Sun Devils show improvement despite 42-28 loss to No. 5 USC

(Photo via Spencer Barnes/WCSN)

TEMPE — Arizona State football head coach Kenny Dillingham knew his team would be dialed in for its matchup with No. 5 USC almost immediately after last week’s 29-0 loss to Fresno State.

Upsetting a talented Trojans squad led by junior quarterback and reigning Heisman Memorial Trophy winner Caleb Williams, let alone keeping things close for a majority of the game, is much easier said than done. And in their 42-28 loss to USC (4-0, 2-0 Pac-12) at Mountain America Stadium, it was clear that the Sun Devils (1-3, 0-1 Pac-12) have made great strides from just a week prior.

“Our guys are going to compete,” Dillingham said following Saturday’s loss. “They’re going to compete and they’re gonna go to work to get better every single day. I can’t always guarantee you the perfect call, I can’t always guarantee you a lot of things. I can guarantee you our guys are gonna go to work and our guys are gonna play with passion.”

Right off the bat, USC’s offense showed why it’s one of the nation’s best, as Williams beat redshirt senior safety Shamari Simmons to the goal line for a 1-yard touchdown run, capping off a 12-play, 75-yard first drive.

The Trojans recorded 535 total yards on offense, with Williams accounting for 322 with five total touchdowns. At times, it seemed ASU’s defense couldn’t do anything to stop the opposition. If it wasn’t a big play through the air, it was redshirt junior running back MarShawn Lloyd getting it done on the ground while averaging 11 yards per carry and picking up 154 rushing yards — a testament to USC’s multitude of playmakers on offense.

“I mean, obviously they’re a great offense, rated I think top offense in the country coming into this,” Tate Romney said. “You obviously have Caleb Williams calling out a lot of checks before plays. They were making a lot of adjustments pre-snap, I think that led into a lot of that [success on the ground]. We didn’t execute plays like we wanted to, so it’s just unfortunate.”

In the first half, ASU struggled to defend on third and fourth downs, with USC going three-for-five on third down and converting its only fourth down attempt. ASU’s defense was much better at getting off the field in the final two quarters, as the Trojans failed to move the chains on their five third-down opportunities and lone fourth-down try.

While completely shutting down such a skilled attack is a near-impossible task, ASU’s defense was successful in containing it. The Trojans’ 42 points on Saturday represent the lowest they’ve scored in a game this season, and a key reason for that is the chaos the Sun Devils’ created in the backfield.

The persistent pressure would pay off on USC’s second drive of the night. On the first play from scrimmage, Lloyd couldn’t hang onto the ball on his own 17-yard line, resulting in a fumble that Romney pounced on. The turnover provided ASU a golden opportunity to score — one it would cash in on as junior running back Cam Skattebo evened the score with a 15-yard touchdown dash.

Romney proved to be an integral piece of the defense, recording seven total tackles, a pass breakup and a massive tackle for loss on a second down midway through the third quarter. Thanks to Romney’s playmaking on second down, USC was ultimately forced to kick a field goal, resulting in the game staying within a possession. In total, ASU logged two sacks, four tackles for loss and three pass breakups, which was not a bad showing considering it was pitted against such a high-powered offense.

“Defense played their butts off the whole game,” Skattebo said. “I honestly didn’t think they were gonna score another point after 27. But once offense kind of slows down, it’s hard for the defense to continue to keep their foot on their necks. They played hard.”

After the Sun Devils were held without a single point in six straight quarters coming into Saturday’s game, it was clear something needed to change on offense. Dillingham, who took over play-calling duties for ASU, knew that creativity was essential to scoring against a skilled Trojans defense.

And the centerpiece of this innovative approach was Skattebo.

Playing running back, quarterback, receiver and even punter, the Sacramento State transfer accrued 190 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns while finishing with 2-for-3 under center with 42 passing yards.

This creativity, in part, resulted in sustained drives, something the Sun Devils have struggled to produce for much of 2023. ASU’s two drives following Skattebo’s rushing touchdown both lasted over 5:45 — each ending in a field goal from graduate kicker Dario Longhetto — which kept the home team in the game while providing the defense more time off the field.

ASU couldn’t find the same success for a large part of the second half, but the offense still found ways to put points on the board.

“To be honest, [calling plays from the sideline] wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be,” Dillingham said. “Coach [Beau] Baldwin did a phenomenal job communicating, our entire staff did a phenomenal job communicating throughout the game what we were seeing.”

Down 24-13 with nearly six minutes elapsed in the third quarter, redshirt sophomore quarterback Drew Pyne found redshirt junior wideout Elijhah Badger in the end zone with a 25-yard touchdown pass. Skattebo punched in the two-point conversion, and all of a sudden, ASU trailed by just a field goal.

Pyne’s next touchdown pass came with just over five minutes remaining in the game, as a short pass to Cam Skattebo turned into a 52-yard score that saw the Rio Linda, California native break two tackles and somehow stay on his feet.

While Pyne found success at times on Saturday, his 221 passing yards and two touchdown passes were overshadowed by two turnovers — an interception and a fumble — both costly in different ways.

On its first drive after Badger’s touchdown, ASU looked to keep rolling on offense. Yet the exact opposite happened, as a deep ball intended for redshirt junior receiver Xavier Guillory was read perfectly by USC junior safety Calen Bullock. While the Trojans didn’t score on the ensuing drive, the pick surely killed the momentum ASU had gained from its previous series.

On 3rd down less than four minutes into the final quarter, Pyne faced immediate pressure following the snap and was stripped of the ball, giving USC control at ASU’s 44-yard line. The visitors would capitalize on this turnover, only needing two plays to find the end zone.

It didn’t help that Pyne was constantly under duress, as the Trojans ended the night with eight sacks, two forced fumbles and a quarterback hurry.

“I would say the turnovers offensively and struggling protecting the quarterback,” Dillingham said. “And that starts with me, being more timely with some calls in order to protect our O-line … and I’ve got to do a better job of protecting our guys on those early downs so we don’t get behind the chains.”

While there aren’t many positives that can be taken from a third-straight loss, Dillingham believes his team has made strides throughout the season. The first-year head coach also praised the environment the 54,166 fans created at Mountain America Stadium, saying a true home-field advantage stands out to recruits.

“[The intense moments are] not too big for them,” Dillingham said. “They want these moments. You come to ASU to play in these moments and every kid goes to a college and a lot of their decision is the environment. To be honest, the environment we create is going to not only affect wins, it’s going to affect recruiting and that environment today.

“That environment today, I challenge people to bring that because that was an environment that was an environment you can win at a high level in. That was an environment that our kids deserve.”