Dec 7, 2024; Arlington, TX, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils running back Cam Skattebo (4) and offensive lineman Leif Fautanu (79) and quarterback Sam Leavitt (10) celebrate during the game between the Iowa State Cyclones and the Arizona State Sun Devils at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

No. 4 Arizona State bids to continue stunning season vs. No. 5 Texas in Peach Bowl

They weren’t expected to win their conference. They certainly weren’t expected to qualify for the College Football Playoff.

Nonetheless, the fourth-seeded Arizona State Sun Devils (11-2) have a chance to earn perhaps the biggest win in program history when they battle fifth-seeded Texas (12-2) in a CFP quarterfinal on New Year’s Day at the Peach Bowl in Atlanta.

The winner will meet either top-seeded Oregon or No. 8 seed Ohio State in a semifinal game at the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 10 in Arlington, Texas.

Projected last in the preseason Big 12 poll, Arizona State secured an automatic bid to its first CFP with a 45-19 drubbing of Iowa State in the conference championship on Dec. 7.

Despite the Sun Devils boasting 311 fewer all-time victories than the Longhorns, Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham doesn’t see the matchup as David versus Goliath.

“No, I wouldn’t say that,” Dillingham said. “I would say this is a really good football team that was predicted to win a national championship versus the Big 12 champion. I’m excited to see our guys go out there and compete.”

Riding a six-game winning streak, Arizona State will have rested for 24 days by the time New Year’s Day rolls around, admittedly an obstacle Dillingham’s team will have to overcome.

“Not playing a game for 3 1/2 weeks is definitely a challenge,” Dillingham said. “Especially because we were playing our best football. … We really dominated the end of the season, in my opinion.”

Averaging 34.5 points per game, the Sun Devils’ offense is led by quarterback Sam Leavitt’s 2,663 passing yards and 29 total touchdowns, alongside running back Cam Skattebo’s 1,568 rushing yards and 19 scores.

An upstart Arizona State squad enters Wednesday’s game as nearly two-touchdown underdogs, much due to Texas’ stingy defense, which allows the second-fewest points per game in college football (13.3).

The Longhorns have slipped twice this season, to Georgia, first in a 30-15 home loss on Oct. 19, then in a 22-19 overtime defeat in the Southeastern Conference title game on Dec. 7.

Appearing in its second straight CFP, Texas pulled away from visiting Clemson in the opening round last Saturday to win 38-24. Now preparing for the Longhorns’ second all-time meeting with Arizona State (2007 Holiday Bowl), coach Steve Sarkisian doesn’t take December football for granted.

“To be a part of this game is a fantastic honor,” Sarkisian said. “We’re really proud of the fact that we’ve gotten to this point. We obviously have a ton of respect for Arizona State and the job coach Dillingham has done. They’re a very good football team. We know how hard it is to win the Big 12.”

Last time out, Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers threw for 202 yards, a touchdown and an interception, but the Longhorns shredded the Clemson defense with 292 rushing yards. Jaydon Blue ran for 146 yards and two touchdowns, paired with Quintrevion Wisner’s 110 yards and two scores.

“We needed to run the ball to beat Clemson, and we’re going to need to run the football to keep advancing in these playoffs,” Sarkisian said. “That’s what playoff football is about. … There’s a lot that goes into the run game. It takes all 11 to run the ball.”

–Field Level Media

Dec 7, 2024; Arlington, TX, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils running back Cam Skattebo (4) scores a rushing touchdown against the Iowa State Cyclones during the second half at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Meet the 12 CFP Title Contenders: No. 4 Arizona State

4. Arizona State Sun Devils
11-2 (7-2 Big 12 regular season)

What’s next: First-round bye; vs. winner of No. 12 Clemson-No. 5 Texas at Peach Bowl, Jan. 1.

Head coach: Kenny Dillingham (Second season, 14-11 overall)

About Dillingham: A graduate of Arizona State and native Phoenician, Dillingham returned to Tempe in 2023 after five impressive seasons as an offensive coordinator, with stops at Memphis and Florida State alongside fellow former Sun Devils assistant Mike Norvell.

Resume
Highlighting a late-season push with six straight wins are Arizona State’s signature victories over fellow Top 25 teams Kansas State and BYU. The 24-14 and 28-23 wins followed a pattern of close calls through the Sun Devils’ season, with nine of their 12 regular-season games decided by 10 points or fewer — including the two losses at Texas Tech (30-22) and Cincinnati (24-14). They busted out of the trend of close calls with a dominant 45-19 shellacking of Iowa State in the Big 12 championship.

Postseason history
Arizona State’s last appearance in one of the postseason events that became part of the Bowl Championship Series and four-team Playoff era’s New Year’s Six predates either system. The 1996 Sun Devils came a possession away from a national championship with their Rose Bowl Game loss to Ohio State. This season’s Playoff is the closest Arizona State has come to returning to that high watermark since the 2013 team lost to Stanford in the Pac-12 championship game.

The road to Atlanta
Rest is the first order of business for Arizona State after a surprisingly lopsided win in the Big 12 title game. No. 5 Texas hosts Clemson on Dec. 21 and the winner meets the Sun Devils on Jan. 1 in Atlanta at the Peach Bowl.

Names to know
RB Cameron Skattebo
He shares a conference with the top Heisman Trophy contender (Colorado’s Travis Hunter) and a position with the other (Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty), or else Skattebo might be in the conversation himself.

His 172.8 all-purpose yards per game in the regular season were second-most in the nation. He is only 74 yards shy of tying the conference single-season rushing record after putting up 170 yards in the Big 12 title game, and his three TDs against Iowa State put him atop the single-season TD record list.

QB Sam Leavitt
Quietly among the most productive dual-threat quarterbacks in the nation, Leavitt heads into the postseason having completed 192 of 304 pass attempts for 2,663 yards and rushing for 383 yards. Leavitt has 24 passing touchdowns against only five interceptions and five rushing touchdowns, second on the team only to Skattebo’s 19.

“Sam’s competitive so if you tell him he’s tied for the first-best player in the country in something he’s going to get pissed off about,” Dillingham said to reporters this week. “Which is good.”

WR Xavier Guillory
Teammate Jordyn Tyson was having a Biletnikoff Award-caliber season for Arizona State, but the 6-foot-1 sophomore receiver sustained an unspecified arm injury in the regular-season finale vs. Arizona that required season-ending surgery. With Tyson’s 1,101 yards, 10 touchdowns worth of production out, Guillory looked the part of the primary pass-catching option against the Cyclones.

The fifth-year senior, who had 17 receptions and three touchdowns in the regular season, hauled in a bonkers TD catch against Iowa State that made the score 38-10.

NB Shamari Simmons
Simmons’ teammate in the Arizona State secondary, Xavion Alford, garnered First Team All-Big 12 honors. Alford’s presence at free safety has helped Simmons be aggressive at nickel back, manifesting in Simmons racking up seven tackles for loss and forcing three fumbles.

DT C.J. Fite
The Arizona State run defense has been excellent throughout the season, limiting opponents to 117.5 yards per game and 3.8 yards per carry in the regular season. Fite’s physicality on the interior sets the tone for the Sun Devils against the rush. The big man also provided one of the highlight moments of the season with his scoop-and-score touchdown in Week 2 against Mississippi State, going airborne to reach the pylon.

–Field Level Media

Nov 30, 2024; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils running back Cam Skattebo (4) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Arizona Wildcats in the first half during the Territorial Cup at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

No. 16 Arizona State blows out rival Arizona with big offensive day

Cam Skattebo rushed for 177 yards on 21 carries with three touchdowns to lead No. 16 Arizona State to a 49-7 victory Saturday over archrival Arizona in Tucson, Ariz.

Arizona State (10-2, 7-2 Big 12) has put itself in potential position to play in the conference championship game with the victory, the Sun Devils’ first win against Arizona since 2021.

Arizona (4-8, 2-7) ended coach Brent Brennan’s first season losing seven of its last eight games.

The Wildcats allowed Arizona State 643 yards in total offense while they mustered 210.

Skattebo had 113 of his yards and his three touchdowns in the first half when Arizona State led 35-0.

Kyson Brown rushed eight times for 100 yards.

Sam Leavitt completed 17 of 22 pass attempts for 291 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions.

Backup Trenton Bourguet, a Tucson native, completed 2 of 3 passes for 71 yards and a touchdown in his return home.

Arizona receiver Tetairoa McMillan, a projected NFL first-round draft pick, likely played his last game in college.

He finished with six receptions for 68 yards and a touchdown.

Noah Fifita, a preseason Heisman hopeful, completed 14 of 29 pass attempts for 126 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions.

Arizona State scored a touchdown on its first four possessions to take control, leading 28-0 with 6:28 left in the second quarter.

Skattebo scored three of those touchdowns and Leavitt connected on a 13-yard touchdown pass with Jordyn Tyson for the other score.

Arizona State extended the lead to 35-0 with 41 seconds left in the half on a 22-yard pass from Leavitt to Chamon Metayer.

Arizona scored its lone touchdown taking the first possession of the second half 75 yards on eight plays, capped by Fifita’s 28-yard pass to McMillan.

The Wildcats had a chance to cut into the lead more after Arizona State’s Parker Lewis missed a 21-yard field goal.

Arizona was forced to punt on its next possession.

Arizona State extended the lead to 42-7 with 14:55 left on a 31-yard pass from Leavitt to Xavier Guillory. Bourguet had the final score, a 64-yard scoring toss to Derek Eusebio.

–Field Level Media

Arizona State running back Cam Skattebo (4) runs into the endzone for a touchdown against BYU during the first half at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe on Nov. 23, 2024.

No. 16 Arizona State continues playoff push vs. underwhelming Arizona

Arizona State was projected to have a rough first season in the Big 12, while Arizona was expected to be one of the conference’s top teams upon joining the league.

However, the opposite has played out as the No. 16 Sun Devils get set to square off with the host Wildcats for Saturday’s Territorial Cup clash in Tucson, Ariz.

Arizona was coming off a 10-3 season in which it beat Oklahoma in the Alamo Bowl, and new coach Brent Brennan and his staff managed to keep many of the top players — including quarterback Noah Fifita and All-American receiver Tetairoa McMillan — despite the departure of coach Jedd Fisch to Washington.

Meanwhile, Arizona State went 3-9 last season in Kenny Dillingham’s first year as a head coach. The Sun Devils were picked to finish last in the Big 12 media preseason rankings but have emerged as a playoff contender.

Dillingham’s team moved up five spots in the latest College Football Playoff rankings after last week’s 28-23 win over then-No. 14 BYU at Tempe, Ariz.

Arizona State (9-2, 6-2) is in position to play in the conference championship game next week, but the tiebreaking scenarios are complex with the Sun Devils atop the league standings with Colorado, Iowa State and BYU.

Arizona (4-7, 2-6) is not bowl eligible amid a social media outcry of removing Brennan as head coach despite this being only his first year.

Brennan was asked at his weekly press conference if the Wildcats are motivated to potentially spoil Arizona State’s attempt to play in the Big 12 championship game and then possibly the CFP.

“Not really,” Brennan said. “I think it’s more about the fact that we’re playing ASU and what this game means to everybody here.”

Dillingham and Brennan experienced the rivalry from a young age.

The former was raised in the Phoenix area and grew up an Arizona State fan before earning a degree at the school in 2012. Brennan was an avid Arizona supporter in the late 1990s when his brother Brad played against the Sun Devils as a receiver. Brent Brennan, who played at UCLA, is married to an Arizona graduate.

“The mindset is this is the biggest game of the year, every year, and that doesn’t change,” Brennan said. “For us, whether we’re bowl eligible or not, all that matters is we’re playing the team from up north.”

Dillingham must guard against his team feeling the pressure to advance to the Big 12 championship game, while Arizona is playing with nothing to lose.

Cam Skattebo, one of the nation’s top running backs, said the Sun Devils will be ready because of the “brotherhood” they have built under Dillingham.

“The culture has changed man and everybody loves each other,” Skattebo said. “We’ve turned this thing around. But it’s not finished yet because there’s still a process. There is still work to do in the process.”

Skattebo will go against an Arizona defense depleted by injuries. Three of its best players — linebacker Jacob Manu and safeties Treydan Stukes and Gunner Maldonado — have been out most of the season with leg injuries.

Skattebo has gained 1,221 yards on 226 carries with 14 touchdowns.

Fifita and McMillan will test an Arizona State secondary that is 83th nationally, allowing 228.4 passing yards a game.

McMillan became Arizona’s career receiving yards leader with his 115-yard performance last week at TCU.

He has 3,355 career receiving yards, passing his current position coach, Bobby Wade (3,351 yards, 1999-02).

–Field Level Media

Cincinnati Bearcats quarterback Brendan Sorsby (2) dives for a touchdown as Arizona State Sun Devils defensive back Xavion Alford (2) and Arizona State Sun Devils linebacker Keyshaun Elliott (44) attempt to stop him in the first quarter of the College Football game at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024.

First-half scoring burst carries Cincinnati past Arizona State 24-14

Brendan Sorsby had a pair of rushing touchdowns as Cincinnati scored 24 unanswered first-half points in a 24-14 win over visiting Arizona State in a Big 12 matchup Saturday afternoon at Cincinnati, Ohio.

Sorsby, was 23-of-31 passing for 206 yards with an interception for the Bearcats (5-2, 2-1 Big 12), while also rushing seven times for 26 yards.

Corey Kiner rushed 22 times for 99 yards for Cincinnati and eclipsed 2,000 rushing yards for his career. Xzavier Henderson caught eight passes for 67 yards.

Cam Skattebo carried 17 times for 75 yards with two TD for the Sun Devils (5-2, 2-2), who are in their debut Big 12 season and saw their two-game conference winning streak come to an end.

Arizona State quarterback Jeff Sims was 12 of 23 for 155 yards, while Jordyn Tyson had six receptions for 108 yards.

The Sun Devils put together an impressive six-play, 66-yard drive on their first series after forcing a Cincinnati punt. Sims led the offense to the 2-yard line before Skattebo took a pitch, danced by a defender and cashed in with the first score at 10:35.

The defense did its part again on the next series as Keith Abney II picked off Sorsby, but the Bearcats’ Kameron Wilson recovered a Skattebo fumble. Sorsby then dashed 14 yards to tie the score 7-all.

Nathan Hawks’ 46-yard field goal with 2:18 remaining in the first quarter gave Cincinnati its first lead.

Less than four minutes into the second quarter, Evan Pryor pushed the advantage to 17-7 by blazing away on a 55-yard TD run as Cincinnati. Sorsby rounded out the first-half scoring on a TD run from 1 yard out for a 24-7 lead with just under two minutes remaining before the half.

The Bearcats led 274-138 in total first-half yardage and had 148-56 advantage in yards passing.

The Sun Devils went 74 yards in eight plays late in the third quarter to get a 1-yard TD run from Skattebo, cutting the deficit to 24-14.

Arizona State attempted to make it a one-score game inside the final six minutes, but Ian Hershey missed field goals from 48 and 41 yards.

–Field Level Media

Sep 8, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Las Vegas Raiders coach Antonio Pierce reacts in the first half against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

NCAA penalizes Raiders coach Antonio Pierce over ASU violations

The NCAA slapped Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce with a significant penalty that will take effect should he ever return to college coaching.

The Division I Committee on Infractions announced Thursday that Pierce received an eight-year show-cause order for his role in recruiting violations when he served as associate head coach on the staff of former Sun Devils coach Herm Edwards.

The committee said Pierce and former noncoaching staff member Anthony Garnett “participated in a program wide effort to engage in impermissible recruiting activities during the COVID-19 dead period.”

As a result, should Pierce ever be hired by an NCAA school, he will be suspended for the first year. Garnett received a five-year show-cause order and a one-year suspension.

Earlier this year, four other members of the Arizona State staff agreed to penalties for violating the dead period, but Pierce and Garnett contested.

The NCAA laid out a series of events that were part of what it termed as a recruiting “scheme.” Pierce, other football staff members and a booster orchestrated unofficial — and impermissible — visits to Tempe, Ariz., for recruits and their families during a time in which in-person recruiting was on pause due to the pandemic.

The NCAA said the committee’s investigation found that Pierce “ran the show” and some members of the coaching staff feared they would be fired if they didn’t follow his orders.

Pierce, 45, was an assistant coach and the recruiting coordinator for the Sun Devils from 2017-21. He resigned prior to the 2022 season and was hired as the linebackers coach of the Raiders.

Pierce took over as interim head coach in Las Vegas on Oct. 31, 2023, when Josh McDaniels was fired. The team named him the permanent head coach in January.

–Field Level Media

Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham speaks with the referee during a game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Mountain America Stadium on Sept. 7, 2024, in Tempe.

Sam Leavitt, Arizona State rally to beat Texas State

Arizona State’s Sam Leavitt passed for 246 yards and the Sun Devils’ defense limited Texas State to 27 total yards in the fourth quarter during a 31-28 victory on Thursday in San Marcos, Texas.

Arizona State improved to 3-0 under coach Kenny Dillingham, matching the win total from his first season, when the Sun Devils finished 3-9 in 2023.

Leavitt completed 19 of 30 passes, and threw for a touchdown and an interception.

The Sun Devils rallied from a 21-7 deficit with touchdowns on their last two possessions of the first half.

Texas State (2-1) was led by Jordan McCloud, who tossed four touchdown passes while connecting on 29 of 44 attempts for 268 yards with one interception.

With the score tied at 28 and 9:04 left, Texas State running back Ismail Mahdi gave the ball away after a 12-yard run. The fumble was forced by Shamari Simmons and was recovered by the Sun Devils’ Justin Wodtly at the Texas State 23.

Arizona State turned the turnover into a 22-yard field goal by Ian Hershey with 6:29 left.

McCloud’s pass was then intercepted by Xavion Alford at the Arizona State 25.

Texas State’s next possession ended with a McCloud incomplete pass on fourth-and-5 at the Bobcats’ 20-yard line with 2:09 left.

Cam Skattebo, who rushed for 62 yards on 24 carries with two touchdowns, sealed the win, gaining 9 yards for a first down on third-and-8 at the Texas State 18 with 1:57 left.

The Bobcats got the ball back with one second left at their own 30-yard line, but a lateral play resulted in a lost fumble.

Texas State had 373 yards of total offense entering the fourth quarter. Its fourth-quarter possessions ended with a fumble, an interception, a turnover on downs and a fumble.

After Texas State took a two-touchdown lead with 5:16 left in the half, Arizona State went 75 yards on four plays in 1:30, capped by Leavitt’s 52-yard touchdown pass to Jordyn Tyson.

Texas State’s three-and-out resulted in the Sun Devils taking possession at their 43 with 2:38 left to halftime.

Leavitt completed 5 of 6 passes for 44 yards in the drive before scoring on a 7-yard run with six seconds remaining until halftime.

McCloud connected on 5 of 6 pass attempts in a third-quarter possession, finishing with a 44-yard touchdown strike to Jaden Williams to put Texas State ahead 28-21 with 4:18 remaining in the period.

Arizona State answered on its next possession with a 2-yard touchdown run by Skattebo with 2:18 left in the quarter. Leavitt’s 40-yard run helped set up the score.

–Field Level Media

Sep 7, 2024; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils running back Cam Skattebo (4) against the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the first half at Mountain America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Arizona State visits upstart Texas State in battle of 2-0 teams

Arizona State and Texas State are both 2-0 and riding high off significant wins entering their game Thursday night in San Marcos, Texas.

Arizona State held off Mississippi State 30-23 Saturday at home to earn its first victory over an SEC opponent in program history. The Sun Devils were 0-5 against the SEC entering the game.

Texas State won 49-10 over visiting UTSA, which entered the game rated No. 8 in the Group of 5 coaches poll conducted by Athlon and FootballScoop.com. The schools are separated by only about 50 miles.

“A huge win for the program. I am really excited to get one in the win column versus those guys,” Texas State coach G.J. Kinne said. “It was important. Huge in recruiting. Huge for the university. Huge for these guys. I just thought it took a lot of grit and a lot of mental toughness.”

Texas State beat UTSA in front of a capacity crowd, indicating the competitiveness of the program under Kinne, who took over the Bobcats last year after serving as head coach at Incarnate Word in 2022. Another sellout crowd of 28,000 is expected in San Marcos for Thursday’s game.

The Bobcats will try to notch another landmark victory under Kinne against Arizona State. They beat Baylor 42-31 in the season opener last year and capped the 8-5 season with a 45-21 win over Rice in the First Responder Bowl.

Texas State quarterback Jordan McCloud, last season’s Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year at James Madison, once played for Arizona State’s in-state rival, Arizona. The seventh-year senior passed for 309 yards while completing 18 of 27 passes with two touchdowns against UTSA.

The Bobcats tallied 504 yards of total offense and limited the Roadrunners to 334 yards.

Meanwhile, Arizona State running back Cam Skattebo nearly had as many total yards (297) as Mississippi State (298).

He rushed for 262 yards on 33 carries and caught three passes for 35 yards.

“That’s the most fun I’ve had in a football game in a long time,” said Skattebo, who is listed as 5-foot-11 and 215 pounds. “Bullying dudes, grown men that are 300 pounds, that’s fun to us … My body feels great and we won the football game, so I’m happy.”

–Field Level Media

Feb 9, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Former wide receiver Hines Ward speaks during the Legends NFL Party. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Report: Steelers great Hines Ward to coach Arizona State WRs

Pittsburgh Steelers great Hines Ward is joining Arizona State’s staff as wide receivers coach, ESPN reported Saturday.

Ward, 48, caught 1,000 passes, made four Pro Bowls and won two Super Bowls with the Steelers from 1998-2011.

He began his coaching career as an offensive intern with the Steelers in 2017 before serving as an offensive assistant with the New York Jets (2019-20), wide receivers coach at Florida Atlantic (2021) and head coach of the then-XFL’s San Antonio Brahmas in 2023.

The Sun Devils finished 3-9 in their first season with head coach Kenny Dillingham in 2023. The program moves from the Pac-12 to the Big 12 this season.

Ward played in 217 games with Pittsburgh and is the franchise’s all-time leader in catches, receiving yards (12,083) and touchdown receptions (85). He was the MVP of Super Bowl XL and earned a second ring in Super Bowl XLIII.

The Steelers selected Ward in the third round of the 1998 NFL Draft out of Georgia.

–Field Level Media

Sep 2, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams (13) is pressured by Nevada Wolf Pack defensive end Dion Washington (92) in the second half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

No. 5 Southern California takes high-octane offense to Arizona State

No. 5 Southern California is well-rested and looking to stay unbeaten Saturday when it visits Arizona State for a Pac-12 contest in Tempe, Ariz.

The Trojans (3-0, 1-0 Pac-12) are coming off a bye week. USC opened conference play on Sept. 9 with a 56-10 rout of Stanford, the Trojans’ third straight game with at least 56 points.

USC beat San Jose State on Aug. 26, 56-28, and Nevada on Sept. 2, 66-14. All three contests were at home.

“Good teams are going to win most of their games at home, but the big difference between good and elite is the elite find ways to win on the road,” Trojans coach Lincoln Riley said Monday.

USC went 7-0 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum a season ago — including a 42-25 defeat of Arizona State — but finished 4-3 away from it. Saturday’s trip to Tempe marks the Trojans’ first game away from L.A. since dropping back-to-back neutral-site games to Utah and Tulane in last year’s Pac-12 Championship and Cotton Bowl.

Reigning Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams is 55-of-70 passing for 878 yards with 12 touchdowns and no interceptions through the first three games. Williams is one of five Trojans with a rushing touchdown on the season, paced by Austin Jones with three.

Jones is also one of three USC running backs with at least 106 yards, joining team leader MarShawn Lloyd at 195 yards and Quinten Joyner with 113.

While USC boasts the nation’s highest-scoring offense to date at 59.3 points per game, Arizona State (1-2, 0-0) comes in with the lowest offensive output of any Power 5 team and the third-lowest in the FBS with 13.0 points per game. Only Arkansas State (11.3) and FBS newcomer Sam Houston (1.5) have struggled more to score.

The offensive woes have been in part due to a revolving door at quarterback. Freshman Jaden Rashada, who threw for two touchdowns in a 24-21, Week 1 win over Southern Utah, is out 4-6 weeks with an unspecified injury.

Trenton Bourguet started last week’s 29-0 loss to Fresno State but exited early due to a foot injury, while backup Drew Pyne sustained a leg injury after throwing a pair of interceptions. Bourguet and Pyne were listed as questionable as of Monday, leaving Jacob Conover as the likely starter on Saturday.

Conover also threw a pair of picks against Fresno State.

Arizona State begins its league slate with USC’s visit. The Sun Devils are at home for a fourth consecutive week, but the confines of Sun Devil Stadium have been less than friendly the past two outings.

Arizona State dropped a 27-15 decision to Oklahoma State — the Sun Devils’ future Big 12 counterpart — on Sept. 9, before last week’s shutout loss.

After the slow start, first-year Sun Devils coach Kenny Dillingham was asked Monday about being heavy underdogs against USC.

“It shouldn’t affect our players. Who cares?” he said. “Go play the game. Go to work this week, and play the football game to win the football game. It’s very simple. I think that’s always going to be our focus.”

–Field Level Media