Talk about intimidation.
Playing the defending national champion in its house is scary enough, but then there's that little thing -- or maybe not so little -- called the Coliseum.
The Olympic torch burns in the fourth quarter, the fabled white horse gallops around the sidelines and 90,000 fans do the notorious two-fingered salute, helping USC create one of the best home-field advantages in college football.
It's where No. 15 ASU, fresh after a bye week, will venture Saturday, with hopes of snapping No. 1 USC's 17-game home winning streak. The Trojans haven't lost at the Coliseum since Sept. 29, 2001, in head coach Pete Carroll's first year at the helm.
"We realized that if you're going to have a great program, you've got to be dominant at home," Carroll said. "We set our sights on that a long time ago, and we have fortunately put together a pretty good feeling about playing there.
"The Coliseum rocks now more than we've seen it in past years. We just feel like we've found a way to be prepared to play a really good football game every time we go in there, and again we're challenged to do that. It is about establishing a way about yourself when you play there that gives you that advantage."
ASU has won four times in nine trips to the Coliseum, with its last victory coming in 1999 under former head coach Bruce Snyder. That's not bad, considering that USC holds a .742 all-time winning percentage at the Coliseum since its 1923 opening.
Gunning for his first win in Los Angeles, ASU senior quarterback Andrew Walter insists that he won't get caught up in the lore of the Coliseum.
"When they flip on the Olympic torch in the fourth quarter it just kind of reminds you of all the history and tradition that's there," Walter said. "But it's sort of like if you go to South Bend and play a team like Notre Dame. You can't play their history. You just have to play that team, so if you can put it out of your mind, that's what you have to do."
Walter said that playing at the Coliseum will be similar to playing at Oregon's Autzen Stadium, where it was so loud that ASU's offensive tackles couldn't hear the snap count.
In fact, it could be even louder Saturday if USC draws another sellout.
"Ninety-thousand is a big number," Walter said. "It's more of an open stadium, so that is a little bit different, but 90,000 yelling against you, I'm sure we'll hear."
Carroll claims that the sense of urgency falls on his players' shoulders, especially after last week's narrow win over then-No. 7 California.
"We've seen it in the past, but it doesn't do us a bit of good," said Carroll, referring to USC's distinct home-field advantage. "We've got to do it this week. We've got to do it again."
Reach the reporter at brian.gomez@asu.edu.
