ASU Football: Sun Devils travel to LA to take on No. 6 USC Trojans

(Photo via Rebecca Striffler/WCSN)

Arizona State Football and the No. 6 ranked USC Trojans share some rudimentary similarities before Saturday’s matchup at the LA Memorial Coliseum. A surplus of transfer players, most notably at quarterback, and a change in head coach have led teams’ expectations to hang heavy over each respective program. The pressure has crafted two distinctive teams on opposite sides of the college football spectrum.

The Trojans’ season could not have started any better, undefeated, and their star sophomore quarterback Caleb Williams slipped right back into rhythm with his former Oklahoma Sooners’ head coach Lincoln Riley. The two have resonated their electrifying Big-12 offense to the Pac-12 and skyrocketed up the national rankings.

While the Trojans soar, the Sun Devils freefall deeper in the standings.

ASU’s starting record is a historical low, as the last time the program started 1-3 was in 1994. With back-to-back games against ranked opponents, it’s possible they start the season at 1-5, which would be the first time since 1942.

But the Sun Devils can not focus on that. Instead, it’s more keened in on the day to day process of building the character within the program heading into Los Angeles. It will need every second to prepare for the matchup nightmare that is USC.

The headliner for the Trojans’ offense is Williams, who, to reiterate, has been a key player for Riley. Williams is one of three quarterbacks in the nation with over 1,000 passing yards, eight-plus touchdowns, and zero interceptions to begin the year. His maturity and decision-making as a sophomore have been essential to their success.

Trojans’ 42.3 ppg is third in the Pac-12, and Williams has facilitated most of those points through junior wide receiver Jordan Addison. Addison is part of a class of highly-touted transfers to join USC in the offseason and has shined early on. The former Pitt wide receiver is a red zone threat, catching six of Williams’ nine touchdown passes and leads the team with 337 receiving yards.

The dynamic duo of Williams and Addison could cause trouble for ASU, with its secondary riddled with injuries. The Sun Devils still have experienced defensive backs to fill in those holes, like redshirt junior Jordan Clark and fifth-year Timarcus Davis. Regardless, the Sun Devils are going to rely on a secondary that contains question marks.

Redshirt freshman defensive back Isaiah Johnson made his first career start last week and impressed the coaching staff. However, a hostile environment on a national stage could prove to be too much pressure. Then, there are the two returning redshirt sophomore defensive backs, Ro Torrence and Ed Woods, reappearing on the Sun Devils’ depth charts after nursing injuries. Still, the condition of both creates some concerns when facing an offense like the Trojans.

No matter who ASU has lined across, USC carries explosive speed with Addison and sophomore wide receiver Mario Williams, who has been explosive all year. The Trojans’ air attack would have any team worried but adding a rushing talent like redshirt senior Travis Dye creates a dreadful dilemma for the Sun Devils.

Dye has led USC to fourth in the Pac-12 with 195.5 rushing yards per game. The former 4-year Oregon Duck leads the team with 360 yards on the ground and comes off three straight 100-yard games. Dye’s versatility in the backfield gives them the flexibility to hand it off and let him power through defenders or drop it off short, showcasing his elusiveness in the open field. His production is the cherry on top of what is already one of the best offenses in the nation.

The Trojans play aggressively and uptempo, a system that the Sun Devils have struggled to hold at bay, but they understand opponents will copy that playstyle until proven ineffective. They recognize they have to work on matching the other team’s tempo on defense, but it’s been a delicate process that has seen the run defense pay the price.

ASU’s run defense is tenth in the Pac-12 in rushing yards allowed with 184.3 per game. They have already given up three straight games of 200-yard rushing, a feat they haven’t done since the final three games of the 2018 season. If the Trojans reach the 200-yard mark and extend the Sun Devils streak to four, it’ll be the first time since 2016 that the Sun Devils have allowed those performances consecutively.

Now, it’s not entirely doomsday for the Sun Devil defense. There is proof of stopping the offensive juggernaut that is USC. Last week, Oregon State held the Trojans to only 10 points before a last-minute touchdown from Williams to Addison, lifting them past the Beavers to escape Reser Stadium with a win.

Defensive coordinator Donnie Henderson spoke on Tuesday about what Oregon State did to impede the USC offense. Henderson pointed out that the Beavers were playing team defense and being physical with the Trojans and said the team would try to implement those strategies heading into this week’s matchup.

Despite ASU’s best effort, it’ll still be a wearing task to stop USC, who will most certainly try to pound its inferior run defense. However, the Sun Devil offense will try to do what their defense is trying to stop – pound the rock. The Trojan defense ranks ninth in the Pac-12 in rushing yards surrendered with 171 yards per game.

Despite the program’s record low six rushing yards against Utah, ASU is still dangerous in the running game. Senior running back Xazavian Valladay has exuberated his flair against opponents since arriving in Tempe. He will strive to expand that conquest in Los Angeles as a pivotal part of the offense.

Besides the run defense, answers are limited for ASU against this USC defense. Four games into their 2022 campaign, the Trojans are the Pac-12 leaders in three defensive touchdowns, 11 interceptions, and tied for second in sacks with 14. Similar to the offense, transfers have shined for the USC defense. Former Colorado redshirt senior defensive back Mekhi Blackmon now rocks the gold and cardinal and has bloomed into his role with two interceptions and three pass breakups.

A familiar face will suit up against ASU in sophomore linebacker Eric Gentry. The former Sun Devil entered the transfer portal after spring ball after coming off an encouraging freshman campaign and has continued his development in LA, leading the team with 32 tackles and two quarterback hits.

USC also possesses homegrown defensive talents on all three levels. Redshirt junior defensive back Max Williams has tallied up two interceptions and has grown into a ball hawk since he arrived in 2019. A year later, junior defensive lineman Tuli Tuipulotu joined the program and has grown into a force in the trenches with three sacks and seven tackles for loss in 2022.

The main criticism of ASU’s offense has been not being able to put together consistent drives. Against a touted Trojans’ defense, the Sun Devils can’t afford to stall out because opportunities could be far and few between.

ASU enters Saturday’s game as 26.5 points underdogs, according to Tipico Sportsbook, and it’s not hard to see why. However, the coaching staff isn’t focused on wins and losses. Interim head coach Shaun Aguano said his squad is concentrating on implementing good habits to return to former glory. That process is a tedious one, and won’t happen overnight, but a trip to the Coliseum and not rolling over to a superior opponent could be the beginning of the program’s reincarnation.