Podcast: Review of Arizona State’s 38-35 victory over USC - Publication Date |
- Oct 30, 2018
- Episode Duration |
- 00:33:05
In the latest episode of the Sun Devil Source Report Podcast, publisher Chris Karpman and host Rob Werner are joined by staff reporters Jack Harris, Mason Kern, and Max Madden as they analyze Arizona State's 38-35 win over USC at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum last Saturday.
ASU's (4-4, 2-3 Pac-12) win in Southern California was not only its first road victory of 2018 but also snapped USC (4-4, 3-3 Pac-12) coach Clay Helton’s career undefeated home record of 19-0. In evaluating the Sun Devils' win over their Pac-12 South foe, we begin the show by discussing some of the most critical plays that led to the outcome: ASU junior receiver N'Keal Harry's 44-yard touchdown catch, sophomore running back Eno Benjamin's 49-yard touchdown run to give his team a 24-7 lead, Harry's third-quarter 92-yard punt return touchdown that put the Sun Devils back in front for good, and more.
How effective was ASU's offense after the team got back to the ground-and-pound style coach Herm Edwards has said he's most comfortable with? Benjamin gained 192 yards on the ground over 29 carries to go along with two touchdowns.
Sun Devils' senior quarterback Manny Wilkins bounced back against USC after receiving harsh criticism following ASU's loss to Stanford two weeks ago when he failed to lead a successful two-minute drive. Wilkins completed 14-of-22 passes for 166 yards, one passing touchdown, one rushing touchdown, and one fumble lost. While Wilkins statistics don't jump out, the 6-foot-3, 200-pound quarterback also rushed nine times for 89 yards, including ASU's final touchdown of the day, a 45-yard touchdown run with just 1:23 remaining in the game.
In the City of Angels, Harry, the Sun Devils' best-regarded NFL prospect, hauled in four passes for 95 yards including a jaw-dropping 28-yard one-handed catch in the fourth quarter and the 92-yard punt return touchdown. Was this game potentially Harry's most complete game in his ASU career?
In the first half of ASU's win over USC, the team's defense, led by coordinator Danny Gonzales, surrendered just seven points (USC sophomore wide receiver Tyler Vaughns had an 82-yard punt return touchdown on USC's first touch of the day). However, in the first five minutes of the second half, ASU's defense yielded 14 points, as USC jumped ahead of the Sun Devils. While Gonzales' unit held USC to just seven points in the fourth quarter, including a critical fourth-and-1 stop with 10:16 remaining in the game while USC made its way down to the ASU 20-yard line. How did the defense perform in totality?
Early in the game, Gonzales' defense was able to generate pressure on redshirt freshman quarterback Jack Sears who was making his first career start in place of freshman JT Daniels (concussion), but ASU was only able to produce two sacks. The unit did record five tackles for loss for a combined 32 yards. What was the impact of these negative plays?
With ASU's win over USC, the Sun Devils are once again in the mix for the Pac-12 South title. What must the Sun Devils' do the rest of the way to put themselves in position to take the division? What does a win against a powerhouse program like USC at the Coliseum do for ASU's program?
They review how the Pac-12 did in Week 9 and how the conference has done this season before making a quick note the addition of four-star wide receiver prospect, according to 247 Composite Rankings, Chad Johnson Jr.