ASU football's 28-27 loss versus USC was a mixed bag on all fronts, filled with moments of brilliance and others of ineptitude. The offensive end was no exception.
What went right: The run game
The Sun Devils unlocked their formula to offensive success on just the fourth play of the game when sophomore quarterback Jayden Daniels racked up 38 yards on a read-option.
ASU would continue to dominate on the ground for most of the game, amassing 258 yards on 6.8 yards per attempt.
The Trojans came in expecting a passing offense and made it their priority to take that away, leaving room for explosive performances from ASU's freshman running back Chip Trayanum, junior running back Rachaad White and Daniels, who led the team with a career-high 111 yards.
Daniels has always been mobile, having rushed for 355 yards last season, but said he plans to do more damage on the ground in 2020.
“I told him earlier in the season, ‘You’re going to have to make four first downs each game with your legs,” ASU head coach Herm Edwards said.
Trayanum and White, who both made their FBS debut in this game, each displayed their distinct gifts, as Trayanum demonstrated his burst and raw power and White showed his quickness, agility and vision.
“It’s kind of like thunder and lightning,” Daniels said of the duo. “USC game planned for something else, so we had to adjust and take what they gave us.”
Both running backs carried the ball 12 times, with Trayanum totaling 84 yards to White’s 76.
Offensive coordinator Zak Hill credited a physical performance from the offensive line as being key to ASU’s consistency on the ground, while Edwards also highlighted the blocking contributions of senior tight end Curtis Hodges.
What could have gone better: The passing game
Expectations were high for the dynamic pairing of Daniels and Hill, whose offenses averaged 278 yards per game through the air in his four seasons at Boise State.
Daniels threw the ball seven times in ASU’s first two offensive series but managed just 15 yards across those attempts as he faced overwhelming pressure from USC's defensive front.
As ASU shifted to a run-heavy attack, Daniels completed just 11 of 23 passes for 134 yards, five first downs and a touchdown on the day.
That one score epitomized what ASU’s passing offense could have looked like at its best.
On that play, following an offensive realignment, Daniels faked a handoff to Trayanum, which seven Trojan defenders aggressively pursued, at least momentarily.
That was all the time Daniels needed to deliver a swing pass to an in-motion White, who demonstrated elusivity and speed in the open field to take it to the house from 55 yards and put ASU up 17-14.
It was a deceptive play that capitalized on USC’s penchant for bringing pressure and its expectation of the run. Although it seemed to illustrate the potential for more similar play action or screen passes, ASU never consistently pursued either.
White took another short pass for 19 yards on ASU's first touchdown drive, exposing the same weakness in USC’s defense. However, with graduate student Frank Darby exiting the game early with a rib injury, the rest of ASU’s receivers struggled.
A large part of the Sun Devils’ statistical underachievement was driven by USC’s game plan guiding them toward tremendous success on the ground.
As Daniels was hounded with pressure, the run game thrived.
“We don’t want to turn over the ball,” Daniels said. “We don’t want to force anything, so we just take what they give us.”
Daniels notched just two official pass attempts in the second half before ASU’s final drive.
“Our whole mindset was to try to slow the game down by running the ball some, and then be efficient in the passing game,” Edwards said.
What went wrong: The fourth quarter
For much of the game, that efficiency through the air that Edwards sought wasn’t even needed. But in the final period, ASU’s offense faltered.
The run game that had been so reliable failed the Sun Devils late as they sought to dominate possession of the ball. A stuffed Trayanum attempt on third-and-2 forced them into a field goal on their first drive of the fourth quarter. Three failed run plays on the following series where the Trojans repeatedly loaded the box quickly gave them the ball back.
“They knew that was our plan, to run it, and we were still effective in the run game even with them coming down a lot of times,” Hill said. “We wanted to stick with it, with a two-score lead. We were just trying to eat up as much clock as we could and put ourselves in the best position to win the game.”
Due to the team's failure to recover a USC onside kick, ASU next got the ball down 28-27 with 1:20 left. Without the option to run or throw to a reliable target like Darby, ASU’s passing issues were on full display.
The Sun Devils’ inexperienced receiving corps struggled to get open, and the offensive line failed to counter a barrage of blitzing Trojans on fourth down.
The young receivers will only grow more experienced, but ASU will need to find a way to still be productive through the air when opponents make it their objective to take away Daniels’ arm.
“We’re going to look back on this game and think, there were a lot of things that were left out on the field,” Hill said. “A lot of things I wish we would have gotten to.”
Reach the reporter at cbreber@asu.edu and follow @carsobi on Twitter.
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