GAME DAY

* Time: 3:30 p.m.

* Site: Rose Bowl.

* TV: Fox Sports Net 2, joined in progress.

* Radio: KXTA (1150), XTRA (690), KMPC (1540), KAVL (610), XPRS (1090), KYPA (1230).

* When UCLA has the ball: Ah, temptation: If Washington State quarterback Matt Kegel, in his first college start, threw for 242 yards against USC last week--despite missing 20 of 32 passes--how many yards might UCLA quarterback Cory Paus throw for this week? Paus set a career high by passing for 363 yards against Oregon State last month, and Freddie Mitchell and Brian Poli-Dixon combined to catch 15 passes last week at Washington. Mitchell will play, despite suffering a mild concussion last week. The UCLA coaches are hesitant to order a full-scale aerial assault for fear of forcing their injury-riddled defense to spend too much time on the field, so the workday will again be long for tailback DeShaun Foster, who has carried 82 times for 330 yards over the last three weeks. USC linebacker Markus Steele is expected to play after sitting out the last two games because of a sprained ankle.

* When USC has the ball: No mystery here: Tailback Sultan McCullough ranks second in the Pacific 10 Conference in rushing, averaging 104 yards a game. The Bruins’ rushing defense ranks last in the Pac-10, and Washington ran for 349 yards against UCLA last week. The Bruins have used nine starters along the defensive line this season, and this week’s starters include a sophomore, two freshmen and a former walk-on. If McCullough runs well, and often, the USC coaches may not be quite so anxious about what to do if quarterback Carson Palmer struggles. Palmer’s 16 interceptions are most in the Pac-10, and the coaches yanked him at halftime of last week’s loss to Washington State. Backup Mike Van Raaphorst, who had not played all season, rallied USC to all 27 of its points and threw for 234 yards and three touchdowns.

* Key to the game: The most effective way to neutralize Paus, Foster, Mitchell and Poli-Dixon is to keep them off the field, and that’s best accomplished with time-consuming drives that force the Bruins to stop opponents on third down. The Trojans are the best team in the Pac-10 at converting third downs. The Bruins are the worst team in the Pac-10 at stopping opponents on third down.

* Fast fact: When USC enters the game with a losing record, the Trojans are 5-4-1 against the Bruins, including a 17-7 victory last year.

* Line: UCLA by 3.

HOW THEY COMPARE

UCLA and USC

29.8 Scoring 25.0

30.9 Points allowed 26.4

264.7 Passing 254.7

101.5 Rushing 155.8

366.2 Total offense 410.5

213.3 Passing defense 220.8

183.9 Rushing defense 119.2

397.2 Total defense 340.0