Valedictorian: Senior kicker Zane Gonzalez
With two field goals in the first quarter, Gonzalez set the Pac-12 record for field goals in a career with 86. He also sits three away from breaking the all-time record for field goals in a career, currently held by former Florida State kicker Dustin Hopkins. With his two field goals and extra points, he upped his career total to 447, good for eighth place all-time and third among kickers.
The Sun Devils were anemic on offense for the majority of the ball game. Redshirt sophomore Manny Wilkins and redshirt freshman Brady White combined to go 19 of 37 through the air for 228 yards, with Wilkins throwing an interception and White tossing a touchdown pass. The rushing offense didn't do much better, combining for 75 yards on the ground Redshirt freshman running back Nick Ralston had the most carries and most yards on the team, all of which came in garbage time.
To put it simply, ASU struggled on defense. The Trojans had 10 drives finish at least inside Sun Devil territory, including two missed field goals and a punt from the ASU 38-yard line, meaning USC was in position for even more points than it got. The Sun Devil defense, which prides itself on getting to the quarterback, did not record a sack in the game and missed numerous tackles up and down the field, elongating Trojan drives and leading to more points.
Gonzalez did his thing, but the unit still had its worst overall performance of the season. Senior punter Matt Haack was only alright, but the offense never put him in position to pin USC deep. Returning the ball, senior Tim White was lost, averaging just 16 yards per return.
Reach the reporter at mtonis@asu.edu or follow @Tonis_The_Tiger on Twitter.
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