USC vs. ASU score, quick recap: Sun Devils burn Trojans’ home winning streak

Saturday afternoon’s USC vs. ASU score featured the result of drama at the Coliseum, with the Trojans losing and snapping their 19-game home winning streak.

The lowdown: The USC vs. ASU score wasn’t blank long, when Tyler Vaughns returned the game’s first punt 82 yards for a touchdown, giving the Trojans a 7-0 lead. From there, Manny Wilkins and the Sun Devils went on to carve up a Marvell Tell-less defense, scoring 24-straight points.

Receiver N’Keal Harry kicked off his special day with a 44-yard touchdown pass to jumpstart the rally. Eno Benjamin, who finished with 192 rushing yards on the day, ran for a pair of first half scores, including capitalizing off a USC turnover on a botched option pitch from third-string and first-time starter Jack Sears.

At one point in the second quarter, the Sun Devils were out-gaining USC 286 to 61 in total yardage, with a 24-7 lead on top of it.

The Trojans would then rally for a run of their own, scoring on three-straight drives, including two methodical drives to bookend the half. Vaughns’ second touchdown came with his arm to give USC a surprising lead, when he fired a strike to Michael Pittman for 36 yards on a double pass to make it 28-24.

From then on, the Herm Edwards’ Devils perked back up. Arizona State took the lead back when Harry scored with 2:54 left in the third on a sensational 92-yard punt return for a touchdown, after taking a precarious route deep in his own end.

Down 31-28, USC would have opportunities to equalize or re-take the lead, but couldn’t. Head coach Clay Helton re-thought kicking to tie on 4th-and-1 at the ASU 20-yard line, before Aca’Cedric Ware was stuffed just short of the line to gain. Then with six minutes to play, Sears and company only mustered five plays for 17 yards before punting.

Arizona State sealed the deal with a 45-yard Manny Wilkins keeper on a 4th-and-1 of their own with 1:33 to play. USC would answer with a desperation 48-yard bomb to Tyler Vaughns, but couldn’t get the ensuing onside kick.

Sears, in his first action at the collegiate level, looked more than good enough for the Trojans. He finished going 20-of-28 passing for 235 yards and two touchdowns.

The takeaway: Expecting perfection on a day USC was without starting quarterback JT Daniels and defensive team captains Cam Smith, Porter Gustin and Marvell Tell is a waste of time. They were always going to struggle against Arizona State in some fashion. Not everything has to be an indictment of an embattled coaching staff.

Yet the Trojans’ offense looked alive for long stretches against the Sun Devils. They utilized tight ends, found the running backs in the screen game, moved the launch point with Jack Sears on bootlegs, dialed up play-action passes and got dynamic performances from their dynamic receivers.

Those are good things. Great, even. But it shouldn’t take USC going down to a third-string quarterback to force the issue and change the identity of the offense, with an attack that seemingly made everything simpler for Sears. He benefitted from it and so did the offense, including on their two big drives to bookend the half.

Whether it’s Sears or Daniels next week, Helton, Tee Martin and company need to run more of that. Less hero ball relying on USC’s uber-talented players to make highlight reel plays.

Player of the game: Michael Pittman had another fine day, with a pair of touchdowns on six catches for 90 yards.

Stat of the game: With the loss, Clay Helton ran his home record at the LA Coliseum to 19-1.

Next on tap: The Trojans head up to Corvallis next Saturday, where they’ll face a struggling Oregon State Beavers team sitting at the bottom of the Pac-12 North standings.