USC vs. Arizona State Complete Game Preview
Pac-12 play kicks off in earnest for Arizona State as it fights to remain relevant in the national conversation, while USC hopes to rebound from a devastating home loss to Stanford that readjusted expectations downward for the Trojans. The game has huge implications for the Pac-12 South, and both squads will no doubt be looking to get things going in conference play with an early-season win in prime time.
For USC, this trip represents a chance to exorcize some demons as its last trip to Tempe ended with a blowout loss and the coach, Lane Kiffin, getting fired at the airport early the next morning. The Sun Devils have won three of the last four in the series—including last year’s Hail Mary for the win—and have done the majority of the damage in the rivalry at home, so they are not as much of an underdog as some would have you believe.
Still, it should be another exciting matchup between preseason College Football Playoff contenders that could go a number of different ways given how many athletes are on both sides of the ball. If you’re looking for a little #Pac12AfterDark weirdness, this game could be right up your alley.
Date: Saturday, September 26
Time: 7:30 p.m. PT/10:30 p.m. ET
Location: Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona
TV: ESPN
Radio: Sports USA Radio, ESPN710 Los Angeles
Line: USC -6, according to OddsShark.com
USC Keys to Victory
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Run the ball
USC has a deep crop of running backs this season, and each brings a different element, from Ronald Jones II’s speed to Tre Madden’s consistency. The Trojans were able to run the ball right down Stanford’s throat in the first series of the game but strangely went away from the run the rest of the game. They can’t do that again and expect to win on the road.
Rush the passer
The Trojans sat back and let Stanford quarterback Kevin Hogan pick them apart last week. Hopefully for defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox, he learned his lesson and will be more apt to rush more than four players this week, because Arizona State signal-caller Michael Bercovici has a better arm and more of a gunslinger mentality than Hogan.
Knock down any Hail Mary passes
It’s simple, but hey, it cost USC a win against ASU last year so…
Arizona State Keys to Victory
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Make Kessler uncomfortable
USC quarterback Cody Kessler wasn’t the reason the team lost to Stanford, and he’s turned in some great numbers through the first three games of the year. ASU head coach Todd Graham has been known to dial up the heat with some exotic blitzes, and making Kessler uncomfortable in the pocket could be just the thing that helps create a turnover.
Limit the big plays
Whether it’s JuJu Smith-Schuster, Adoree' Jackson or Justin Davis, the Trojans have some home run hitters on offense. The Sun Devils have been burned by big plays before this year in all three of their games, so limiting the explosive plays to only a handful will help them keep pace on offense.
Keep the offense going
ASU has done some good things on offense, but the consistency from drive to drive has not been there. Bercovici and his crew have to start picking up first downs and sustaining drives because USC can make them pay for a quick series on the other end.
USC Players to Watch
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WR JuJu Smith-Schuster
Few players are more fun to watch than Smith-Schuster, who is in the top 10 nationally in receiving yards, receiving touchdowns and receptions. The next great USC wideout appears to be already here, and he’s somebody to keep an eye on every time he touches the football.
QB Cody Kessler
He may not have the build or reputation of some of his predecessors, but Kessler has been quietly setting plenty of school records and keeping a talented but not deep team afloat the past few seasons. He does his best work in the pocket when he is picking teams apart or finding streaking receivers for big gains.
LB Su’a Cravens
A converted safety, Cravens might just be the best linebacker in the country not named Jaylon Smith. He’s a tackling machine who can track you down anywhere on the field. He certainly has the coverage skills to be reliable in every passing situation.
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Arizona State Players to Watch
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QB Michael Bercovici
He has one of the best arms in the Pac-12, and it shows whether he’s firing off short passes or launching it down the field. He may be missing the efforts of the graduated Jaelen Strong, but chances are he can find any number of ASU receivers on the field and get them the ball no matter how tight the window is.
WR D.J. Foster
Most have come to know Foster as a versatile running back, but he’s splitting out full-time this year in order to showcase his skills as a receiver. He’ll be used all over the field in a variety of ways, so touches is a better benchmark on his productivity than catches. The bottom line is he’s the most experienced playmaker on the offense and somebody who needs to see the ball plenty.
RB/LB Kalen Ballage
Ballage has not played this season due to illness but is expected to take the field for Arizona State in the team's Pac-12 opener this week. That’s big news since he would provide a boost for an offense that is still trying to get its ground game going. His work at the "Devil-backer" spot will no doubt come in handy in defending a team such as USC.
Prediction
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The loser of this game may take second place (behind Auburn) as the most disappointing team in the country relative to preseason expectations, since both were mentioned prominently as College Football Playoff contenders. That is what is on the line Saturday and should give you an indication of the mindset of both teams coming in after some so-so performances this year.
Arizona State has the athletes and coaching staff to win this game, but there should not be much confidence in the Sun Devils to get the job done after the ugly loss to Texas A&M and the trouble they had in putting away Cal Poly and New Mexico. Maybe the team is saving up its best performance of the year for Saturday, but early indications are ASU doesn’t quite have enough to capture an upset win.
That puts pressure on USC to bounce back in a big way after the disastrous game against Stanford that had most of the fanbase calling for a new defensive coordinator. Such issues could come up again this week (ASU is naturally more explosive than Stanford), but the Trojans have enough firepower on offense to win in a shootout against a team that is still finding its way defensively.
A late night Pac-12 game has a chance to get wild, but the road team should still be able to emerge with a victory and a chance to fight on another day.
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