Devils in Detail
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Arizona State vs. USC: The matchup by the numbers

By Randy Holt

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We’re nearing the 24 hour mark before the Arizona State Sun Devils are set to host the Trojans of the University of Southern California, in front of the #MaroonMonsoon at Sun Devil Stadium. With both teams heading into the tilt with a 2-1 record, this represents a monumental piece of the puzzle in the Pac-12 South. But just how do the Devils stack up against the Trojans? Let’s take a look at the numbers between the teams, as well as some individual standouts.

Arizona State Offense

  • Points Per Game: 28.7 (79th)
  • Pass Yards Per Game: 266.3 (43rd)
  • Rush Yards Per Game: 157.3 (89th)
  • Total Yards Per Game: 424.0 (61st)

USC Offense

  • Points Per Game: 48.3 (11th)
  • Pass Yards Per Game: 349.7 (13th)
  • Rush Yards Per Game: 208.0 (46th)
  • Total Yards Per Game: 558.0 (12th)

Arizona State Defense

  • Points Against Per Game: 23.0 (60th)
  • Pass Yards Against Per Game: 134.7 (9th)
  • Rush Yards Against Per Game: 215.3 (106th)
  • Total Yards Against Per Game: 350.0 (53rd)
  • Sacks: 7.0 (31st)
  • Interceptions: 3 (42nd)

USC Defense

  • Points Against Per Game: 18.7 (37th)
  • Pass Yards Against Per Game: 237.3 (83rd)
  • Rush Yards Against Per Game: 158.0 (70th)
  • Total Yards Against Per Game: 395.0 (79th)
  • Sacks: 5.0 (68th)
  • Interceptions: 2  (73rd)

Nothing there should be too surprising. We know that the ASU defense has been good against the pass, but struggled mightily against the run. Take each of those with a grain of salt, as two of the three teams they’ve matched up with have featured a triple option. The ranking that USC possesses in the run game might be deceptive, as they’re finding over 200 yards of offense per game on the ground. The defense will certainly have their work cut out for them.

We also know that the ASU offense has generally struggled, the last two matchups of which were against inferior competition. However, USC has struggled in all phases defensively, which could provide a nice opportunity for Mike Bercovici and co. to find a rhythm on that side of the ball.

Now let’s take a look at some individual standouts on each side. First, for the Sun Devils:

Arizona State Passing

  • Mike Bercovici: 70 of 113 (61.9%), 799 yards (T29th), 7 TD (19th), 1 INT, 7.07 YPA

Arizona State Rushing

  • Demario Richard: 56 carries for 298 yards, 5.3 avg, 2 TD
  • D.J. Foster: 20 carries for 97 yards, 4.9 avg, 0 TD

Arizona State Receiving

  • D.J. Foster: 16 receptions for 122 yards, 7.6 avg, 1 TD
  • Devin Lucien: 13 receptions for 147 yards, 11.3 avg, 0 TD

And for the Trojans:

USC Passing

  • Cody Kessler: 70 of 89 (78.7%), 922 yards (15th), 10 TD (2nd), 0 INT, 10.4 YPA

USC Rushing

  • Tre Madden: 28 carries for 206 yards, 7.4 avg, 4 TD
  • Ronald Jones II: 20 carries for 188 yards, 9.4 avg, 2 TD

USC Receiving

  • JuJu Smith-Schuster: 22 receptions for 434 yards, 19.7 avg, 4 TD

Again, nothing out of the ordinary. The USC offense is a high-powered attack that will be difficult to contain. Cody Kessler is one of the best in the nation, and JuJu Smith-Schuster has been a force as his main target. In addition to Smith-Schuster, the Trojans have 16 other players that have caught at least one pass this season.

If anything, this helps to illustrate that the Sun Devils don’t have quite as many playmakers as the Trojans, which probably shouldn’t come as any surprise. Demario Richard has been the only consistent force in the run game, while neither one of Foster or Lucien have been able to rack up big production in the conservative passing game. Perhaps facing a struggling USC defense will be the remedy that the Devils need to find offensive consistency.

What all of this adds up to, perhaps more than anything, is that we could be in for a shootout on Saturday night. USC has plenty of weapons on offense, from Cody Kessler to everyone he’s able to distribute the ball to. Mike Bercovici’s offense is getting healthier and will hopefully see things begin to open up as that takes place. But with the ASU defense’s tendency to get gashed in the run game, and USC’s overall defensive woes, we could be looking at a high scoring tilt on Saturday at Sun Devil Stadium.

**ASU Statistics via ESPN
***USC Statistics via ESPN

Randy Holt is the managing editor for Devils in Detail. You can follow him on Twitter @RandallPnkFloyd.

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