The USC Trojans are off to a flying start after pulling off a tight victory over No. 13 Stanford to record their second-consecutive victory. The Trojans will look to preserve their unbeaten record when they next face the Boston College Eagles who slumped to their first defeat of the season when they lost to the Pittsburgh Panthers in Week 2.
Read on for a preview of this matchup and while you’re at it, check out our previews of the Notre Dame-Purdue and Georgia-South Carolina games this weekend as the college football action continues to roll on.
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USC Trojans vs. Boston College Eagles Betting Preview and Prediction
Where: Alumni Stadium, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
When the USC Trojans torched Fresno State 52-13 in their opening game of the season, many were expecting them to light up the scoreboard once again against the Stanford Cardinal.
[sc:NCAA240banner ]That didn’t materialize as this time around it was their defense that took center stage held off the Cardinal for a slim 13-10 victory.
With Stanford threatening to tie or take the lead with time winding down, senior linebacker J.R. Tavai made sure that there were no more comebacks as he sacked Cardinal quarterback Kevin Hogan on the 25-yard line to force a fumble which the Trojans’ Scott Felix recovered to preserve the win.
It was a huge win for new coach Steve Sarkisian who recorded his first major victory at USC with that result against the two-time defending Pac-12 champions. The win was more impressive given that it snapped Stanford’s 17-game home winning streak which was the longest active streak among all FBS teams.
It was the fifth-consecutive away victory for the Trojans stretching back to November of last season and this will give them more confidence ahead of their match against Boston College at Massachusetts on Saturday.
One of the stars expected to step up for the Trojans in that game is running back Javorius Allen who ran for a career-high 154 yards in the game against the Cardinal, the most Stanford has allowed to a player in a game since the 2012 season.
Wide receiver Nelson Agholor caught nine passes for 91 yards in that game and has emerged as one of the main weapons of QB Cody Kessler in the early stages of the new season.
The USC Trojans are 2-0 in their only two meetings with Boston College.
Betting on the Boston College Eagles
The Boston College Eagles got a major reality check as they were handed a 30-20 drubbing by ACC rivals Pittsburgh Panthers in their home opener Friday night.
The Eagles were just no match for the Panthers on both ends of the field as Pittsburgh ran roughshod over the Boston defense all night long.
Pittsburgh RB James Conner was unstoppable right from the get-go as he ran for 213 yards on 35 carries as his nine-yard third quarter touchdown proved to be the decisive blow for the Eagles, who fell to 1-1 this season.
The Eagles know a thing or two about great running back performances after Andre Williams carried them to their first Bowl appearance in four seasons last year, rushing for 2,177 yards on his way to winning the Doak Walker award.
This year, however, the Eagles no longer have Williams and that has spelled problems for their own running game. In their game against the Panthers, the Eagles ran for only 142 yards, way down from their output of 338 in their opener against UMass.
QB Tyler Murphy led the Eagles in rushing with 92 yards but it was his passing that was quite alarming for Boston College. He completed just 10-of-28 passes for 134 yards with only one touchdown and two interceptions.
He will have to do better when they face the USC Trojans this coming Saturday as they look to bounce back not only from this defeat to the Panthers but also from the 35-7 humiliation they suffered against the Trojans last year.
USC QB Cody Kessler threw for 237 yards and two TDs during that game and will be the main focus for the Eagles which have allowed 18.5 points per game this season so far.
The Eagles are 5-1 ATS in their last six home games dating back to September of last season.
Writer’s Prediction
The USC Trojans will cruise to an easy win over the Boston College Eagles and improve to 3-0. Create a betting account now and cash in on all the NCAA college football games.
