USC injury report: GAME-TIME DECISION: DE Nick Figueroa (lower leg), DT Jamar Sekona (arm); QUESTIONABLE: DT Ishmael Sopsher (compartment syndrome); OUT: WR Drake London (ankle fracture)
USC wins if: The Trojan receivers step up in London’s absence and win one-on-one matchups to take pressure off the run game and allow Ingram to rush for over 150 yards again. … USC makes fewer mental mistakes than Arizona State, which leads the Pac-12 with 9.25 penalties per game. … The USC front seven puts pressure on ASU QB Jayden Daniels, sacking him three times and holding him below 50 rushing yards.
Arizona State injury report: PROBABLE: S Evan Fields, RB Rachaad White (leg)
Arizona State wins if: The Sun Devils can buck the trends of their two-game losing streak, in which they turned the ball over six times and allowed 56 unanswered points across the two games. … The Sun Devils get White back and punish USC in the ground game, rushing for close to 250 yards. … Arizona State makes the USC offense one-dimensional, either taking away the run or pass game.
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For all practical purposes, Utah just won the South. They need 2 wins in the last three games and play AZ in Tucson, Oregon in Eugene, and CO at home. ASU losing to WSU effectively eliminated ASU. This totally hoses Oregon. The Utes have 3 losses. Assuming Oregon beats the Utes in two weeks, that means the league championship will pit a 4 loss Utah team against the Ducks. I doubt that will get the Ducks into the Final 4.
UTAH 52 – STAN (the team that finally forced out Clay Helton) 7
Utah outgained Stanford 440-28 on the way to a 38-0 halftime lead for the second-highest yardage discrepancy in the first half of a FBS game in the last seven seasons, only 24 yds shy of Boise State vs Connecticut in 2018.
The Cardinal, having totally come apart at the seems (3-6), were playing without injured starting QB Tanner McKee and suffered their most lopsided smash since losing 57-7 to Notre Dame in ’03.
I read the predicted score to my wife and she could only say, “And you wonder why I didn’t want to bother with the annual trip to AZ.”
I agree with those saying the defense is our Achilles heel. If Orlando doesn’t get his side of the ball fired up maybe we can get Monte out of retirement. I keep wondering what TO does to earn his pay. It’s going to be a long night.
Thinking about our crappy D, it seems a lot of the problems we have are the lack of attitude and effort. Certain players play hard every play, for the most part, but others take plays off. And if anybody showed up to USC with a nastiness streak in them, it was coached out of them almost right away (by osmosis of being on a team coached by CH). We don’t particularly have the players and speed we need, but even if we did I suspect they would be mediocre at best until we get back to that nasty attitude all… Read more »
I wonder how many points the ASU offensive coaches are targeting for putting up on USC? Sometimes, that Trojan D just looks like a complete sieve. STAN, ORE ST, and UTAH all mauled USC and each scored over 40. So many times the Trojans just can’t make that first (or second) tackle stick. ASU beat UCLA at the Rose Bowl, 42-23 on Oct. 2. Since then, ASU has gotten hammered by both UTAH and WSU, and only managed to score 21 points in those losses. This game seems like a total wildcard to me because either team is capable of… Read more »
It’s no secret that the state of this program today is the result of seasons of neglect & appeasement in accepting less causing a slow erosion. But when injuries take down what little skilled talent this program greatly relies on, you now can sense a crash about to happen in its ability to compete.
I would be surprised if ASU doesn’t win by at least 9. That will only happen if ASU gets up big and let the foot off the gas and SC gets garbage time points.
I see USC getting blown out because I don’t think the players care at this point. I have to admit that I have never predicted USC getting blown out before. Yes I hope I am wrong.
A lot of LA guys play for ASU. Things likely will get chippy. SC has nothing to play for Wildcats do. If ASU is smart they will be able to goad the undisciplined Trojans into a lot of penalty yards.
What are the priorities you would outline for the USC job, and who would you identify as the best potential fit for the Trojans? Andy Staples (The Athletic) — “At USC, the coach needs to be able to develop players. Though it is more difficult to recruit at USC now with Oregon dominating the West Coast and Alabama, Georgia, Clemson and others trying to convince the best in the west to come east, USC still has access to an array of talent. The biggest problem at USC is that the staff hasn’t been able to develop players on the line… Read more »
charisma, recruiting, leadership, development, and discipline. In any order. Above all else experience and knowledge.
Aranda, Campbell, Ruhle, Fickell, Clawson. Each would build a great staff.
I’m starting to warm up to the idea that Dave Clawson should be seriously looked into. I really haven’t heard much about him, but his name keeps popping up because he’s gone 8-0 this season. Could be a one-season Demon Deacon wonder, but I really agree with Staples that USC’s new guy has to be able to assemble a staff that can really develop players, especially in the trenches. Personal fave/rising star Dave Aranda seems to unfortunately figure very heavily into LSU’s focus and most of us doubt USC will compete well against any school that pulls out all the… Read more »
It is the only thing that gives USC fans any hope. This season is a waste, these players refuse to play the game the way most everyone else does. All out all the time. Aranda to me is my #1 pick above even Ruhle who I think is untouchable where he is. Whoever comes in better be the guy that can put together a staff that can get these kids turned around. I do foresee several leaving through the portal. Perhaps heading to Georgia Southern.
Jumping on The Cat’s choo-choo train might be a great idea for some of these USC kids. I wish them the best and thank them for their time at USC. I hope they took away some real positives, and that the more competitive, better players stay behind to experience USC under its new HC/staff.
Anyone says Wittingham is over the hill ought to be watching Utah dismantel Stanford.
Witt still has it. Would USC want him, it is probably way to late now, he is forever Utah.
He is the one talking. Talking about retirement.
For all practical purposes, Utah just won the South. They need 2 wins in the last three games and play AZ in Tucson, Oregon in Eugene, and CO at home. ASU losing to WSU effectively eliminated ASU. This totally hoses Oregon. The Utes have 3 losses. Assuming Oregon beats the Utes in two weeks, that means the league championship will pit a 4 loss Utah team against the Ducks. I doubt that will get the Ducks into the Final 4.
UTAH 52 – STAN (the team that finally forced out Clay Helton) 7
Utah outgained Stanford 440-28 on the way to a 38-0 halftime lead for the second-highest yardage discrepancy in the first half of a FBS game in the last seven seasons, only 24 yds shy of Boise State vs Connecticut in 2018.
The Cardinal, having totally come apart at the seems (3-6), were playing without injured starting QB Tanner McKee and suffered their most lopsided smash since losing 57-7 to Notre Dame in ’03.
I read the predicted score to my wife and she could only say, “And you wonder why I didn’t want to bother with the annual trip to AZ.”
I agree with those saying the defense is our Achilles heel. If Orlando doesn’t get his side of the ball fired up maybe we can get Monte out of retirement. I keep wondering what TO does to earn his pay. It’s going to be a long night.
Thinking about our crappy D, it seems a lot of the problems we have are the lack of attitude and effort. Certain players play hard every play, for the most part, but others take plays off. And if anybody showed up to USC with a nastiness streak in them, it was coached out of them almost right away (by osmosis of being on a team coached by CH). We don’t particularly have the players and speed we need, but even if we did I suspect they would be mediocre at best until we get back to that nasty attitude all… Read more »
I wonder how many points the ASU offensive coaches are targeting for putting up on USC? Sometimes, that Trojan D just looks like a complete sieve. STAN, ORE ST, and UTAH all mauled USC and each scored over 40. So many times the Trojans just can’t make that first (or second) tackle stick. ASU beat UCLA at the Rose Bowl, 42-23 on Oct. 2. Since then, ASU has gotten hammered by both UTAH and WSU, and only managed to score 21 points in those losses. This game seems like a total wildcard to me because either team is capable of… Read more »
It’s no secret that the state of this program today is the result of seasons of neglect & appeasement in accepting less causing a slow erosion. But when injuries take down what little skilled talent this program greatly relies on, you now can sense a crash about to happen in its ability to compete.
I would be surprised if ASU doesn’t win by at least 9. That will only happen if ASU gets up big and let the foot off the gas and SC gets garbage time points.
I see USC getting blown out because I don’t think the players care at this point. I have to admit that I have never predicted USC getting blown out before. Yes I hope I am wrong.
A lot of LA guys play for ASU. Things likely will get chippy. SC has nothing to play for Wildcats do. If ASU is smart they will be able to goad the undisciplined Trojans into a lot of penalty yards.
A great point, and I don’t think ASU will have to work that hard at it to get the USC players to crumble
What are the priorities you would outline for the USC job, and who would you identify as the best potential fit for the Trojans? Andy Staples (The Athletic) — “At USC, the coach needs to be able to develop players. Though it is more difficult to recruit at USC now with Oregon dominating the West Coast and Alabama, Georgia, Clemson and others trying to convince the best in the west to come east, USC still has access to an array of talent. The biggest problem at USC is that the staff hasn’t been able to develop players on the line… Read more »
charisma, recruiting, leadership, development, and discipline. In any order. Above all else experience and knowledge.
Aranda, Campbell, Ruhle, Fickell, Clawson. Each would build a great staff.
I’m starting to warm up to the idea that Dave Clawson should be seriously looked into. I really haven’t heard much about him, but his name keeps popping up because he’s gone 8-0 this season. Could be a one-season Demon Deacon wonder, but I really agree with Staples that USC’s new guy has to be able to assemble a staff that can really develop players, especially in the trenches. Personal fave/rising star Dave Aranda seems to unfortunately figure very heavily into LSU’s focus and most of us doubt USC will compete well against any school that pulls out all the… Read more »
It is the only thing that gives USC fans any hope. This season is a waste, these players refuse to play the game the way most everyone else does. All out all the time. Aranda to me is my #1 pick above even Ruhle who I think is untouchable where he is. Whoever comes in better be the guy that can put together a staff that can get these kids turned around. I do foresee several leaving through the portal. Perhaps heading to Georgia Southern.
Jumping on The Cat’s choo-choo train might be a great idea for some of these USC kids. I wish them the best and thank them for their time at USC. I hope they took away some real positives, and that the more competitive, better players stay behind to experience USC under its new HC/staff.
Let’s hope….!