(Tempe, AZ) The Arizona State Sun Devils returned the Stadium after two weeks on the road and a bye week. October 12th was the last game in Sun Devil Stadium after a rain and wind chilled loss in Salt Lake City and an unexpected loss to the Bruins at the Rose Bowl.
Today’s game brought the Men of Troy to Tempe. USC is a game and a half ahead of the Devils in conference play, but 5-4 overall.
The Sun Devils countered with a 2-3 record in the PAC-12 and 5-3 within a win of being Bowl elegible for the third straight game.
ASU won last years game in Tempe in a thrilling come from behind victory 38-35. The Trojans lead the all-tine series 22-13.
Sun Devil starting quarterback Jayden Daniels did not start and was on the sidelines in street clothes, still nursing an ankle injury from the UCLA game last week.
USC took the ball first and their drive was aided by a “hands to the face” penalty. The Trojans had a forth and one from the ASU nine yard line and got just enough to get the first down and keep the drive alive.
The next play, SC scored on an eight yard pass from Keon Slovis to Drake London. Trojans 7-0.
ASU went three and out on their first drive with two incompletions and a sack of backup Joey Yellen.
The Devils early on displayed very poor tackling as USC ball carriers would break through anemic arm tackles.
Keenan Christon took a swing pass from Slovis at the Arizona State eight yard line and scampered into the end zone. The eighty two yeed drive took just six plays and took 2:35.
Being down 14-0, Brandon Aiyuk took the ensuing kickoff ninety seven yards to the Trojan three yard line.
Immediately, ASU went backwards with Eno Benjamin losing two yards to the five yard line. Yellen hit Kyle Williams on a slant route to get the Devils on the board 14-7. The three play drive took forty seven seconds after the spectacular kick off return.
The Trojans scored again on a relatively short pass, but the run after the catch aided by terrible arm tackling attempts to Christon for fifty eight yards. USC 21-7 worth 2:32 left in the first quarter.
Once again the boys from Troy shredded the Devils defense on a 95 yard pass to Amon-Ra St. Brown from Slovis that caught the secondary sleeping.
Arizona State had only one yard of total offense in the opening quarter and was very fortunate to have seven points. USC has 315 yards of offense and led 28-7.
Just when the Suns Devils showed some life on a forty five yard completion to Frank Darby, Eno Benjamin was called for a tripping penalty that nullified the play.
ASU converted a key fourth and one from the Trojan thirty five, but a play later Yellen threw an interception in the end zone and Isaiah Pola-Mao came up with the ball for the Trojans. Once again a wasted opportunity for the Devils.
Southern Cal punted for the first time at 7:57 mark of the second quarter. Up to that point, the Sun Devil defense was giving up yards in large chunks.
With just under seven minutes left to go till the half, Yellen aired it out to Darby for sixty two yards to pay dirt. That drive took one minute. Christian Zendejas missed the point after and ASU trailed 28-13.
Slovis threw a pick to Evan Fields but ASU had the ball in a precarios position at their own two yard line.
Frustrated by the interception, Olaijah Griffin committed a personal foul after the pass completion play and the Sun Devils got the breathing room they needed.
SC one play later Nick Figueroa recovered an ASU fumble and the mild threat was over.
Arizona State on offense looked out of sync and two steps slow without Daniels at the helm.
The stats at the half were clearly in favor of the Trojans. Total yards; 385-177, first downs 16-8 and time of possession 16;43 to 13;17.
ASU had won the coin toss and chose to defer. The Trojans didn’t want to kick it to Aiyuk because of two long returns, so they kicked it short and the Devils still got great field position starting at the USC forty three.
A couple of plays into the drive, SC committed a pass interference penalty and the Sun Devils were in business in the Red Zone.
Photo/ASU Athletics
A crossing pattern by Aiyuk from the two got the Devils on the board quickly in 3:28 and back in the game. 28-20.
With SC going to it on fourth down at the Sun Devil 36, cornerback Jack Jones broke up the Slovis pass and ASU got the ball back on downs.
The Devils went three and out and punter Michael Turk boomed a fifty one yard punt and pinned SC on their own six yard line. Yellen was injured three plays later and junior Matt Fink came in the game.
The inside slant worked all day for the Trojans abasing the soft middle of the Arizona State defense.
USC salvaged a forty one field goal to extend their lead to a two possession game 31-20 with 1:18 left in the third quarter.
At the end of three quarters, USC continued to throw the ball with 417 yards passing. The Trojans had 178-91 lead in yards on first down. All game long they had set up second down and short yardage.
The first play of the final period, Christon fumbled the ball back to ASU. Evan Fields recovered the ball.
Again, the Sun Devil offense went three and out. Turk’s punt did pin USC on their own three yard line.
The Devils defense held and they got the ball back at the Trojan forty yard line after a short punt.
Yellen’s pass was intercepted by SC, but a roughing the passer penalty returned the ball back to ASU with just over ten minutes left in the game.
Darby hauled in Yellen’s pass from the fifteen yard line score. The two point conversion attempt was incomplete. 31-26 with 8:54 left.
Starting quarterback Slovis retuned to the game and threw a pick six but a defensive holding nullified the go ahead touchdown for ASU.
Trojans with a forty six yard punt that was spotted at the one yard line. The play was reviewed and upheld.
Arizona State couldn’t gain any yards and had to punt from its own end zone. That was the all the Trojans needed as they run out the clock.
The Devil defense forced a punt and ASU had one more chance to pull out the win.
Arizona State was marching down the field but precious seconds were ticking off the clock. They had third down and three from the USC 40 with :47 left. An inside slant got the first down.
On the next play USC picked off Yellen and the game was over. Trojans survive 31-26.
ASU still needs to find that elusive pass rush. Conference quarterback have way too much time to survey the defense and pick apart the secondary.
What we learned today is, The Sun Devils are a very different team offensively without Jayden Daniels at quarterback.
The coaching staff needs to open up the offense more and not relay on Benjamin to carry the load. He’s not a 25-30 carries type of running back.
The Sun Devils need to stop having to play catch up football and come out strong from the get go.
What once was a 4-1 season full of hope is now relegated to having to win one more game just to make a Bowl Game. Things don’t look promising against the high flying Ducks, so that leaves the Territorial Cup to make it to post season.
How many times in the ASU/Arizona series gone to the less talented team?
As bad as Arizona has shown to be, it’s certainly possible they could put one on the Devils in Tempe on Thanksgiving Saturday.
Daniels needs to get back in the lineup quickly and the phantom pass rush needs to rear its ugly head soon.
Today’s game was a sellout of 54,191 and it was about time that Sun Devil Nation showed up.
