Amidst recent skid, Sun Devils head to LA for test against USC

After the first two games, Arizona State’s trajectory seemed to be soaring in the right direction. Six weeks later, that has changed drastically.

Most recently, ASU fell at home to Stanford 20-13, marking the Sun Devils’ fourth loss in their last five games. ASU turned the ball over three times in the loss and only scored six points in the first three quarters.

The loss dropped ASU to 3-4 overall and 1-3 in Pac-12 play.

Now, the Sun Devils shift gears and head to Los Angeles for a game against USC. So far, the Sun Devils are 0-3 on the road in the Herm Edwards era, and because USC is one of the most athletic teams in the nation, ASU will need to step up on both sides of the ball.

Essential Info:

What: Arizona State at USC

When: 12:30 p.m. Saturday

TV: ABC or ESPN2

Radio: ESPN 620 AM

Key Storylines:

Will JT Daniels be healthy?

USC freshman quarterback JT Daniels suffered a concussion in USC’s Week 8 loss to Utah, and it is uncertain whether or not he’ll be ready to play Saturday. If he is unable, USC will rely on third-string quarterback Jack Sears because the usual backup, Matt Fink, injured his ribs against Utah.

While Daniels did play his worst game of the season against Utah, that is expected when facing a stout defense like Utah’s. Other than the Utah game, Daniels has consistently improved over the course of the season, recording a passer rating of over 130.0 in three of the last four games.

Can ASU keep up with USC’s athleticism?

Year in and year out, one thing remains constant in the Pac-12: USC having the conference’s most athletic team.

USC has placed in the top five of 247sports.com’s recruiting class rankings three of the past five classes. Particularly, USC’s defense has some of the most physical players in the conference.

Because of this, the Sun Devils need to limit their mistakes on offense and not give the Trojans any freebies. If they do, ASU could dig itself an inescapable hole.

Will ASU’s struggles on the ground carry over?

After several strong performances in a row by running back Eno Benjamin, the Sun Devils’ run game regressed against Stanford. As a team, ASU ran for just 84 yards, and the team’s leading rusher was quarterback Manny Wilkins with 41.

While USC has one of the most athletic defenses in the NCAA, that hasn’t translated to stopping the run thus far this season. The Trojans are ninth in the Pac-12 in rushing yards allowed per game with 158.7.

Halting the USC linebackers at the line of scrimmage will be a big factor in whether or not the run game has success this week. If the blockers can do their part to stop one of the Pac-12’s most physical linebackers, Benjamin may find daylight against the Trojans.

Will ASU’s road woes continue?

As mentioned before, Arizona State has been atrocious away from home this year. The Sun Devils lost all three of their road games this year (all by seven points), and in all three, the offense has stalled in the third quarter.

Although the Coliseum isn’t the abrasive atmosphere the Sun Devils had to face in Washington or Colorado, it’s still not the comfort of playing at Sun Devil Stadium. In each of the Sun Devils’ road games this year, lack of discipline has daunted them, whether that be a result of penalties or costly turnovers.

That will need to be avoided if ASU wants to get its first road win under Edwards.

Key Players

QB Manny Wilkins

Throughout the season, inconsistency has been the only consistency in Wilkins’ game.

Against Stanford, the senior threw for over 300 yards and zero touchdowns with one interception. He did, however, have one of his best games on the ground, rushing for 41 yards and a touchdown.

Even though Wilkins’ stats this year aren’t bad (1,799 yards, 11 touchdowns and two interceptions), he’s had trouble finding receivers on the deep ball for the majority of the year. Even so, Edwards still has faith in him.

“I trust in the guy; he works at it and that’s all he can do,” Edwards said. “He needs help too though, it’s not like it’s just all on him.”

LB Merlin Robertson

In a defense that has been up and down, freshman linebacker Merlin Robertson has excelled this year. Robertson has recorded 46 total tackles this year, six of which were for a loss, and he also has four sacks.

Robertson stood out against Stanford, posting seven tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and a sack. Even if Daniels starts behind center for the Trojans, Robertson could be a major road block to USC’s offense if he can swarm to the line of scrimmage as he has done the entire season.

Key Trojans

WR Amon-Ra St. Brown

Only a freshman, wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown has made a name for himself in his first seven collegiate games. St. Brown is second on the team with 29 receptions and second in receiving yards with 429.

While he’s only exceeded 100 receiving yards once this year, St. Brown has made several crucial catches throughout the season to extend Trojan drives. St. Brown and the rest of the receiving core could be forced to make tough catches if the quarterback uncertainty doesn’t clear up.

LB John Houston

Because of injuries to USC’s front seven, linebacker John Houston will need to step up Saturday. The Trojans are now without star linebackers Porter Gustin and Cameron Smith this week, so Houston will be called to play a larger role in the USC front.

The battle between the USC front and Benjamin will be a pivotal one and could determine the outcome of the game. If Houston can make up for Gustin’s and Smith’s absence, ASU’s run game could be as ineffective as it was against Stanford.

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