SIDELINE VIEW: Highlights of USC's 42-25 Victory Over ASU Saturday (10/1)
USC has been on somewhat of a revenge tour this season after losing eight of 12 games in 2021. So far the Trojans have avenged three of the eight embarrassing losses. The latest was a convincing 42-25 victory over ASU Saturday (10/1) at the Coliseum.
WeAreSC was in our usual spot on the sidelines Saturday for the the battle with the Sun Devils. Enjoy our unique highlights perspective and SIDELINE VIEW of the game.
5 Things – USC vs ASU Game
Immediately after the game WeAreSC’s Erik McKinney, Greg Katz and Marc Kulkin provide their 5 Things from USC’s 42-25 win against Arizona State. That includes their Player of the Game, Play of the Game, Expectation Met, Surprise and Biggest Takeaway.
USC Finds its Edge in Pulling Away from Arizona State
McKinney also provided an informative Summary of the victory over ASU in “USC Finds its Edge in Pulling Away from Arizona State.”
Whether it was a hangover from last week’s thrilling win in Corvallis, the effects of yet another late start time or playing an opponent in Arizona State that didn’t inspire them, the USC Trojans did not put their best foot forward in the first half during Saturday night’s 42-25 win against the Sun Devils. But as has been the case through five games this season, when the Trojans needed something to come up with a win, they found it.
USC could not stop Arizona State in the first half on Saturday night. The Sun Devils had three offensive possessions and likely the only reason they didn’t come away with three touchdowns was a completely unnecessary holding penalty as quarterback Emory Joneswas scrambling down to the USC 4-yard line.
Heading into the locker room at halftime, the Trojans held a slim, 21-17 lead and the Sun Devils were doing whatever they wanted to on offense.
Arizona State had 218 total yards, including 101 rushing yards. And the Sun Devils were averaging 8.1 yards per play and 6.3 yards per rush. But the Trojans found an answer during halftime. Turns out, it was pretty easy.
“Second half, we played USC defense,” middle linebacker Eric Gentry said after the game
Earlier today Kulkin published his Sunday’s Takeaway: USC Is 5-0 And For Some That’s Not Good Enough.
The Trojans in 2021 won a total of four games while they struggled to finish the season as a team. Most of the guys from that squad who felt, entitled, and struggled to “Fight On” have Moved On.
Should some from the fan base do the same; move on.
USC hasn’t even reached the halfway point of its 2022 campaign, and the team has already surpassed last season’s win total. The Trojans are 5-0 and ranked No. 6 in the country.
One more time for the fans who got the wrong colored Ferrari as their first car when they turned 16; your favorite football team is undefeated and highly ranked!
So why are some Trojan fans having temper tantrums following their team’s convincing 42-25 win over an undermanned, and interim-coached Arizona St?
Maybe it’s because, if you’re older than 30, and have been following the Trojans’ football program, you know USC can be an acronym for words that don’t stand for the University of Southern California.
Take in a road game, you’ll still see opposing fans dangling car keys, and mocking the rich kids who attend the University of Spoiled Children.
I’ve seen the parking lots at USC, the label is hard to argue against.
That kind of attitude can happen sometimes when folks who are used to the finer things in life have been forced to deal with regular people’s problems; They tend to forget what it’s like to appreciate when a good thing is staring them in the face or dropped in their lap.
So what if this year’s USC defense isn’t the Pete Carroll 2008 defense; they’re still getting the same winning results. Including a win on the road in Corvallis!
USC Erasing All Doubt With Recruits, Families & Coaches
Scott Schrader has THE LATEST with the impressive list of recruits who attended the ASU game.
Five weeks into the 2021 season, USC had already fired its head coach, were embarrassed twice at home by Stanford (42-28) and Oregon St. (45-27) and amassed an unimpressive 3-2 record after a victory at Colorado. USC would also lose its following two games to Utah and Notre Dame.
With Donte Williams in place as interim head coach, the Trojans continued to recruit hard and still managed to lure top prospects to the Coliseum. But the visitor lists were relatively small and the kids left each game wondering what the heck had happened to USC? Including Zion and Zachariah Branch.
If we’re keeping it real, not many recruits left the Coliseum on Saturdays thinking they’d ever play for the Trojans without significant change.
That significant change came on Nov. 29 when USC announced the hiring of Lincoln Riley. Not only did Riley bring a track record of consistent success on the field, he’s also one of the best recruiters in the nation. Plus he had a recruiting staff in place at OU led by Annie Hanson that was as good as any.
We fully understand Riley, his coaching staff and a current No. 6 Ranking are the primary draws at USC right now. Riley and his assistant coaches will ultimately be the closers with recruiting, but Hanson and her staff are the “Set Up Crew.”
