The No. 19 Southern California Trojans (2-1, 0-1) travel to meet the Arizona State Sun Devils (2-1, 0-0) this week in a clash between two of the more impressive Pac-12 teams of this young season. Players to watch in this matchup are the nation’s second-leading passer, Mike Bercovici (799 yards, 7 TDs), and third-leading receiver, JuJu Smith-Schuster (434 yards, 4 TDs). Players will take the field Saturday, Sep 26 at 10:30 p.m. ET and it will air on ESPN.
Arizona State won easily over New Mexico 34-10 last week. Mike Bercovici had a big game throwing the ball in the win, completing 22 of 37 passes for 317 yards and three TDs. Demario Richard also had a big game with 104 yards on 15 attempts. USC didn’t have the same success as Arizona State, falling to Stanford 41-31 in its matchup. JuJu Smith-Schuster had an outstanding performance for the Trojans, totaling eight receptions for 153 yards and one TD. Cody Kessler also had a big day, contributing 272 yards and three TDs through the air.
The Sun Devils, a six-point underdog, will be looking to maintain home-field advantage when USC comes to town. The teams combine to set the Over/Under (O/U) at 63 points.
Heading into Week 4 of the college football season, the Sun Devils are 2-1 SU, but winless Against The Spread (ATS). The Sun Devils utiliize their passing attack frequently. They pass 37.7 times per game, which is the 25th-most in the nation. Don’t anticipate many blunders and oversights from Arizona State. They are one of the least penalized teams in Division I (14th), averaging only 38 penalty yards per game.
On the other side, the Trojans have 2-1 SU and ATS records this season. Offensively, they are a fun team to watch with an average of 48.3 points per game, the 11th-ranked scoring team in the country. The Sun Devils have not found a lot of success stopping their opponents’ running games. The Trojans will look to exploit a run defense that ranks 107th in Division I with 215.3 rushing yards allowed per game. USC’s defense is one of the best, allowing just 18.7 points per game. The Trojans will look to reap benefits from the Sun Devils, who rank 110th in the country with 1.3 fumbles lost per game. The Trojans have a habit of pouring it on before they go into halftime. They average 12.7 points during the second quarter, ranking 19th in Division I.
Predictions: SU Winner – Southern California, ATS Winner – Southern California, O/U – Under
Notes
Arizona State is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games.
Arizona State is 19-6 SU in its last 25 games.
Arizona State is 3-8 ATS in its last 11 games at home.
Arizona State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home.
Arizona State is 3-12 SU in its last 15 games when playing Southern Cal.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Arizona State’s last 5 games when playing Southern Cal.
Arizona State is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Southern Cal.
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Arizona State’s last 9 games when playing at home against Southern Cal.
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Southern Cal’s last 9 games when playing on the road against Arizona State.
USC is 2-0 SU when leading at the start of the 4th quarter this season. Arizona State is 1-0 SU when carrying a lead into the fourth quarter.
When analyzing just in-conference ranks, USC has the edge in the passing game. Its passing attack (ranked third in the Pac-12) will face the fifth-ranked pass defense of Arizona State, while its third-ranked pass defense will look to limit the fifth-ranked passing game of the Sun Devils.
USC also has an advantage in the run game when analyzing just conference rankings. Its seventh-ranked rushing attack will face the ninth-ranked run defense of Arizona State, while its seventh-ranked run defense will look to contain the ninth-ranked rushing game of the Sun Devils.
