USC vs. Arizona State: Score, Highlights and Twitter Reaction

No. 19 USC (3-1) needed to make a statement after losing to Stanford last week, and the Trojans put on an offensive showcase against Arizona State (2-2) to run away with a 42-14 win at Sun Devil Stadium.  

USC quarterback Cody Kessler dropped dimes throughout the first half, and his stunning display left the Sun Devils reeling as they got outscored, 35-0, over the game's first 30 minutes.

A couple Arizona State turnovers helped USC build an insurmountable lead toward the end of the second quarter, per ESPN:

All told, Kessler completed 19-of-33 passes for 375 yards, five touchdowns and an interception as the Trojans led an aerial assault to cap off a wacky night in the Pac-12. 

"I'm a big fan of away games," Kessler said Tuesday, according to the Los Angeles Times' Gary Klein. "You're kind of the underdog. There's automatically adversity without you even stepping onto the field, just by the crowd."

The senior signal-caller spread the wealth to several young receivers, with sophomore Adoree Jackson proving to be his most electrifying weapon. Not only did Jackson catch three passes for 131 yards and a touchdown, but he returned two punts for 53 yards—including a 45-yarder. 

ESPN passed along video of Jackson's 80-yard score in the first quarter: 

JuJu Smith-Schuster tacked on five receptions for 103 yards and two scores, while Steven Mitchell Jr. added 66 yards and a touchdown on four catches as Kessler shined in the desert. 

"He does a great job of managing the offense and just distributing the ball," Arizona State head coach Todd Graham said of Kessler, per AZCentral.com's Doug Haller. "He can make all the throws."

Bleacher Report's Adam Kramer offered his take on USC's productive night midway through the blowout: 

The story differed significantly for an Arizona State side that was coming off a 34-10 win over New Mexico. With quarterback Mike Bercovici at the helm, the Sun Devils were simply outclassed. 

Even though the offense went on to put up solid yardage figures (454 total), the defense surrendered 321 yards of total offense during a first half that was thoroughly dominated by Steve Sarkisian's side. Bercovici's numbers also paled in comparison's to Kessler's, as he completed 23-of-44 passes for 272 yards, no touchdowns and an interception. 

Fox Sports' Bruce Feldman summed up the struggles that enveloped Arizona State with one tweet:

The Sun Devils' first points weren't tallied until late in the third quarter, and at that stage, the result had already been cemented.   

If there was one silver lining for Graham's program, it was that senior D.J. Foster made history in the first half. According to Haller, Foster became the fourth player in NCAA history to record at least 2,000 rushing yards and 2,000 receiving yards over the course of his career. 

However, Saturday's poor showing reinforced how far the Sun Devils have to go before they can compete with some of the nation's most prestigious programs. In two games against Power 5 conferences this season, Arizona State has been outscored, 80-31. 

And things aren't going to get any easier. 

While USC is facing a short week to prepare for a home game against Washington on Thursday night at the Coliseum, the Sun Devils have to deal with UCLA at the Rose Bowl next Saturday. After the Bruins torched Arizona, 56-30, on the road Saturday evening, Josh Rosen and Co. should be heavy favorites when ASU comes to town.