The end of the Lane Kiffin era has come. USC’s long-embattled head coach suffered another big defeat on Saturday, this time at the hands of the Arizona State Sun Devils. Kiffin was fired after the loss, which dropped USC to 3-2 on the season, but perhaps more importantly, is the latest evidence of a team gone haywire.
USC vs. Arizona State final score: Sun Devils put a fork in the Trojans, win 62-41
The Trojans go down in Tempe.
After leading 21-20 right after halftime, USC’s defense allowed 28 straight Sun Devil points, giving Arizona State a 48-21 advantage. The Sun Devils would set a new record for points scored against USC in the win and total over 600 yards of offense while doing so.
Running backs Tre Madden and Justin Davis played well for the Trojans, but USC had some offensive trouble, going 4-of-13 on third downs, despite dominating time of possession. They also committed four turnovers.
Quarterback Cody Kessler completed 20-of-29 passes for 280 yards and two touchdowns. While his stat line looks good, he racked up many of the yards once the game was already out of hand.
The Trojans also face another potentially disastrous development, as star receiver Marqise Lee went down in the fourth quarter with an apparent knee injury. That can only further hamper an already struggling aerial attack, especially as the Trojans continue through Pac-12 play.
Box Score Hero: Sun Devil quarterback Taylor Kelly led the ASU offense in this one, throwing for 351 yards and rushing for 79.
Rankings Ramifications: The Sun Devils may sneak back into the bottom of the AP top 25, but nothing beyond that.
But Did They Cover? Arizona State was anywhere from a 3.5 to 4 point favorite. They covered at all places.
For More On This Game: The home for USC is Conquest Chronicles. More on ASU at House of Sparky.
Next Week’s Schedule: USC has a bye next weekend. It will host Arizona on October 10th, in a Thursday night game. ASU will travel to Arlington in a matchup against Notre Dame.
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