It was a weird night for the USC defense in the Trojans’ 42-28 win over Arizona State. Alex Grinch’s group performed poorly over the course of 60 minutes, and that central reality shouldn’t be ignored. However, for several minutes late in the third quarter and early in the fourth quarter, when the USC offense stalled and couldn’t push the Trojans’ lead to a two-score margin, the defense created multiple takeaways. The second of those takeaways, a fumble on a sack, set up a touchdown which enabled USC to gain a 35-21 lead and some much-needed breathing room.
When ASU was down 27-21 and had the ball with a chance to take the lead on multiple possessions, USC’s defense got a stop. The defense did make a significant contribution to the win.
That has to be noted.
Yet, as a full 60-minute body of work, this was clearly subpar, and that should be the main point of emphasis from Saturday night.
Let’s go into the plays — many of them bad — and the reactions to them from an ugly night for USC in the desert: