USC football: Matt Barkley will try to end Stanford streak

Matt Barkley did not mention Stanford in his “unfinished business” speech on the day he announced he was returning to USC for his senior season.

But Barkley is 0-3 against the Cardinal -- the only Pac-12 school he has not guided the Trojans to victory over -- so he would no doubt like to take care of that on Saturday when the second-ranked Trojans play at Stanford Stadium.

Stanford is ranked No. 21 in the Associated Press media poll and No. 16 in the coaches poll.

Former Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck, the No. 1 pick in the 2011 NFL draft, led the Cardinal to a 55-21 rout of the Trojans in 2009, a 37-35 last-second victory in 2010 and last season’s 56-48 triple-overtime win.

Fourth-year junior Josh Nunes, an Upland High graduate, replaced Luck and has led the Cardinal to victories over San Jose State and Duke.

USC has never lost four games in a row to Stanford.

The current three-game skid is the Trojans’ fifth. They also lost three in a row in 1933-35, 1940-42, 1955-57 and 1999-2001.

USC leads the series 59-28-3.

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