While Arizona hasn't made a formal announcement, there are indications the Wildcats could be playing USC on Saturday night with a backup quarterback for the second straight week as Jayden de Laura continues to rehab an ankle injury.

Redshirt freshman Noah Fifita, from local Servite High School, led the Wildcats in a competitive performance in a 31-24 loss to No. 7 Washington last week, completing 27 of 39 passes for 232 yards, 3 touchdowns and 1 interception.

Either way, the Arizona offense should remain aggressive through the air, where it has its strengths in wide receivers Tetairoa McMillan (Fifita's HS teammate) and Jacob Cowing.

The Trojans and Wildcats engaged in a shootout last year in Tucson, Arizona, as USC came away with a 45-37 win despite de Laura passing for 380 yards and 3 touchdowns.

The biggest difference in the matchup this year, though, may or may not end up being the quarterback.

The Wildcats have been notably improved defensively thus far, ranking 50th nationally in allowing 346.2 yards per game -- after finishing last season ranked 125th out of 131 FBS teams at 467.7 yards per game.

That said, Arizona so far has played a FCS-level Northern Arizona team, a 1-5 UTEP team and struggling Stanford through its first five games. But it also played the Huskies -- the top-ranked offense in college football -- last week and held them to a season-low 474 yards. That may sound like a lot (and it is), but it was first time Washington had been held under 529 yards this season.

The Wildcats (3-2, 1-1 Pac-12) protected against explosive plays and deep shots and made the Huskies work underneath most of the night, which could be a strategy they try again Saturday night against No. 9-ranked USC (5-0, 3-0).

"They're a team that plays hard. They've got long, rangy corners, they've got active safeties in the secondary that do a good job, and their defense plays hard," Trojans WRs coach Dennis Simmons said. "They did a good job of keeping everything in front of them [vs. Washington], which I'm sure we'll see a lot of that this Saturday."

Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. PT inside the Coliseum (and on ESPN). In the meantime, let's take a closer look at the matchup ...

Coach: Jedd Fisch, third season (9-20; plus 1-1 as interim coach at UCLA)

Series history: USC officially leads the all-time series 37-8, has won the last six meetings in Los Angeles and has lost to Arizona just twice since 2001.

Spread: USC is a 21-point favorite with the over/under set at 72 points.

Connections: USC WR Dorian Singer, DT Kyon Barrs and CB Christian Roland-Wallace all transferred from Arizona to the Trojans in the offseason. Wildcats offensive coordinator/OL coach Brennan Carroll was a USC graduate assistant and then assistant coach (2002-09) and is the son of former USC head coach Pete Carroll. Arizona defensive coordinator Johnny Nansen spent six seasons on the coaching staff at USC. Arizona defensive line coach Ricky Hunley began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at USC from 1992-93 under head coaches Larry Smith and John Robinson. And Wildcats defensive analyst Brett Arce held a similar position at USC from 2016-21. USC DBs coach Donte Williams was the CBs coach at Arizona in 2016.

If it's Noah Fifita at quarterback, the Trojans will surely be extra aggressive in the pass rush to make things difficult up front for the diminutive passer. He's listed at 5-foot-11 on the Arizona roster but seemed shorter than that coming out of Servite HS, meaning USC pass rush could also cause some havoc up front by blocking passing lanes, potentially.

That said, the Wildcats boast two offensive tackles who are garnering NFL draft buzz in 6-foot-5, 325-pound senior left tackle Jordan Morgan and 6-foot-5, 330-pound sophomore right tackle Jonah Savaiinaea.

Even though the Wildcats lost Dorian Singer via transfer to USC, they have plenty of talent at wide receiver still in sophomore Tetairoa McMillan (27 catches for 386 yards and 5 TDs), veteran slot weapon Jacob Cowing (37-308-4) and Colorado transfer Montana Lemonious-Craig (10-120-1), while tight end Tanner McLachlan (16-214-1) needs to be accounted for as well.

If Michael Wiley is out at running back, Jonah Coleman (220 yards, 6.9 yards per carry) and DJ Williams (164, 5.0) will lead the ground attack.

Arizona has forced 6 fumbles but has no interceptions, which is an interesting stat heading into a matchup against the likes of Caleb Williams.

Sophomore linebacker Jacob Manu, who like McMillan and Fifita is from Servite HS in Anaheim but was not recruited by USC, leads the Wildcats with 50 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and 3 sacks. Michigan transfer Taylor Upshaw leads the pass rush with 4.5 sacks. He and Manu are the only Wildcats with multiple sacks, though defensive lineman Tiaoalii Savea has 4 tackles for loss.

While the secondary hasn't been disruptive -- sophomore cornerback Tacario Davis has a team-high 4 pass breakups -- have allowed only 4 passing touchdowns and have held three of their five opponents without any, protecting against over-the-top strikes and making QBs work underneath the defense.

As noted, Arizona has allowed only 4 passing touchdowns, which is tied for the 14th fewest nationally. USC's Caleb Williams, meanwhile, has passed for 21 touchdowns -- 5 more than any other quarterback in the FBS -- and has thrown for at least 3 scores in every game so far.

USC's edge rushers vs. Arizona's offensive tackles. This will be a good test for the likes of Jamil Muhammad, Solomon Byrd, Romello Height and Co.

Morgan, the Wildcats' left tackle, has strong NFL buzz, but he hasn't been flawless, allowing 10 pressures including 1 sack through five games. Savaiinaea, meanwhile, has been more stifling, giving up just 3 total pressures and no sacks.

For further perspective, we went to Arizona insider Troy Hutchison, of GOAZCATS.com, for his insight and expectations for the Saturday night.

What is your expectation for Jayden de Laura and Michael Wiley's statuses for Saturday, and how much does the offense change if it's de Laura vs. Noah Fifita at QB?

Hutchison: "I fully expect Jayden de Laura to be out for the game. De Laura hasn't practiced 11-on-11 all week and has only done 7-on-7 drills. I see him out just one more week. As for Michael Wiley, I don't see him playing this weekend. However, he will be a game-time decision. The offense really doesn't change much for Arizona. But, the staff started the game slow against UW trying to ease Noah Fifita into the game. Then things opened up after the first quarter."

The defensive numbers have been much better this year -- what has changed and how much are you buying this as a much improved Arizona defense?

Hutchison: "The biggest difference for Arizona on defense has been the defensive front and the transfers the team has brought in. They are able to get a push up front and help the linebackers get into the backfield. I think this defense is clearly improved and it isn't a fluke. You can tell the second-year players are improving and this staff has them moving in the right direction.

What has been the tangible growth in Year 3 defensively under Jedd Fisch?

Hutchison: "For Arizona, it has been the offensive line that during Jedd Fisch's first season was arguably the worst O-line in program history. Now, the Wildcats have one of the top units in the Pac-12 and that is mainly because of the potential first-round picks at both tackle positions with Jordan Morgan and Jonah Savaiinaea."

Can Arizona pull off the upset, and if so, what has to happen?

Hutchison: "I think Arizona has a chance to go into the Coliseum and walk away with the upset. If the Wildcats are able to do that, they will need to control the clock, establish the run and get a key turnover or two on defense."

What is your score prediction?

Hutchison: "I think Arizona comes up short, losing 38-30 to No. 9 USC. At the end of the day, it is hard to ask a player like Fifita making his second career start to go on the road and not make a mistake."