Stoops looking to break skid against Trojans

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) - Mike Stoops can point to a number of milestones during the revival of Arizona's once-moribund football program.

Seven wins over ranked opponents. The school's first bowl trip, and victory, in a decade. Back-to-back victories over nemesis Arizona State for the first time since 1997-98.

One thing Stoops hasn't done: beat Southern California. He'll have another shot when the Wildcats visit the 20th-ranked Trojans on Saturday in the regular-season finale for both teams.

The Trojans' record run of seven straight Pac-10 titles is over, and they aren't nearly as fearsome as they've been in recent years. But beating USC is still a big deal - especially for Stoops, who has at least two wins over every other Pac-10 rival.

"I think they've set the benchmark very high," Stoops said at his weekly campus news conference on Monday. "I think they've elevated the play of virtually everyone in this conference. To beat USC, you have to be a very complete team."

Trojans coach Pete Carroll is 16-0 against the Pac-10's Arizona schools, and 5-0 against Stoops. USC has won seven straight against Arizona, its longest streak since the Wildcats joined the Pac-10 in 1978.

But the gap between the Trojans (8-3, 5-3 Pac-10) and the Wildcats (7-4, 5-3) has been narrowing.

In Stoops' first year, 2004, the Trojans hammered Arizona 49-9 in Los Angeles, and Arizona lost Stoops' first three games against USC by a combined 111-33.

USC has pulled out the last two meetings by a touchdown.

The series - USC leads 26-6 all-time - has extra meaning for the many Arizona players from Southern California.

"It's a hometown game for us," said guard Vaughn Dotsy, a product of Ventura, Calif., who attended USC summer football camps as a youngster. "A lot of the guys that came here, some of the guys had shots to go to USC, some didn't. It's kind of like a slap in the face to some of us, to prove that we're good enough to play with you guys, against you guys, and beat you. Some of us are going to be up for this game."

The Wildcats had an extra bounce as they reported for their final week of regular-season workouts. That's what a victory over Arizona State - even a 4-8 Arizona State team - will do for Arizona's spirits.

"That was a big win," Stoops said. "Anytime you can go on the road and win in the conference is difficult to do."

After losing back-to-back heartbreakers to California and Oregon - and falling out of the Rose Bowl race - the Wildcats eked out a 20-17 victory in Tempe last weekend. Arizona blew a 14-point halftime lead but won the game after ASU star Kyle Williams muffed a punt, setting up a 32-yard field goal by Alex Zendejas as time expired.

Zendejas, who also hit a 30-yarder, was named Pac-10 Special Teams Player of the Week.

"This has been a hard stretch for us," Stoops said. "I think that win goes a long way in giving us momentum going into this game to end the season."

Starting tailback Nic Grigsby, who did not play at ASU, will miss the USC game with a sprained shoulder. Quarterback Nick Foles has an injured left (nonthrowing) hand but is expected to play.

Arizona is assured a bowl berth even with a loss, but the Wildcats are jockeying for better postseason position. Arizona could finish as high as a second-place tie and as low as sixth place depending on the outcome of this week's Pac-10 games.

A victory over USC would make a solid season in Tucson even more memorable.

"I think it would just get tremendous respect for our program, and it would show our hard work in the offseason has paid off," Dotsy said. "We're not going to the Rose Bowl, but still to beat USC, it's still a national powerhouse. They have a lot of talented athletes there."