Trojans lively in practice after win at ASU

Tuesday’s practice seemed like a large exhale for the Trojans. After a much-needed win against Arizona State, the team looked like themselves again. And that meant a lot more smiles.

“We needed it. I think that we have been on an emotional ride here for two weeks, and a physical ride against two physical opponents. So having a few days off is not bad,” head coach  Steve  Sarkisian said after practice. “Especially having a Thursday game. So, I thought that the timing was good, and we’re just trying to take advantage of it: one, to get ourselves better and, two, to prepare to go forward.”

Despite losing their first conference game of the season, the Trojans responded with a convincing win against Arizona State, 42-14. It was the first time USC had beaten the Sun Devils since 2012, prompting the team to move up to No. 17 in this week’s AP poll. The game was largely over by the first half, after USC scored four Sun Devil turnovers and established a 35-0 lead.

“Oh, that was so fun. That was awesome. That was the best feeling ever,” freshman linebacker Osa Masina said of Saturday’s win and his first college road game. “That thing was so loud. It went from so loud to so quiet. And as an away team, that is just the best feeling. You feel like you did your job in someone else’s house.”

After losing to Stanford, the Trojans didn’t seem to take their foot off the gas in practice last week. Coaches and players alike moved with a sense of urgency. And USC looked more than ready to finally get back on the field Saturday against Arizona State. Quarterback Cody Kessler attributes his team’s success to those intense practices, which also helped the offense have its best game yet converting on third downs.

“Our guys came out and practiced third downs really hard on Wednesday, and they executed,” Kessler said. “It came down to us making our plays. The guys were challenged, and they bounced back and really took it personally, and we were really effective on third down.”

Kessler continued his Heisman campaign by throwing for 375 yards and five touchdowns but threw his first interception of the season. The quarterback says that he and Steven Mitchell weren’t on the same page, but it’s just something they have to learn from.

“My high school coach was really hard on me with that and always told me, next play, next play,” Kessler said. “And, there always is a next play. Even if you throw a touchdown or you throw a pick, whatever it may be — it’s about the next play.”

Sarkisian and the coaching staff unquestionably manipulated Todd Graham’s famous blitzes Saturday, opting for short throws to the perimeter that allowed Trojan playmakers the room to utilize their speed. Sarkisian credited Clay Helton for doing a great job of getting players open by utilizing schemes such as crossing routes, rather than relying on them to win their one-on-one battles. Kessler threw touchdown passes to four different Trojan receivers. JuJu Smith-Schuster led the way, catching five passes for 103 yards and two touchdowns.

“It’s amazing how much [Graham] blitzed. I mean, he was methodical and just kept coming and coming,” said offensive line coach Bob Connelly. “Pass protection was pretty good all night, so we had really good numbers. Because when you do that as a play caller defensively, you are expecting the defense to hold you, secondary wise, and obviously our receivers were making plays.”

With their first conference win under their belt, the Trojans looked exceptionally lively at practice. Because of their extended break before Washington, the young players were given more reps than usual in practice. Quarterback Sam Donald and safety Ykili Ross looked particularly sharp in 11-on-11 work. Coaches emphasized fundamentals, as players spent much of the time separated into position drills.

“Our young guys got a lot of work, which is what we are going to do for the next couple of days before we really start getting into game plan mode on Saturday against Washington,” Sarkisian said.

He added that extra time like this is incredibly important for players to focus on their academics, take care of their health and, for the freshmen, adjust to college life.

“I’m definitely more comfortable than when I first got here,” Osa Masina said. “My favorite moments are probably the games and coming out of that tunnel at home, or just practicing out here everyday with the guys. There is something special out here. So you feel good when there are a great group of guys.”