There was little to like about ASU's Pac-12 opener against the USC Trojans, a game in which the Sun Devils were exposed on defense by USC quarterback Cody Kessler and his array of speedy receivers.
The final score was 42-14 but even such a big margin doesn't fully encapsulate the crushing blow offered by the loss.
ASU was shut out in the first half for the first time in two seasons and despite an effective ground game, could not consistently finish drives by putting points on the board.
Running game serves as lone silver lining
ASU doesn't have a lot to write home about after this loss but if it's any consolation, the Sun Devil ground game was remarkably effective against the Trojans.
Sophomore Demario Richard carried the ball 14 times for 131, topping last week's 104 yard output, and tacked on two touchdowns. Richard now has 429 yards and four touchdowns on the ground this season with another 185 receiving yards and a pair of receiving touchdowns.
Richard's 138 total yards accounted for just over 30 percent of ASU's total yardage on the night.
The Sun Devil backfield welcomed sophomore Kalen Ballage back from a three-game absence and slowly eased him back into action. Ballage got nine carries for 30 yards in limited time.
As a whole, ASU averaged 5.2 yards per carry against USC, out-gaining the Trojans by over 100 yards on the ground (182 for ASU, just 80 for USC).
That total is buoyed by a 9.4 yards per carry average for Richard and a 6.8 yards per carry average for freshman De'Chavon "Gump" Hayes.
ASU will likely only go so far as its run game takes it and it will need many more games with this kind of rushing output to go anywhere far.
Turnovers tank the Sun Devils in first half
One thing the Sun Devils will need less of are turnovers. ASU had four against USC, matching last year's season high. All four came in the first half and resulted in 28 points for the Trojans.
ASU fumbled three times, including a botched snap on the USC four yard line that was scooped by safety Chris Hawkins and returned 94-yards for a touchdown.
Hayes then fumbled the ensuing kickoff and USC recovered inside the red zone, an opportunity it converted into a touchdown with three seconds left in the half to increase the already large lead.
That series of plays just before halftime was called a "self-destruction" by coach Todd Graham after the game.
Even at the most opportune times, turnovers are any team's kryptonite and the Sun Devils now have nine on the season including two against Texas A&M and another two against Cal Poly in the first two games of the season.
ASU's opponents have turned the ball over just six times in four games.
Secondary exposed by USC's receiving weapons
After the game, Graham mentioned the speed and athleticism of USC's many offensive weapons. Those weapons gouged the ASU defense for 459 yards including nearly 400 yards through the air.
USC quarterback Cody Kessler carved up the ASU secondary to the tune of 375 yards and five touchdowns, completing 57 percent of his throws.
Receiver Juju Smith-Schuster had five receptions for 103 yards and a pair of scores and Adoree' Jackson torched the Sun Devils for 131 yards on just three catches, adding a touchdown of his own.
ASU safety Jordan Simone took the blame for the secondary's performance on his shoulders and made no excuses.
"A lot of it's on me, I've got to do better and I've got to be a better leader," he said. "We've got to cover them better, flat out."
While the Trojans didn't utilize the deep ball very often, they found plenty of wide open receivers running short and intermediate routes in the soft spots in the coverage.
"Those under routes, that's just bad communication and guy's not doing what they're coached to do," Simone said.
Reach the assistant sports editor at icbeck@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @ICBeck21.
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