USC vs ASU: Clay Helton Previews Match Up With Sun Devils

Head coach Clay Helton broke down the match up between USC vs ASU on Tuesday, noting the Sun Devils’ uptempo offense and aggressive defense.

USC kicked off preparations for their increasingly pivotal contest with ASU at the Coliseum, taking the field at Howard Jones with a workmanlike attitude.

Head coach Clay Helton spoke to the media after practice and broke down what he’s seen of the Sun Devils, from their dangerous offense to the disruptive defense.

Here’s what Helton had to say about USC’s next opponent:

On ASU’s Offensive Scheme…

One of the things that stands out to you immediately is their uptempo offense. The amount of plays that they’re putting up, 80+ plays a game.

On QB Manny Wilkins…

I think the quarterback Manny WIlkins is playing phenomenal. Not only is he being efficient in the pass game but really what stands out to you is his running ability. He’s the second leading rusher as far as number of rushes, averaging almost 13 a game, so we’re going to have to hold him in check and really focus on his zone-read opportunities.

On ASU’s Running Backs…

Their two running backs I think are phenomenal. We’ve seen Damario [Richards] for the last two years, extremely solid running back both running the ball but also out of the backfield. Ballage, No. 7, obviously out of that Sparky wildcat package that they have has done some real damage. You saw what he did versus Texas Tech, really a special athlete.

On ASU’s Wide Receivers…

I think their wide receivers, I’ve been extremely impressed with the entire corps. They have six kids that they can roll in there. Tim White is the major one in the slot, No. 12, that does a tremendous job. N’Keal Harry is another big 6-foot-5, 220-pound kid out there catching balls for them.

On ASU’s Defensive Scheme…

I think any time that you play coach Graham defense, get ready for pressure. They’re going to blitz, you know it coming in, they do it every game and I would expect with a young quarterback he’s chomping at the bit to be able to pressure.

On ASU’s Defensive Front…

I have been really impressed with their defensive front. Smallwood, No. 90, and JoJo Whicker, right here from Long Beach Poly, are playing really, really good football right now.

On ASU’s Linebackers…

The linebackers, DJ Calhoun and then getting [Salamo] Fiso, No. 58, I thought really helped them. He made a great play at the end of the game that really locked away that Cal game with an interception return.

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