By Juan Roque for DieHardDevil.com

This Saturday, ASU will return to the friendly surroundings of Sun Devil Stadium to face the Trojans of USC in its first Pac-12 conference game of the season.  ASU is looking to rebound from a heart breaking loss last week at Illinois where they had every opportunity to win but simply were not able to execute when it mattered most.  USC, now ranked 23rd in the AP Poll, wants to keep rolling after its 3-0 start.  Both teams are considered by football insiders to be the best two in the newly formed Pacific 12 Conference South Division with many giving USC a slight edge.  While no longer the team laced with NFL first round picks like in previous years, the Trojans still have plenty of fire power and will provide a formidable challenge.

This is without question the most important game of the year for ASU for many reasons. They’re coming of a loss, they’re on a mission to compete for the conference title and they’re playing a team that has beaten them eleven years in a row.  After a disappointing loss to what many felt was a beatable Illinois team, ASU has their biggest conference nemesis at home.  For the Sun Devils, the success or failure of the 2011 season could rest on the shoulders of this game.  The timing could not be worse as the injury bug keeps biting the defense.  Junior Onyeali, the best defensive line player ASU has, will not play and is out for a minimum of six weeks with a knee injury.  Safety Eddie Elder, who had a much improved outing against Illinois is coming off a concussion.  However, he has been cleared for Saturday.  The defense will need to regroup and reload quickly if they are to stop a highly effective Trojan offense.  After losing a game they should have won last week, the pressure is on the team and Coach Dennis Erickson to right the ship. A win would propel the Sun Devils back to relevance in the both the conference and national scene, but a loss could potentially derail what was supposed to be a banner season.

The Trojans under Lane Kiffin are in transition from the glory years under Pete Carroll that ended in scandal.  They are no longer the invincible force that dominated the Pacific 10 conference for nearly a decade.  Even with all the issues, vacated wins and returned awards, it can’t be denied that USC was the class of the conference during those years.  They had a lock on all recruiting and had their pick of the top players from everywhere in the country including Arizona where the Trojans took players like Everson Griffen and Devon Kennard. That’s changed lately. With the emergence of Oregon and their run the past three years and with the Reggie Bush debacle, USC finds itself on probation and no longer the class of the conference. Head Coach Lane Kiffin is looking to change all of that and bring the glory back to the storied program.  His Trojans are off to a good start in 2011 and are looking to play the role of spoiler since their probationary status prevents them from officially competing for the Pac-12 South title.  They have the mental advantage that comes with an eleven game streak. The last two games between SC & Arizona State were very close, both SC secured both wins in 2009 and 2010. This season the Trojans got off to a rocky start squeaking by Minnesota and Utah but found its swagger last week and cruised to a 38-17 win against a quality Syracuse team.

Meet the Trojan Offense

USC has not changed anything from the Pete Carroll days on offense.  They run a Pro Style Offense and still base their attack around the running game.  They have speed at the skill positions and have an athletic offensive line.  Their best player on offense is junior quarterback Matt Barkley.  Barkley, a starter since his freshman year, is much improved from his first two years at the helm.  He picked Syracuse apart last week completing 26 of 39 passes for 362 yards and five touchdowns which tied a USC record.  Barkley is a smart player with the football and makes sound decisions.  He has only been intercepted once so far this season and has thrown for 892 yards in three games.  What has improved from his first two years in the program is his confidence.  He is the leader of the unit now and it shows in how he performs.  This could possibly be his last season at USC if he continues to improve and heads to the NFL.

USC’s skill positions are a combination of size and speed.  Tailbacks Marc Tyler and Curtis McNeal are a deadly one two punch for the Trojans.  Tyler uses his 230 pounds to punish opposing defenders and McNeal is a speedster who averages 8.8 yards per carry.  Fullback/Tight End Rhett Ellison is a stud player who can do it all: block, catch and run the ball.  The 6’5” 250 pound senior has emerged as a multiple threat for the Trojans.  Last week against Syracuse he caught five passes and scored a touchdown.  He will be more involved in the offense as the season progresses.  Sophomore receiver Robert Woods is the most dangerous player USC has at the skill positions.  USC creates mismatches in the opposing defense by moving Woods around from the perimeter to the inside slot.  Woods uses his 6’1” frame to out jump smaller defenders and come down with the football.

USC’s offensive line is not big like Illinois but they are far more athletic.  Junior tackle Matt Kalil is an All American candidate and could also compete for the Outland Trophy.  His brother is Ryan Kalil who is an All Pro center with the Carolina Panthers.  Many feel Matt is better.  One glaring weakness in the Trojan offensive line is they are likely to start true freshman Marcus Martin alongside Kalil.  Martin is big enough at 6’3” 340 pounds but struggled last week against the quick Syracuse defensive tackles.  Center Khaled Holmes is an established veteran who is another potential honors candidate.

How ASU matches up

This game is going to test the ASU defense right from the opening drive.  The Sun Devils will need to account for Woods, Ellison, Tyler and Barkley.  These four players cannot get into a rhythm if ASU is to win this game.  Defensive linemen need to attack the left side of the line where the true freshman is lining up and get pressure on Barkley.  Now that it’s certain Junior Onyeali is out, Davon Coleman will need to pick up where he left off last week and have a great game.  Stopping the running game will also be a big task for the ASU front seven.  Colin Parker, Vontaze Burfict and Shelly Lyons will need to control Marc Tyler and Curtis McNeil.  They will also need to account for Rhett Ellison coming out of the backfield or lining up at tight end.  In the secondary it’s a priority to identify where Woods is lining up.  He has to be accounted for every snap because the Trojans will take a shot at a long pass on first down.  This is a game where the defense will have to not only play smart but aggressive.

Key Matchup: ASU secondary vs. Robert Woods

Meet the Trojan defense

On defense USC lines up in a 4-3 under defense that was made famous by Monte Kiffin in Tampa Bay.  The “Tampa Two Defense” relies on its defensive line to get pressure on the quarterback so that they are able to play man to man in the secondary and keep their linebackers in position to either blitz or drop into coverage.  USC has speed and size on its defensive line and they do a great job getting pressure on the opposing quarterback.  Junior defensive end Nick Perry is their most dangerous player.  Perry is fast on the edge and has a great burst off the line.  He does a great job with his body position and pursues to the whistle.  On the season Perry has two sacks, twelve tackles and has batted down a pass.  DaJohn Harris is also an active player at the defensive tackle position and has recorded nine tackles and a sack so far this season.

USC’s linebackers are all athletic, fast and aggressive.  Middle linebacker Chris Galippo is another in a long tradition of outstanding USC defenders.  The senior defender is not the best athlete on the field but he is smart and is rarely out of position.  He is constantly around the football and has recorded 18 tackles and one and a half sacks so far in 2011.  Weak side linebacker Hayes Pollard is a player who is exciting to watch and strong side linebacker Dion Bailey is also an excellent defender.  Pollard is the Trojans’ leading tackler with 23 stops this season and has also recorded a sack.  Bailey has 16 tackles and a sack.  This unit is possibly the best linebacker unit in the conference.

In the secondary the Trojans have good athletes who can cover and tackle.  Sophomore cornerback Nickell Robey has been mentioned as an All Pac-12 player by many pre-season publications.  Robey covers well and has broken up two passes in 2011 along with his 13 tackles.  Junior safety T.J. McDonald is a pre-season All American and is their best player in the defensive backfield.  He is fast and provides great support for his cornerbacks.  Sophomore cornerback Torin Harris is the most active Trojan pass defender having broken up two passes with one interception.

How ASU matches up

This USC defense will provide a significant challenge to the ASU offense.  After last week’s debacle in which the offensive line gave up six sacks of ASU quarterback Brock Osweiler, this week the unit must shine if the Sun Devils are to be successful.  The offensive line will need to keep Nick Perry and company off of Osweiler so that he can go through his progressions during pass plays.  They have to be able to keep the pocket stout inside, not allow the Trojans’ 300 pound interior linemen to collapse it and take shots at Osweiler.  Garth Gerhart will need to be able to identify blitz and adjust the protections so that Osweiler is not hit like he was last week.  The receivers will need to be disciplined and focused this week in running their routes and catching the ball.  The Trojans are stingy on defense and ASU must take what’s given to them.  With the speed they have on defense USC plays man to man with safety support which can be advantageous for the Sun Devils given the speed they have at receiver.  ASU will need to exploit possible mismatches in multiple receiver sets and get the ball to its best players like Aaron Pflugrad and Gerell Robinson.  Brock Osweiler will need to identify this and deliver the football.  The running game will be important this week in keeping the Trojan linebackers “in the box” and not dropping into coverage.  Cameron Marshall will need to have a big game if ASU is to win.  Again, the offensive line is crucial for this to happen.  They must maintain their blocks and allow Cameron Marchall or other ASU running backs to find a seam and get the tough yards through the middle of the USC defense.

Key Matchup: ASU receivers vs. USC defensive backs

Rebounding from a tough loss is not easy to do.  For ASU the season hangs in the balance Saturday.  USC is beatable but they will not make it easy for the Sun Devils.  Twelve years is a long time and that in itself is motivation enough to come out with an attitude and flip the script on the Trojans.  ASU will move forward from the errors of last week and play its best game of the year.  The streak ends at twelve.

ASU 35   USC 27