Cal Football: Kickoff Time and TV Set for Bears' Nov. 5 Game at USC

The game could be the last at the L.A. Coliseum between the century-old rivals.

Cal’s football game at USC on Saturday, Nov. 5 has been set for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff and will be aired nationwide on ESPN.

The matchup could be the last time the teams square off at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, with USC scheduled to leave the Pac-12 Conference for the Big Ten after the 2023-24 academic year.

The 10th-ranked Trojans will be the second straight Top-25 opponent the Bears face after this Saturday’s home game against No. 8 Oregon. The Bears (3-4, 1-3) and Ducks (6-1, 4-0), who sit atop the Pac-12 standings, will kick off at 12:30 p.m.

USC (6-1, 4-1) resides in second place in the Pac-12 standings after a 43-42 loss at Utah on Oct. 15. The Trojans had a bye last weekend and will play at Arizona on Saturday before hosting the Bears.

The Trojans feature first-year coach Lincoln Riley and sophomore quarterback Caleb Williams, who followed Riley to USC from Oklahoma.

Williams has passed for 1,971 yards with 19 touchdowns and just one interception in seven games. USC, averaging 40.4 points, likely will be the Bears’ third straight opponent scoring at least 40 points per game.

Cal is coming off a 28-21 home defeat to Washington, which entered last week as the top scoring team in the Pac-12. That distinction now belongs to Oregon.

Cal and USC began playing in 1912, when the Bears prevailed 18-0 in Los Angeles. The  Trojans lead the all-time series 71-32-5. 

Cal beat the Trojans 24-14 in Berkeley last season and has taken two of the past three meetings. The Bears won 15-14 at the Coliseum in 2018, their most recent matchup in Los Angeles.

Cover photo of USC quarterback Caleb Williams by Rob Gray, USA Today

Follow Jeff Faraudo of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jefffaraudo