USC at Arizona State Preview

By J.E.  |   Friday, September 30, 2005  |  Comments( 0 )

College Football
Got something to say?

Sign Up and be the first to comment on this article!

The No.1 USC Trojans (3-0) will try to extend their 25-game win streak on Saturday when they take on the No. 14 Arizona State Sun Devils (3-1) in Tempe. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 pm EDT at Sun Devil Stadium.

By all accounts, this game promises to be one of the highest-scoring contests of the year. The Trojans have the second-best offense in the country and are averaging just over 59 points per game, while the Sun Devils are just a bit behind that pace with 47 points per game.

USC is coming off a 45-13 victory against Oregon last week. Even though the final score ended up being lopsided, most analysts point to the first half of the game as an indication that the Trojans do have their weaknesses. Both the offense and the defense got off to a slow start, and the Ducks took a 13-10 lead into halftime. But then Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush, and the rest of the offense started putting points on the board at will, much as they have done throughout most of their win streak. Leinart finished the day with 315 yards and 3 touchdowns, while Bush rushed for 122 yards and 1 touchdown on 20 carries.

The USC Trojans have so many weapons that the Sun Devils can't afford to focus only on Leinart and Bush. Running back LenDale White is also a big-gain threat out of the backfield. White carried the ball 15 times for 111 yards and 2 TDs against Oregon. In addition, wide Receivers Dwayne Jarret and Steve Smith have breakaway abilities that prevent opposing defenses from focusing on the run.

The Arizona State Sun Devils will be led by junior QB Sam Keller. Keller's numbers this year are every bit as gaudy as Leinart's. Through 4 games, Keller has completed 88 passes for 1443 yards. Even more impressive is his touchdown-to-interception ratio. He has thrown 16 TDs, and has been picked off just 2 times. It's probably safe to say that he'll need to hit that 4 TD passes per game average once more in order for ASU to hang with the Trojans. Keller will look downfield to senior WR Derek Hagan. Hagan pulled down 11 catches for 193 yards and 2 touchdowns in last week's victory over Oregon State. Freshman RB Keegan Herring will try to provide some balance to the passing attack by establishing a ground game. He has 425 yards and 4 touchdowns for Arizona State this season.
Got something to say?

Sign Up and be the first to comment on this article! (0)

Article Tools Share!   |  RSS  |  Bleacher Report About Bleacher Report