Turnovers doomed ASU in the first half against USC as the Sun Devils fell behind 35-0 at halftime.
There are few plays more iconic and memorable than last year's Jael-Mary against USC. Not to let the excitement of that game overshadow this year's matchup, the Sun Devils made some big plays early against the Trojans.
USC's first drive looked promising until quarterback Cody Kessler threw an interception to freshman defensive back Kareem Orr at the two-yard line.
Backed up in their own end zone, the Sun Devils exploded downfield on a 61-yard run from sophomore Demario Richard, he of the breakout 192-yard performance against New Mexico.
Eager to put up some big plays of their own, the Trojans forced a fumble from Richard a few plays later and capitalized on the turnover as Kessler hit receiver Adoree Jackson for an 80-yard touchdown pass to put USC up 7-0 early.
After the early fireworks, things began to settle down for both teams as penalties and defensive stops resulted in a series of traded punts and an ASU missed field goal.
The Sun Devils turned the ball over for the second time in the first half when redshirt senior quarterback Mike Bercovici was intercepted by Jo Plattenburg early in the second quarter.
USC capitalized again on the turnover, marching downfield thanks in large part to a series of third-down conversions. Kessler found receiver Steve Mitchell for a 27-yard touchdown to cap off the drive and give the Trojans a 14-0 lead.
Gonzalez missed his second field goal attempt of the first half with just over six minutes left, leaving the Sun Devils scoreless after a five-minute, 11-play ASU drive.
Poor tackling plagued the ASU defense in the first half, especially on a 45-yard catch and run to Jackson that put USC at the five-yard line. Jackson bounced out of multiple would-be tackles to set the Trojans up in prime scoring position.
Kessler then found JuJu Smith-Schuster in the corner of the end zone for USC's third touchdown of the half.
The third ASU turnover of the half was a potential back breaker. Inside the red zone for the first time all game, a fumble by Bercovici was scooped up by Chris Hawkins and returned 94-yards for a USC touchdown that gave the Trojans a 28-0 lead with 25 seconds remaining.
If ASU's third turnover wasn't a back breaking play, it's fourth certainly was. USC recovered a fumbled on the ensuing kickoff, giving the Trojans the ball at the five yard line with 19 seconds remaining.
Kessler found Smith-Schuster again for a 10-yard touchdown strike with three seconds left in the half giving the Trojans a commanding 35-0 lead.
First-half Notes
- Kareem Orr's interception of Cody Kessler on USC's first drive was the first of his career and Kessler's first of the season.
- DJ Foster's first quarter catch made him one of just four players in NCAA history with 2,000 receiving yards and 2,000 rushing yards.
- De'Chavon "Gump" Hayes' 19-yard punt return in the first quarter was the longest ASU punt return in over a year. Last year's longest return was just 18 yards.
Reach the assistant sports editor at icbeck@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @ICBeck21.
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