#11 Southern California (8-2, 5-2 Pac-10) at #7 Arizona State (9-1, 6-1 Pac-10)
Thursday, November 22 8:00 PM ET on ESPN
Sun Devil Stadium (Natural Grass)
Nothing is more frustrating than when you make a play and then an injury occurs at the start of the game to a major player and gives you no chance to win.
If you remember, I started out the season with a game just like that. My first Thursday night play of the year was Utah +7 on the road against Oregon State. I figured with the Utes welcoming back QB Brian Johnson, the road team might even steal a win.
Those thoughts were quickly dashed when not only Johnson left the game in the first half with a separated shoulder but so did starting running back Matt Asiata – who broke his leg. The Beavers would pull away in the 2nd half for an easy 24-7 win and cover.
The gambling gods must not have forgotten that one because last Thursday I got some payback. I backed Arizona last week getting 12 at home against Oregon. I thought Arizona had enough offense to keep up with the Ducks.
Turns out I was right – kind of. The Wildcats had a special teams and defensive touchdown that helped them to secure the outright shocker. However, clearly the play of the game was when Oregon QB Dennis Dixon tore his ACL in the first half and was done for the night and ultimately the season.
With Dixon at the helm, the Oregon offense was a machine and you didn’t have to watch much to realize they were probably heading towards a 50-point night. After the injury the Ducks offense was punchless and it took about two series to realize that the upset was a real possibility.
At any rate, I’ll certainly take the win and with two Thursday night games left I’m sitting at 7-5. If I can finish strong it will again make for another quality Thursday night season.
First up is the Thanksgiving night clash between Southern Cal and Arizona State. With all due respect to the triple header in the NFL, this one looks like the game of the day.
With all the crazy ups and downs of this season, people seem to have forgotten just how shocking it is to see the Trojans sitting there with two losses on their record. This was a team that was picked by everyone and I mean every single pundit out there to win the national championship. And not only win the title but steamroll the country in the process.
To say things haven’t quite gone as planned would be an understatement. Losing to Stanford (23-24) as 40 point favorites was probably the biggest upset in a season full of shockers. Losing a few weeks later at Oregon was much more understandable, but it is still very surprising to see this program struggling to win its sixth consecutive Pac-10 title.
The national title hopes are obviously out the window but while the Trojans can still keep that Pac-10 streak going, they know there is no more room for error.
The upside is there is a growing feeling out in Los Angeles that this team is coming together for a strong finish. Much of that optimism comes from the fact that QB John David Booty is now back under center after missing several games with a broken finger. This will be the third game for Booty since returning and in the previous two he is 30-of-53 for 286 yards, with three touchdowns and no interceptions.
There is also the spark that RB Chauncey Washington has given this team of late. The dynamic back is coming off a 220-yard performance against at Cal last time out. With Washington and Booty in high gear this offense might actually remind people of the days when Leinart and Bush tore up the country.
If that holds true, this USC squad could be a tough out over the next couple of weeks. That’s because the defense is rock solid. Ranked 3rd in the nation in total defense, the Trojans have been suffocating at times, holding half of their opponents to two touchdowns or less.
The defense is stacked with stars but DT Sedrick Ellis has stood out among them. Likely to be named the Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year, Ellis has 48 tackles and 7 1/2 sacks.
A talented defensive line is not exactly what Arizona State and QB Rudy Carpenter are hoping to face. The Sun Devils have had some issues on the offensive line – so much so that they rank 118th in the nation in sacks allowed. Predictably, only the Irish of Notre Dame are worse.
Fortunately, that’s probably the only comparison this offense has with the boys from South Bend. QB Rudy Carpenter has had a great season, leading the Sun Devils offense to an average of 34 points and 427 total yards per game.
Carpenter, like Booty, has been troubled with a finger on his throwing hand. The QB injured his right thumb against Washington on October 13 and while he has continued to play through the pain, he clearly isn’t 100%.
Carpenter will need to be sharp and get plenty of help from RB’s Keegan Herring and Dimitri Nance to keep the Trojans honest and generate some offense.
Southern Cal is 5-5 against the spread this season while Arizona State if 6-4 against the number, including an impressive 5-1 mark at home.
