TODAY'S GAMES CALIFORNIA AT NO. 4 UCLA.

Kickoff: 7:15 p.m., at the Rose Bowl (capacity 91,500).

TV/Radio: Fox Sports Net; 1150-AM.

Records: UCLA 5-0, 2-0 Pac-10; California 0-5, 0-3.

Series: UCLA leads 45-24-1. However, Cal has won the past two.

Injury update: Cal - QB Kyle Boller (back) out, CB Jameel Powell (concussion) probable, DT Josh Beckham (ankle) probable. UCLA - FB Matt Stanley (ankle) doubtful, WR Brian Poli-Dixon (shoulder) out, WR Cody Joyce (concussion) out, G Shane Lehmann (ankle) probable.

Keep an eye on: Eric Holtfreter. The Cal quarterback, a senior from Lancaster who is replacing Kyle Boller, will be making his first start against the Pacific-10 Conference's top-ranked defense. UCLA receivers. With Brian Poli-Dixon out, there's little experience here, but Cal is last in the Pac-10 in pass defense, allowing 320.2 yards per game. The Bears have given up 13 touchdown passes and have just one interception. Sophomore Ryan Smith gets his first career start for the Bruins. Joe Igber. The Cal tailback rushed for only 49 yards on 21 carries against UCLA last season, but hurt the Bruins receiving. He caught five passes for 126 yards and two touchdowns. Al Borges. Cal's play-caller may be outmanned, but if anyone knows where to find a weakness in the Bruins defense, it's their former offensive coordinator. Third-down conversions: Cal's offense leads the Pac-10 at 42.3 percent, while UCLA's defense is a conference-best 21.5 percent.

Cal update: All six teams that have played Cal have been unbeaten at the time and three still are (Washington State, BYU and Oregon). The defense, after four good seasons under head coach Tom Holmoe, has fallen apart. The Bears are last in the Pac-10 in total defense (467 yards per game) and scoring defense (43.6 per game). After leading the Pac-10 with 44 sacks a year ago, they're last this year with seven.

- Billy Witz

USC at NOTRE DAME 

Kickoff: 11:30 a.m., at Notre Dame Stadium (capacity 80,795).

TV/Radio: Ch. 4; 1540-AM, 1090-AM (Spanish).

Records: USC 2-4; Notre Dame 2-3.

Series: Notre Dame leads 41-26-5 and has won the past two games. The Irish won last year's game at the Coliseum 38-21. Notre Dame overcame a 21-point deficit to defeat USC in South Bend 25-24 in 1999.

Injury update: USC - TB Sultan McCullough (stomach muscle), LB Lee Webb (foot), WR Grant Mattos (knee), OL Derek Graf (knee), TE Gregg Guenther (back), WR Marcell Allmond (suspension), DT Bernard Riley (knee), TB Malaefou Mackenzie (left team), DE Jamaal Williams (leg) and LB Chris Prosser (concussion) are out. LB Bobby Otani (hamstring) is probable. Notre Dame - FL Arnaz Battle (broken leg) and OT John Teasdale (neck) are out. SS Ron Israel (hamstring) is doubtful. TBs Tony Fisher (hamstring) and Julius Jones (foot), FS Glenn Earl (thigh) and SS Gerome Sapp (shoulder) are probable.

Keep an eye on: USC tailback Sunny Byrd. He is banged up from last week's debut against Arizona State but makes his first career start today. USC tailback Darryl Poston. With Byrd starting, Poston moves up the depth chart and could get the most carries in his career. USC fullback Chad Pierson. It's running-back-by-committee, and Pierson returns from back surgery, so he could be in for about a dozen plays. USC defensive tackle Shaun Cody. The highly touted freshman almost went to Notre Dame, and makes his third consecutive start.

Notre Dame update: The Irish started 0-3 but defeated Pittsburgh and West Virginia the past two weeks. They are 2-1 at home, losing to Michigan State 17-10. New quarterback Carlyle Holiday has ignited the offense, averaging 126 yards rushing the past two games. Coach Bob Davie is 2-2 against USC.

- Scott Wolf

CSUN at TROY ST.

Kickoff: Noon, at Richard M. Scrushy Field (capacity 17,500).

TV/Radio: On the Internet at www.gomatadors.com.

Records: CSUN 1-4; Troy State 2-3.

Series: This is the first meeting between the schools. They are scheduled to play each other again next year.

Injury update: CSUN - QB Marcus Brady (elbow) is probable; LB Ben Lorier (ankle) is questionable; DL Jason Nicastro (foot), OL Keith Kincaid (shoulder), OL Ashcon Madjid (foot), FB Ruben Gomez (knee), LB Pieter Keus (knee), DB Greg Strausberg (knee) are out. TSU - Shelton Felton (elbow), David Philyaw (ribs), Naazir Yamini (bicep), Byron Knight (knee), Trent Garmon (tendinitis) and Branden Hall (tendinitis) are out.

Keep an eye on: CSUN special teams, which gave up two 90-yard kickoff returns in the fourth quarter in a seven-point loss to UC Davis last week. Brady, who needs just 26 completions to set the Division I-AA career mark. The CSUN offense, which averages 448.6 yards per game and has made eight of 10 fourth-down conversions.

Troy State update: The Trojans had an impressive 21-9 over Mississippi State - ranked in the top 25 earlier this year. Troy State, in its final year of compliance to move to Division I-A, lost to No. 3 Nebraska 42-14 and No. 5 Miami 38-8. Troy State plays No. 12 Maryland on Nov. 3. Troy State has won 10 consecutive regular-season games. Receiver Heyward Skipper has 27 catches for 375 yards and three touchdowns. Quarterback Brock Nutter has completed 49.3 percent of his passes for 806 yards and five touchdowns. The Trojans average 256.6 yards per game.

- Jill Painter

PAC-10 PREVIEWS

STANFORD (3-1, 2-1) at No. 5 OREGON (6-0, 3-0)

Kickoff: 12:30 p.m.

Matchup: The last time the Ducks played at home, a month ago, they were struggling. They had to rally to beat USC 24-22 for their third consecutive close victory. They couldn't run the ball, and their defense was giving up yards at an alarming rate. Three more victories later, No. 5 Oregon returns to Autzen Stadium having answered its critics. A win over Stanford would extend the nation's longest home winning streak to 24 games, but the Ducks say winning on the road has toughened them for the rest of the season. The Ducks rank second in the Pacific-10 in total offense at 452.2 yards, but in those last three road games, they averaged 540 yards.

ARIZONA (3-3, 0-3) at No. 15 WASHINGTON (4-1, 2-1)

Kickoff: 3:30 p.m.

Matchup: All along, Rick Neuheisel has maintained that Cody Pickett is his starting quarterback, and the Huskies coach probably wouldn't platoon him with backup Taylor Barton. This weekend, however, it's anybody's guess what Neuheisel will do.

OREGON ST. (2-3, 1-2) at ARIZONA ST. (3-2, 0-2)

Kickoff: 7 p.m.

Matchup: The real Beavers might have stood up last week. If so, it's bad news for the Sun Devils. The Beavers, a Fiesta Bowl team last season but unranked since going 1-2 in September, looked rejuvenated in a 38-3 rout of Arizona.