There are plenty of ways to diminish Arizona State’s 38-35 victory over USC in Los Angeles on Saturday, and they all should be ignored.
This was a big win for the program, regardless of any so-called mitigating factors.
Yes, USC (4-4, 3-3) came into the game riddled with injuries. The Trojans were down to a third-string freshmanquarterback, and they were missing two senior captains on defense.
Yes, USC is trying to retool after losing quarterback Sam Darnold, running back Ronald Jones II and defensive lineman Rasheem Green to the NFL.
And, yes, USC has fallen out of USA TODAY's Amway Coaches Top 25 after losses to Stanford, Texas and Utah.
But until further notice, USC is still USC, a program with more history and tradition than any other school west of Notre Dame. The pedigree trumpets as loudly as the Trojans' marching band: 11 national championships, 34 bowl victories, 168 All-Americans, six Heisman Trophy winners (plus Reggie Bush) and 504 NFL players.
And until further notice, the men of Troy still play in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the site of two Olympics, two Super Bowls, a World Series and a papal mass.
So, when you walk in there wearing black hats, like coach Herm Edwards and his Sun Devils did, and whip USC to snap the program’s 19-game home win streak, it’s not something to take lightly — especially when you consider what ASU (4-4, 2-3) had to go through to get here, and what was at stake.
“It’s quite an accomplishment for our football team,” Edwards said. “… We’ve been on the wrong side of a lot of these close ones.”
It was the first road win of the Edwards eraafter tight games in San Diego, Seattle and Boulder, Colo.
It came after building a big lead and giving it back. And it came after one of those here-we-go-again moments that have burned the Sun Devils so many times this season.
They were up 24-7. Then they were down 28-24. Then N’Keal Harry returned a punt 92 yards for the go-ahead score. Then the refs stopped play to review it.
“I thought it was going to be targeting,” running back Eno Benjamin said. (Apparently, there’s been enough time since the San Diego State loss for laughs. Either that or busting USC for 185 yards on the ground had ASU’s offensive MVP feeling plucky.)
Senior quarterback Manny Wilkins called it “a step forward.”
“I’m super proud of how we fought,” Wilkins said.“There was a moment where they took the lead, and we could’ve shut it off. But we stayed poised and made plays.”
It was more stressful than it should have been. For the second week in a row, Wilkins made a clock-management mistake. He scored late in the game, rather than taking a knee and letting the clock run out.
Against Stanford, he threw a short pass that allowed the clock to expire, rather than throw the ball away for a new play.
This week, it didn’t cost his team, but it didn’t make things easier.
“Manny makes the first down,” Edwards said, “I’m thinking one of our guys should tackle him. Game’s over. Game’s over.”
Edwards joked that it was “a good television game.”
“Fans like these kinds of games,” he said.
Jokes aside, this is the type of win his program can build on.
“We need to realize we can win these close games,” Edwards said. “Sure enough at the end, we took the knee and that’s always a good thing.”
Left unsaid was how this was an essential part of maturing for a young team, and how Edwards has been calling for his players to show up in big moments all year.
“I’ve got a bunch of little guys running around,” Edwards said. “Gotta make sure they catch the bus home.”
Freshman linebacker Merlin Robertson is from Southern California. He finished with four tackles and a sack. The sack came on third-and-11. One of the tackles stopped a potential scoring drive on fourth-and-1.
Freshman linebacker Darien Butler is from the area, too. He had eight tackles and recovered a fumble.
ASU was 8 of 15 on third down and held USC to 2 of 11.
And because of the win, the program’s bowl hopes remain alive. The Sun Devils have home games remaining against Utah and UCLA and road games against Oregon and Arizona.
Win two, and they go somewhere in the postseason. Win more, and they go somewhere good.
Everyone knows what’s at stake.
READ MORE
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- N'Keal Harry flips script as ASU holds on to beat USC for 1st road win
Reach Moore at gmoore@azcentral.com or 602-444-2236. Follow him on Instagram and Twitter @WritingMoore.
