Troy Talk: USC vs. Arizona State grades

I like surprises. What I saw on Saturday in the sizzling atmosphere of Tempe, Arizona was definitely a surprise. And I’m not complaining. The Trojans came out with redemption in their eyes. I’m not sure whether it was from the heartbreaking defeat last year against the Sun Devils or whether it was from the beating they received from the Cardinal last week. But one thing I am sure of is that USC showed it was capable of bouncing back. This is a crucial step forward for a team brimming with talent and a tendency not to use it effectively.

Quarterbacks: B+

• Cody Kessler continued to pad his stats, but I wouldn’t say it was one of the prettiest performances of his career. He missed some reads and had a couple balls tipped. But Kessler showed some grittiness. This grittiness is what I mentioned last week that motivates people around you to play at their peak potential. Kessler distributed the ball to his playmakers and let them do the work. I’m going to give him a B+ instead of a B for that lightning quick run he had for a first down. What a thing of beauty.

Running Backs: C+

• This is just about the only group I have yet to criticize this year. They have been solid, and the depth is incredible. However, there was nothing from this backfield on Saturday. Ronald Jones II showed some glimpses later in the game, breaking off a huge run while dragging defenders with him. Justin Davis and Tre Madden had some great plays out of the passing game. But we can’t have such a lack of efficiency from a group with so much diversity and talent.

Wide Receivers: A

• I love this group so much. They continue to exceed my expectations. They had one of their best games as a unit, and Darreus Rogers didn’t even play. JuJu Smith-Schuster is the best wide receiver in the nation, without a doubt. Steven Mitchell’s elusiveness adds a dynamic cog to this dangerous offense. And Sark is slowly but surely finding a way to get the ball into Isaac Whitney’s hands. Yeah Sark, it usually ends up resulting in a touchdown.

Offensive Line: C+

• I’m pretty sure the offensive line was the reason the run game was so abysmal. It also might have had something to do with how aggressive Arizona State was on defense. Either way, this group is struggling mightily. Whenever they have a good pass protection game, the run game is off, and vice versa. I need to see a complete performance, preferably with no penalties, for my faith to be restored.

Defensive Line: A-

• Sure, Demario Richard averaged 10+ yards per carry. But I am willing to overlook that. This group was awful against Stanford and rebounded with an incredible and fiery performance. Delvon Simmons caused the fumble that Chris Hawkins returned for a touchdown. Kenny Bigelow and Scott Felix stepped up and had a sack each. The big boys were able to get into the backfield to disrupt ASU, and we are going to need more of the same if we are going to compete in the Pac-12.

Linebackers: B+

• I was impressed with Cam Smith this game. He seemed to be all over the field and exhibited exquisite tackling technique. And, though the tackling from all the members of this group was shaky at first, it developed as the game went on. There seemed to be a lot more blitzes dialed up for the likes of Osa Masina, Lamar Dawson and Su’a Cravens. Cravens could have his own column for his remarkable play each game, but that’s becoming commonplace and expected.

Secondary: B+

• Huge improvement from the young secondary corps. Kevon Seymour was again limited, so the rest of the young guns had to step up. Isaiah Langley played significant minutes and held his own. Iman Marshall finally showed why he is considered the future for our secondary, and the safety play of Chris Hawkins and John Plattenburg created havoc and led to turnovers. Big test coming in three weeks against the likes of Will Fuller and Notre Dame.

Special Teams: B

• Alex Wood had his normal simple and boring game. Kris Albarado was again inconsistent. We are going to need an average of close to 45-50 to give us field position in big games. The one bright spot was Adoree Jackson’s punt return. I felt like a 12-year-old kid again watching the likes of Reggie Bush zigging and zagging and cutting on a dime. It truly made me sit in awe. That’s what kind of player No. 2 is. Adoree’ knows.

Strong bounce back performance from the Trojans. They improved where improvements were needed. We are going to need our A game every time we take the field to keep this season alive.

Next Game: USC vs. Washington

Prediction: 37-17 USC