ASU Football: Sun Devils set to open season vs No. 20 USC

(Photo: Brady Klain/WCSN)

It’s been 312 days since Arizona State last played a football game.

Saturday will at long last mark the end of an arduous waiting period for the Sun Devils as they open their six-game conference-only schedule against No. 20 USC at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

November 7 marks the latest start date for ASU Football in modern history and the first time the Sun Devils have played a season opener against a conference opponent since a match against Washington back in 1998. 

“I think it’s a long time coming,” head coach Herm Edwards said. “Our coaching staff and our players are excited about the opportunity to play football in the Pac-12. I think all the coaches feel the same way. I don’t want to speak for them but I got a pretty good idea that they feel like I feel. It’s been a long time for players, for our fan base, everyone involved in Pac-12 football.”

Almost a year ago, back on Nov. 9, USC came to Tempe to play the Sun Devils in Week 9 of the 2019 season. Quarterback Jayden Daniels suffered a lower-leg injury and did not play in the contest, which would be the only game he missed all season.

While current Pittsburgh quarterback and then-ASU backup Joey Yellen performed well in the game (292 yards, four touchdowns, two interceptions), USC quarterback Kedon Slovis torched the ASU defense in the first quarter, throwing for four touchdown passes and digging the Devils into a hole that would be too deep to dig out of, and ASU lost the game 31-26.

“I think we need to come out fast as an offense,” sophomore guard Dohnovan West said. “[USC] got a big lead on us quick and the offense didn’t really put up any production early on. The big thing will be keeping the game within reach.”

Junior linebacker and team captain Darien Butler echoed his teammate.

“We can’t come out slow,” Butler said. “We got to come out on fire. We got to come ready, mentally and physically and maintain it through the whole game. [We have to] come out at halftime with the same energy.”

Slovis is coming off an impressive 2019 season where he threw for 3,502 yards and 30 touchdowns, earning him Pac-12 Freshman Offensive Player of the Year honors.

The sophomore is a strong candidate to be the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year this season and could be a potential dark horse for the Heisman Trophy. 

All-American wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. left for the NFL Draft after last season, but Slovis still has All-Pac-12 selections Amon-Ra St. Brown (77 receptions, 1,042 yards, 6 TDs in 2019), Tyler Vaughns (74 receptions, 912 yards, 6 TDs in 2019) and Drake London (39 receptions, 567 yards, 5 TDs in 2019) as dangerous weapons on the outside. They will test ASU’s veteran secondary of Jack Jones, Chase Lucas, Aashari Crosswell, and Evan Fields from the start. 

On the defensive side, USC parted ways with its former defensive coordinator, Clancy Pendergast, after the defense gave up over 29 points a game last season. The Trojans also lost All-Pac-12 first-team defensive tackle Jay Tufele as he decided to opt out of the 2020 season and focus on preparing for the upcoming NFL Draft.

Head coach Clay Helton hired Todd Orlando as the Trojans new defensive coordinator.  Orlando spent the last three seasons as the defensive coordinator at Texas, and his aggressive and heavy pressure philosophy should be reflected on Saturday in his 3-3-5 defense, which USC hopes will get to Daniels.

“They mix up a lot of different things and a lot of different blitzes and coverages,” Daniels said of USC’s defense. “[They will] try to confuse you. From what we’ve seen in the past here, it’s kind of similar in a way.”

The debut of Zak Hill as ASU’s new offensive coordinator will be anticipated as well to see what play-calls Hill dials up against Orlando. 

“USC has got really good personnel,” Hill said. “They are long and athletic. They fly around. It’s going to be a good challenge for us…it doesn’t matter who you play. You got to be ready to adjust and it’s all about what you do in-game.”

Because kickoff is slated for 9 a.m. PST, the team will have a pre-game meal at 4:45 in the morning. Edwards has emphasized to his players throughout the week to go to bed earlier and get enough hours of sleep.

Sophomore wide receiver Ricky Pearsall mentioned he was going to bed as early as 8 p.m this week to get his body adjusted to the early wake up call. 

Nevertheless, Arizona State will look to make a statement on national television on FOX’s Big Noon kickoff.  It’s a six-game sprint for Edwards and company this year. They know that to win the Pac-12 South, every game is critical.

“Winning your first game gives you a lot of momentum and there’s not a lot of margin for error,” Edwards said.  “They’re all important; every win you get you feel like you’re in the race. You know you always want to control your destiny, but if you don’t win, all of the sudden you’ve got to count on other people patrolling and helping you out.”

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