Arizona State, Cameron Marshall and Brock Osweiler Run over No. 23 USC

After falling to unranked Illinois in Week 3, Arizona State knew they had a lot to do to regain their spot in the rankings.

Since the loss made Arizona State go from No. 22 to unranked, they were happy to see that their next opponent would give them an opportunity to get back in it.

As No. 23 USC entered Tempe, AZ, fans were unsure what the outcome would be.

For one, this was USC. Arizona State has not won a single game against USC since 1999. That fact alone makes fans queasy, knowing that history is not on their side.

The other issue lied in how the offense would play compared to the horrific showing at Illinois. 

So far in the season, running back Cameron Marshall was only averaging 3.6 yards a carry, and the offensive line was having a hard time protecting and making smart decisions before and after the snap.

Well, things were different in Week 4.

First of all, the weather was bizarre. Towards the end of the first quarter, a dust storm hit Sun Devil Stadium. The crowd erupted as things went flying. Unfortunately, they were giving away pom-poms and they were being tossed up and would take flight for about 30 feet. Towards the middle of the second quarter, though, the weather settled down, but the fans were still energized. 

Their energy wasn't for no reason.

Arizona State destroyed Matt Barkley and the USC Trojans offense in a 43-22 route. The Trojan offense just didn't seem to be able to get it going against the strong Arizona State defense.

The Sun Devils forced four turnovers, two being interceptions and the other being fumbles. One of the fumbles was also Matt Barkley's fault, so he ended up being accountable for three of them.

This was USC's first road game of the season, and it turned out to be quite the challenge for them.

After losing star DE Junior Onyeali, fans were worried how the Sun Devils would perform on the defensive side of the ball, especially against an offense like USC's where quarterback Matt Barkley and wide receiver Robert Woods have been creating damage week in and week out.

The defense kept its composure all game. They held USC to three drives that resulted in just field goals. USC is a good offensive team though, so the two touchdowns were no surprise. They also held USC to 1-9 on third down attempts. This made the Trojans have to settle for three straight field goals after successfully making it down field.

After USC took a third quarter lead, it was when the defense was truly tested.

Shelly Lyons picked off Barkley with 6:30 left on the clock, taking it back for a touchdown. This put ASU up by three scores, and it seemed like they had it from there. They prevailed, holding USC to zero points in the fourth quarter.

Middle linebacker Vontaze Burfict played to perfection, receiving only two penalties. After USC was talking trash about the elite MLB, people were unsure how he was going to respond.

Burfict had perhaps his best game of the season so far. He had two personal calls against him, but they were not the emotional dumb mistakes like he has had in his past. The penalties weren't ideal, but things can only change so quick. He also had a huge interception off of Barkley in the second quarter. These are the types of games Sun Devil nation has come to expect of Burfict. Perhaps his maturity came along with the fact that it was his birthday. Whatever the case, he played like a true star against his biggest opponent yet.

As for the previously mentioned Arizona State offense...

The offense looked like it was in full gear. This was what fans had expected to see of running back Cameron Marshall this season. Marshall erupted for 141 yards on 25 carries. He ran in three touchdowns as well, one on a 70-yard run in the opening drive.

Marshall got the offense going, and that is what has been expected of him. It looked as if all injuries were out of the question, as Marshall stayed strong all game. Averaging 5.64 yards a carry, he put away any doubt in his ability to move the ball on the ground.

Part of the reason that led to Marshall's success was the fact that the offensive line got things turned around. For years, maturity has been an issue for the Sun Devils. The line was always getting false start calls and holding calls, and those would just rack up the negative yardage and put the Sun Devils in a worse position. That changed tonight.

While providing great blocking for Cameron Marshall to have a huge night, the line also did its job in protecting junior quarterback Brock Osweiler.

After Osweiler was sacked six times against Illinois, USC only managed to get to the quarterback once. Not only that, but it seemed like he felt much more relaxed in the pocket then a week ago.

Against Illinois, Osweiler looked rushed. That led to two interceptions that game. Against USC, Osweiler put up zero picks while connection on 25 of 33 pass attempts.

Osweiler put up 223 yards with two touchdowns, once again proving that he can lead this Sun Devil team to a potential bowl season.

Osweiler got it going from all over the field, connecting with eight different receivers. He also had 18 yards on the ground, most of which were gaining a first down.

With this defeat of ranked USC, Arizona State should be joining the Top 25 once again. They have already defeated two Top 25 teams.

After taking down USC on Saturday, especially after a brutal loss to Illinois in Week 3, Arizona State has a chance to do the most they have under head coach Dennis Erickson.

Week 5 doesn't pose as much of a threat, as Oregon State (0-3) will be visiting Sun Devil Stadium. USC was the true test for Arizona State after their loss, so they shouldn't worry about anything until Week 7's matchup with Oregon. If they can beat Oregon, they have a chance at taking the top spot in the Pac 12 South.

There is still a long season ahead, but for now there is still much left to be accomplished. The Sun Devils need to keep up this style of play, and if they do, they are going to be one tough team to beat.