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Arizona State hosts USC in critical Pac-10 game

Nov 22, 2007 - 11:25 AM No. 11 USC (8-2) at No. 7 Arizona St (9-1) 8:00 pm EST

TEMPE, Arizona (Ticker) -- Southern California's five-year reign as Pac-10 Conference champions appeared to be over after the Trojans suffered a second loss at Oregon on October 27. But Oregon's defeat at Arizona last week gave the Trojans new life.

The 11th-ranked Trojans look to keep their Rose Bowl hopes alive when they visit No. 7 Arizona State on Thursday in their first Thanksgiving Day game since 1938.

With the Pac-10 season extending until next week, Arizona State, USC and Oregon all remain in contention for the Rose Bowl.

The Sun Devils (9-1, 5-2 Pac-10) are in the driver's seat, holding a one-game lead over USC and Oregon. With a victory this week, Arizona State can eliminate USC from the Pac-10 race.

"Anything is possible in this game," Sun Devils coach Dennis Erickson said. "That's why you play every Saturday. Every year you have the same goals - to try to compete for a national championship, to try to compete for a Pac-10 championship."

However, the Sun Devils do not have history on their side, having dropped seven straight games to the Trojans, who are 22-0 in November under coach Pete Carroll.

Both teams are well-rested after having last week off.

In their last game, the Sun Devils rebounded from a loss at Oregon to defeat UCLA, 24-20. Rudy Carpenter passed for 200 yards and a touchdown, helping Arizona State win in the Rose Bowl for the first time since 1996.

Carpenter used the bye week to rest his swollen right thumb, which he injured against California on October 27.

"Obviously, it helped him," Erickson said. "It was very swelled up after the UCLA game. The swelling is down."

USC (8-2, 5-2 Pac-10) stayed in the Pac-10 race with a 24-17 victory at California in its last outing.

The Trojans struggled against the Golden Bears with two turnovers and eight penalties, but Chauncey Washington provided a spark by rushing for a career-high 220 yards and a touchdown.

USC quarterback John David Booty is 7-0 as a starter against ranked opponents. But the Trojans' offense could have trouble against the Sun Devils, who rank in the top 20 in every statistical category.