Final Score: No. 6 USC 42, Arizona State 25
The USC Trojans remained unbeaten this season as they posted a 42-25 win against the Arizona State Sun Devils on Saturday night.
Follow along with running game commentary. You can also visit and read the game thread on the WeAreSC Members Only message board.
Pregame
Trojans are fired up to be back home after a tough road win against the Oregon State Beavers last weekend.
The Trojans have entered the Coliseum.
* Former Sun Devil linebacker Eric Gentry comes out early and gets a lot of attention from his former teammates and coaches. Linebacker coach Chris Claiborne meets him and Marvin Lewis, Special Advisor to the Head Coach, gives him a long embrace. Gentry said this week that it would be just another football game but that connection is clearly still strong.
* Defensive lineman Jamar Sekona and linebacker Tuasivi Nomura are going through early warm-ups. Neither was in attendance last week at Oregon State.
* Five-star Plus+ wide receiver and USC commit Zachariah Branch is in attendance as part of an absolutely loaded visitor list for the Trojans tonight.
* Tight end Lake McRee does not appear to be out with the team during warmups.
* McRee, linebacker Chris Thompson Jr. and cornerback Adonis Otey are not in uniform tonight.
* Gino Quinones is warming up with the first-team offensive line at right guard. Justin Dedich is in uniform with the same wrap around his foot/ankle that he played with last week.
* And now Dedich is out there warming up with the first team full offense.
* The Trojans are honoring Dave Nichol pregame. Nichol was hired as USC’s inside wide receivers coach, but passed away in March after a battle with cancer. The Trojans will wear a “DN” patch on their helmets for the rest of the season.
* Three-time All-American offensive tackle Sam Baker leads the team out of the tunnel tonight.
First Quarter
* Caleb Williams with some scramble magic after a dropped snap to pick up a third down. Williams starts the game 5-for-5 passing after starting last week’s game 1-for-7.
* Williams plows into the endzone on a sneak from one yard out. USC takes its opening drive for a touchdown and goes up 7-0 with 10:28 remaining in the first quarter.
* ASU running back Xazavian Valladay gets behind USC linebacker Shane Lee and hauls in a 29-yard touchdown catch. It’s 7-7 with 6:28 left in the first quarter.
* Caleb Williams rolls right and throws across his body to a wide-open Mario Williams in the endzone. Seven-yard score. It’s 14-7 USC with 1:52 left in the first quarter.
* USC finishes the first quarter with 145 total yards on its first two drives. Caleb Williams has 113 yards passing and a touchdown. He finished last week’s game against Oregon State with 180 passing yards and one touchdown.
* Arizona State is averaging 9.6 yards per play and 8 yards per run. USC defense is getting gashed on the ground.
Second Quarter
* Calen Bullock with a big pass deflection in the endzone on third down. Arizona State settles for a 40-yard field goal. USC leads 14-10 with 9:53 remaining in the second quarter.
* It hasn’t all been pretty, but my goodness has Caleb Williams made some plays tonight. It looks like he might be tackled for a safety but he completes a jump pass to Jordan Addison all the way to the sideline.
* Caleb Williams to Malcolm Epps for a 4-yard touchdown. That’s another big-time throw on the run from Williams. USC goes up 21-10 with 6:05 remaining in the first half.
* ASU quarterback Emory Jones scrambles into the endzone from six yards out. USC leads 21-17 with 2:27 left in the first half.
* That’s a huge turn of events as it looked like USC had a long touchdown pass to Mario Williams. But Courtland Ford is flagged for holding and it’s brought back.
* USC is forced to punt and the teams go to halftime with the Trojans leading 21-17.
Halftime
Halftime Stats
Total Yards
USC – 288, Arizona State – 218
Passing Yards
USC – 217, Arizona State 117
Rushing Yards
USC – 71, Arizona State 101
Penalties
USC – 6 for 40 yards, Arizona State – 3 for 29 yards
Caleb Williams
15-for-23 for 217 yards, two touchdowns. Five carries for 33 yards and a touchdown
Mario Williams
Four receptions for 46 yards and a touchdown
Shane Lee
Four tackles
ASU QB Emory Jones
9-for-11 for 117 yards and a touchdown. Three carries for 15 yards and a touchdown.
Third Quarter
* Big-time start to the third quarter for the USC defense. A second-down sack by Shane Lee and Eric Gentry and a third-down stop by Mekhi Blackmon and Lee. USC takes over at its own 26-yard line after an Arizona State punt. USC still leads 21-17 with 11:23 left in the third quarter.
* Caleb Williams throws his first interception of the season and the Trojans commit their first turnover of 2022. Timarcus Davis with perfect coverage on Jordan Addison and Williams throws the fade right to Davis. USC leads 21-17 but wastes the good start to the second half by the defense. Arizona State ball at the 20-yard line with 8 minutes left in the third quarter.
* Travis Dye goes up and over the line for a two-yard touchdown. USC now leads 28-17 and it’s back to a two-score game with 1:10 left in the third quarter.
Fourth Quarter
* Caleb Williams with a two-yard dart for a touchdown to Kyron Hudson. That’s the first touchdown reception of Hudson’s USC career. It’s 35-17 with 10:54 remaining.
* Two really bad pass interference calls go against USC and Arizona State caps the drive with a two-yard touchdown run. Sun Devils go for two and get it. USC leads 35-25 with 6:16 remaining in the game.
* Trojans appear to put this one away on a 1-yard TD run by Travis Dye with 3:36 remaining (5 plays, 39 yards). Denis Lynch applies the PAT to make it 42-25.
* Calen Bullock intercepts a Emory Jones pass and turns the ball 56 yards to the SC 37 with 33 seconds.
* Miller Moss comes in at quarterback for the Trojans and takes a knee.
* Final score: USC 42-25 and now the No. 6 Trojans are now 5-0 overall and 3-0 in the Pac-12.
