season and split their last two games, an upset of Washington and a narrow six-point loss to Washington State has Cal on the upswing.
Will Bear head coach and former USC defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox put Helton more firmly on the hot seat? Or will the Trojans prove they’re ready to turn the corner?
The game kicks off at 7:30 p.m. Pacific with a live broadcast on ESPN. Adam Amin will handle play-by-play joined by Rod Gilmore on commentary and Quint Kessenich on the sidelines.
Betting odds: USC (-4.5)
The Trojans opened the week favored over Cal by five points, but the line has nudged down just slightly to 4.5 points, per OddsShark’s consensus line. The over/under sits at 45.5 points.
Neither USC nor Cal have been particularly good against the spread this year. The Trojans are 3-6, with a 1-3 mark at home. The Bears are 4-4-1, however, their 3-1 away record suggests some overachievement on the road.
TV channel listings: ESPN
DirecTV: Channel 206Dish: Channel 140AT&T U-Verse: Channels 1602/602Verizon FiOS: Channels 570/70Google Fiber: Channel 21Spectrum Cable: Channel 64/300
How to listen on the radio: ESPN Radio and ESPNLA
ESPN Radio will broadcast live national radio coverage of the USC vs. Cal game, but Trojan fans in the local Los Angeles area will be able to tune in as usual to radio broadcast from ESPNLA 710 AM. Pete Arbogast will call the game as always. Beside him, John Jackson will handle the color commentary while Jordan Moore will patrol the sidelines.
You can catch the local broadcast on USCTrojans.com, Sirius XM satellite radio channel 121/198 or on the TuneIn Radio app.
How to live stream online: WatchESPN
The best way to watch the Homecoming game online is through WatchESPN, ESPN’s online streaming service. Of course, you will have to provide authentication from your television service provider. Just pick your provider from the list and log in when prompted.
Find the WatchESPN app on your mobile device, tablet, computer or Roku and the like.