In a game advertised as a "must-win" for both sides, the ASU football team entered its tilt with USC with what they hoped was an advantage, playing in the much-publicized "Maroon Monsoon," an event in which the team had never lost.
The game would not play out the way the Sun Devils (2-2, 0-1 Pac-12) had hoped, however, as they were overwhelmed by the Trojans (3-1, 1-1 Pac-12) 42-14 in a game that was not as close as the scoreboard indicated.
The game got off to an ominous start for ASU, as redshirt senior Cody Kessler completed a 52-yard pass to sophomore wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster. The Trojans failed to score on the drive, as freshman defensive back Kareem Orr intercepted Kessler, but the tone of the night was set.
After a fumble by redshirt sophomore running back Demario Richard on the following ASU drive, USC jumped on the scoreboard first, as Kessler found sophomore wide receiver Adoree' Jackson for an 80-yard touchdown.
The two teams played to a stalemate for the following 14 minutes, as both teams found a groove offensively. That is, until the Trojans took possession with 13:31 left in the half after redshirt senior quarterback Mike Bercovici was intercepted.
USC proceeded to run away with the game, scoring four consecutive touchdowns over the course of just over 11 minutes, seizing all momentum. The two biggest plays in that span were a 94-yard fumble return by redshirt sophomore safety Chris Hawkins and a fumble on the ensuing kickoff by redshirt junior running back De'Chavon "Gump" Hayes, which was recovered by USC and led to another touchdown.
Those final two scores came within 16 seconds of each other, creating a 21-point turnaround that would send any prize fighter to the canvas, let alone an under-achieving and inexperienced team.
"That was obviously a kick in the gut, followed by another kick in the gut," Graham said. "So we're self-destructing when you're turning the football over like that."
A hallmark of Graham's teams at ASU has been ball-control, but early in 2015 the Sun Devils have done nothing but give the ball away. In four games, ASU has fumbled the ball 13 times, losing seven, and has been intercepted twice, giving opponents opportunities to score with a short field.
Graham said the Sun Devils work on ball security every practice and it's all about being able to translate that to the field, which they haven't yet this year.
"We work really hard preparing them," Graham said. "We're putting the ball in jeopardy way too much and we've never done that. If you do that, you're not going to have the chance to win games."
ASU scored two second half touchdowns to make the score respectable at the end, but it was clear to those that watched that the Sun Devils were out-everythinged by the Trojans all night, despite the closeness of the yards.
Graham has praised this group as his best since arriving in Tempe before the 2012 season, but that confidence has not translated to success on the field. But Graham echoed something he's said many times before: it's not about the loss, but how you follow it up.
"I remember going home and getting my butt kicked by Stanford," Graham said. "It's how you respond to this. If this is the best team we've had, then we've got to figure out a way to go win next week. Half the conference is 0-1, so that's the way it is."
Reach the reporter at mtonis@asu.edu or follow @Tonis_The_Tiger on Twitter.
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