#BreakUSC

Going into week four of the season, Sun Devil Nation is still not sure what to make of the 2015 version of ASU football. A 38-17 loss to Texas A&M and two subsequent sub-par outings present fans with some unnerving question marks. However, in this weekend’s clash of ASU vs USC, I see four players that will matter most in the outcome of ASU’s conference opener.

The Sun Devil offense began to click in the second half of the New Mexico game last Saturday after making a very simple adjustment in the QB game-plan that this DieHardDevil.com writer has been clamoring for since last season. We’ll explore this, as well as my other picks for the most important players that will impact the outcome of ASU’s first conference game.

ASU on Offense

QB Mike Bercovici

Berco is the prototypical pocket passer/gun slinger that can pick a defense apart from the pocket. He has never been confused with former ASU QB Taylor Kelly in his proficiency at running the signature ASU spread option.

The key element for this offense to run successfully is for the QB to read the defensive end. When the defensive end “stays home” in outside contain, Bercovici gives the ball to his running back. If the DE vacates his spot to crash down in order to stop the RB, Berco should keep the ball and pick up the needed yards with his feet.

Sun Devil Captains, Jordan Simone, D.J. Foster and Mike Bercovici prepare for kickoff against New Mexico (photo- Sun Devil Athletics)

Until the second half of last week’s game against New Mexico, Bercovici had been hesitant to keep the ball even when the DE crashes down. In turn, defenses have not been forced to stay “honest” in the event that Berco keeps the ball.

Against New Mexico Head Coach Todd Graham was seen giving Bercovici an ear full, likely about keeping the ball enough to keep the defense guessing. As a result, Bercovici trusted his feet more which led to picking up a few important yards himself, including an easy walk in to the end zone.  

Saturday against USC, Berco will do himself a huge favor to keep the defense honest by using his feet when the opportunity presents itself. Keeping that defensive end guessing will open up ASU’s play-action passing game. As long as the Sun Devil running backs group does their part (Gump Hase and Kallen Ballage will play Saturday along side Demario Richard), this will leave receivers in preferred one-on-one coverage.

It all starts with Berco’s decision-making. Another thing to note: Bercovici is not a natural runner. He has left himself vulnerable to big hits by not sliding early enough at the end of his runs. This is another skill that he will have to improve upon in order to stay healthy this season.

ASU on Defense

Bandit Safety Jordan Simone

Simone is an above-average run stopper and will face an elite stable of USC running backs this weekend.

The former walk-on had arguably his best game last season against USC. He led the team in tackles and appeared to know what the Trojan offense was going to do before they did it. Simone also had the luxury of playing along side “ball hawk” and first-round NFL draft pick Demarious Randall which allowed him to cheat up into box.

ASU Bandit Safety #38 Jordan Simone

What we want to watch this weekend is whether the more balanced offense of USC will force Simone to stay in coverage against big play receivers, which in turn could slow his ability to stop running backs at the second level.

The ASU Hell’s Gate defense will need to get heavy pressure on senior QB Cody Kessler without selling out on the blitz. This will reduce how often ASU’s secondary is in man-to-man coverage.

USC on Offense

WR JuJu Smith-Schuster

Smith-Schuster is that homerun threat at WR that USC seems to have year in and year out. With SC quarterback Cody Kessler leading the conference in passing efficiency, JuJu is just one of several big-play threats that Kessler will look to target. 

There were several players on the SC roster that could have made the “players to watch” list this week. I chose Smith-Schuster because ASU has shown an incredible ability to stop the run this season, but hasn’t faced a prolific passing game that the Trojans will bring to Tempe. 

JuJu is one of those rare all-around receivers who has size, speed, and great hands. He is also a good downfield blocker who was instrumental in springing some of the Trojans’ explosive plays last week. As an outside receiver, Smith-Schuster will be a handful for the ASU cornerbacks. However, the Devils should slow down JuJu’s production if they can disrupt Kessler often enough.

USC Receiver #9 JuJu Smith-Schuster

USC on Defense

CB Adoree Jackson

USC CB #2 Adoree Jackson

Adoree Jackson is a true “lock-down” cornerback that USC will not hesitate to leave on that proverbial “island” in man-to-man coverage against ASU’s best receivers. This will allow for a safety to move into the box to help stop the Sun Devil running game. 

Jackson was chosen over outstanding LB Su’a Cravens as the player to watch for USC solely because of his added role as the punt and kick-off returner for the Trojans. He is at least as electric as Texas A&M returner Christian Kirk who returned a punt to the house in the season opener. Jackson had a TD return against Stanford called back for a penalty that would have had no effect on the return itself. Although ASU’s special teams unit is improving each week, Adoree Jackson is a player that will stress the coverage units all game.

USC has a plethora of big-play personnel on offense and will rotate a ton of depth onto the field. It will be imperative that ASU doesn’t lose the time of possession battle like they did against UNM. That would be a veritable death sentence for an ASU defense that is thin at a few positions.

Unlike Trojan defenses of the past, this one has given up big plays and does not have the prolific pass rush that has been a staple at USC. Case in point- Stanford put up 41 points on this USC defense last week.

I believe that ASU is capable of matching or exceeding Stanford’s production against USC if it picks up where it left off against UNM. If ASU can score 41 points on the Trojans, I’m predicting a fourth win in five years against their Pac-12 South rival.

#ForksUp

Hard-to-Find Footage Found! First Game between ASU and USC, 1978