USC vs. ASU: Game Preview Q&A With Devils in Detail

By Reign of Troy Staff | Sep 25, 2015

Saturday’s USC vs. ASU matchup is the Pac-12 South opener for both teams, and an early must-win for a pair of teams that entered the season with high expectations, only to each sport a September loss.

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To preview the game, we at Reign of Troy sat down with Randy Holt, the editor of FanSided’s Arizona State site, Devils in Detail. Here’s how the Q&A went down:

RoT: Both teams got a lot of offseason hype and both have underachieved thus far, with 2-1 records. What’s led to ASU’s struggles so far this season?

DiD: On the offensive side of the ball, problems haven’t been exactly difficult to identify. One, they’re not healthy. The offensive line has been ravaged by injuries. Mike Bercovici doesn’t necessarily have the weapons he needs in the passing game, with Jaelen Strong’s departure. The gameplan has probably been too conservative, and inconsistent, given what their quarterback is capable of. Of course, their offensive opportunities were limited in these last two games because defensively, the Devils are getting gashed by the run. Playing those triple option teams didn’t necessarily agree with the ASU defense.

RoT: Both teams got a lot of offseason hype and both have underachieved thus far, with 2-1 records. What’s led to ASU’s struggles so far this season?

DiD: I’m a big Bercovici guy and really have been since last year. I supported the idea of him starting over Kelly down the stretch last year, so I was excited to see him get in there as the No. 1 guy this year. He’s not quite as mobile as Kelly, but he can sling it downfield in a way that Kelly couldn’t. I think his mobility is probably underrated as well. With that said, the gameplan in place right now limits him to an extent. It’s comprised primarily of short and mid-range passes, not allowing Berco that opportunity to open up and get it downfield. The tools are there, it’s just a matter of getting the scheme to fit, which hasn’t happened yet.

RoT: Both teams got a lot of offseason hype and both have underachieved thus far, with 2-1 records. What’s led to ASU’s struggles so far this season?

DiD: D.J. Foster and Demario Richard have been leaned on heavily, and Devin Lucien has been a welcome addition to the offense. But without Strong in the mix, Bercovici definitely lacks that reliable, downfield threat that he represented. Tim White is emerging as a deep threat, but without Strong there, the offense has had to get conservative and rely on guys like Foster to turn short pass plays into big yards. There’s plenty of talent at the skill positions, it’s just a matter of the gameplan opening up enough for it to be realized.

RoT: Both teams got a lot of offseason hype and both have underachieved thus far, with 2-1 records. What’s led to ASU’s struggles so far this season?

DiD: My first instinct is to say that the Devils should continue to roll out the blitz packages that Todd Graham loves so much, but Cody Kessler’s prowess against the blitz gives me some reservations there. Nonetheless, I think that’s the route Graham will go. ASU’s secondary is the strength of its defense and should be able to at least contain the USC passing attack. As for stopping the run, that’s another story entirely.

RoT: Both teams got a lot of offseason hype and both have underachieved thus far, with 2-1 records. What’s led to ASU’s struggles so far this season?

DiD: It’s really going to come down to what the ASU offense can do. The USC offense is going to put points on the board, and it’ll be on Berco and the offense in order to hang with them and put them in a good position at the end of the game, as was the case last year. I think ASU can win, I think they keep it close, but I ultimately think they’ll fall maybe by a touchdown.

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