Prior to donning the Silver and Black each Sunday, many of the Raiders players were wearing different colors on Saturdays, playing for their college teams and representing their respective universities.
This time of the year in particular college rivalries run deep, so we're here to highlight some of the matchups between current Raiders teammates, but former college football foes.
The Matchup:
Once again, the Raiders.com College Football Matchup of the Week has a distinct Pac-12 flair to it, as Taylor Mays and Malcolm Smith's USC Trojans fly north to take on Lorenzo Alexander's California Golden Bears in a showdown at Memorial Stadium in Berkeley, Calif.
Background:
The Men of Troy parted ways with Head Coach Steve Sarkisian October 12, naming Clay Helton Interim Head Coach for the remainder of the season.
After a disappointing loss to Notre Dame in Helton's first game at the helm, USC bounced back in a big way, hosting the Utah Utes and handing them a convincing 42-24 loss.
Cal, on the other hand, came out firing on all cylinders in 2015, winning their first five games of the season before dropping their past two contests.
The Golden Bears haven't played a home game since October 3 and are hoping to return to their winning ways when they host the Trojans Saturday.
Cal remains led by quarterback Jared Goff who has thrown for 2,265 yards and 20 touchdowns thus far in 2015.
A Walk Down Memory Lane:
Mays:Mays had quite the impressive career during his time in Southern California.
He played in 51 games as a Trojan, hauling in 8 interceptions and 276 total interceptions in his four seasons.
He was also named a 2008 Consensus All-American, and ranked second in the Pac-10 in total tackles with 96 in 2009.
Smith:After narrowing his college choice down to either USC or Notre Dame, the Southern California-native decided to stay close to home and major in economics at USC.
During his four seasons as a Trojan, Smith appeared in 47 games, registering 174 tackles, 2 interceptions, 1 sack and 2 touchdowns.
Alexander:After growing up in Berkeley, Alexander elected to stay close to home and attended Cal.
During his time as a Golden Bear, he was a two-time honorable mention All-Pac 10 selection and also received the Bick Muller Award, given to the team's most valuable defensive lineman.
Alexander majored in legal studies and also earned a spot on the Pac-10 All-Freshman team in 2001.
Predictions:
Bruce Feldman of FOX Sports predicts that the Trojans will march into Berkeley and come away with a win, however, I'm inclined to disagree with him.
The Golden Bears have dropped two in a row and their backs are now up against the wall in the competitive Pac-12 North.
They play Saturday's game at home on Halloween, which is sure to inspire a raucous student section.
I think the Golden Bears will come away with a close win, 28-24.
