Trojans' wide receiver Robert Woods leads the nation in receptions per game
The USC Trojans finally hit the road this week as they head to Tempe, Arizona, for their first away game of the season against the Arizona State Sun Devils.
The Trojans, 3-0 in the first three games, will have their hands full as they try to build on the momentum of their season-opening home stand, particularly last week’s 38-17 win over Syracuse.
The Sun Devils will try to bounce back from last week’s heart-breaking late game loss at Illinois, 17-14, with their first win in Pac-12 conference play. An Arizona State win over their new Pac-12 South rivals would put the Sun Devils in the drivers’ seat for a shot at the inaugural Pac-12 championship.
USC is the only remaining unbeaten team in the division, but the Trojans are ineligible for postseason play. They can, however, set themselves up to play the spoiler for the Sun Devils with a win this weekend.
The Trojans won the last 11 straight match-ups, and they’ll likely rely on their high-powered offense to try to beat the Devils on their home turf.
Sophomore receiver Robert Woods is off to a stellar start in 2011, leading the nation in yards per game with an average of 11 per game, and setting a new USC record with 33 catches in the first 3 games of the season (the previous record was Keyshawn Johnson’s 32).
Woods wouldn’t be nearly as potent a weapon without junior quarterback Matt Barkley, the current Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week, thanks to his 324 yards and 5 touchdowns in the win over Syracuse. Through three games, Barkley has a 69% completion rate and has racked up 892 yards, 9 touchdowns, and just one interception.
Last week, each of Barkley’s touchdowns went to a different receiver, as Woods draws so much attention from the defense that the rest of the receivers often wide open. A few more games like last week, though, and Trojans’ true freshman Marqise Lee will be getting just as much respect from defenses. Woods’ high school teammate, Lee scored his first collegiate touchdown on a 43-yard pass last weekend, and there are many more to come.
The Arizona State defense, though, is the toughest the Trojans have had to face this year. It won’t be at full strength as defensive end Junior Onyeali and cornerback Omar Bolden are out with injuries, and strong safety Eddie Elder is questionable with a concussion – but it might still be more ferocious than anything USC’s seen thus far. With the Devils’ lack of depth in the secondary, though, and the Trojans’ wealth of wide receivers and tight ends, USC might have the advantage simply because they’ll have fresher legs on the field.
ASU’s defensive headliner is linebacker Vontaze Burfict, a Southern California native who often has trouble keeping his emotions in check – and who currently has the most sacks in the Pac-12 at this point in the season. He’s a hard-hitting maniac – Barkley referred to him as a “dirty player” – but if he channels his emotions on the field and keeps himself under control, he’ll motivate the rest of the unit to play at its highest level. If he lets his emotions get the best of him, though, it might be to USC’s benefit, as a late-hit penality on Burfict last year gave the Trojans’ game-winning drive new life.
Burfict might be the most well-known (or notorious) player on the Sun Devils roster, but the offense has an under-the-radar but overachieving battery of its own in quarterback Brock Osweiler and receiver Aaron Pflugard. In total yards and completion percentage, Osweiler just trails USC’s Barkley, though Barkley has a better touchdown to interception ratio (Osweiler has 6 TDs and 3 INTs on the year). Pflugard has 305 yards and 7 touchdowns on the year, while Cameron Marshall anchors the ground game with 42 carries for 153 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Both teams have above-average passing games and an edge over the opposing secondary, but neither has a marquee running back, which should make for an interesting game on offense. Even more interesting? How chippy it might get between the players after the whistle.
