What: USC Trojans (6-3 overall, 4-3 Pac-12 South) vs. Arizona State Sun Devils (5-4 overall, 3-3 Pac-12 South)
When: Saturday, November 12, 12 p.m. PT
Where: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
TV: Pac-12 Network
Radio: ESPNLA 710
Scouting ASU: Arizona State, guided by first-year coach Todd Graham, lost its third consecutive game when it fell at Oregon State, 36-26, last Saturday. The Sun Devils are ranked high in the national statistics on both sides of the ball. ASU is 20th nationally in passing efficiency (153.5, third in Pac-12) and tied for 22nd in scoring offense (37.0, second in Pac-12), while it is second in both sacks per game (4.2, second in Pac-12) and tackles for loss per game (9.1, second in Pac-12), seventh in pass defense (161.6, first in Pac-12), 13th in pass efficiency defense (105.9, first in Pac-12) and 24th in total defense (333.3, second in Pac-12).
Dual-threat sophomore QB Taylor Kelly (169 of 258, 65.5 percent, 2,161 yards, 20 TD, 6 INT in 2012, plus 97 carries for 383 yards) is 19th nationally in passing efficiency (156.8, third in Pac-12). His top receiver is junior H-back Chris Coyle (43 receptions, 501 yards, 11.7 avg, two TD), along with senior WRs Jamal Miles (23 receptions, 245 yards, 10.7 avg, plus 10 kick returns for 211 yards and 18 punt returns for 144 yards) and Rashad Ross (21 receptions, 335 yards, 16.0 avg, one TD in 2012, plus 13 kick returns for 341 yards and one touchdown.
Top runners, who double as effective pass catchers, include freshman RB D.J. Foster (72 carries, 393 yds, 5.5 avg, two TD, plus 31 receptions for 463 yards, 14.9 avg, 4 TD), senior TB Cameron Marshall (96 carries, 391 yards, 4.1 avg, six TD, plus 10 receptions, 72 yards, 7.2 avg, one TD) and junior TB Marion Grice (62 carries, 316 yards, 5.1 avg, six TD, plus 28 receptions, 331 yards, 11.9 avg, seven TD).
Key ASU defenders include senior LB Brandon Magee (70 tackles, 7 for loss, 5.5 sacks, two INT, one fumble recovery, one forced fumble), senior FS Keelan Johnson (61 tackles, one for loss, two INT), junior LB Chris Young (60 tackles, 13.5 for loss, two sacks, four passes defensed, one forced fumble), sophomore LB Carl Bradford (51 tackles, 12 for loss, 7.5 sacks, one fumble recovery, two forced fumbles in 2012) and junior DT Will Sutton (42 tackles, 15 for loss, 9.5 sacks, two forced fumbles). Sutton is the Pac- 12’s leader in sacks per game (1.2, sixth nationally) and tackles for loss (1.9, fourth nationally), while Young is 20th nationally in sacks per game (1.5, fifth in Pac-12) and Bradford is tied for 23rd nationally in tackles for loss per game (0.8, tied for fifth in Pac-12).