On many Saturdays in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum the past decade, the Trojan fight song, “Fight On,” has played to the point of delirium for any non-USC fan.
But with it blaring over the loudspeakers much of Tuesday’s practice, it seemed a torturous way for the Sun Devils to prepare for Saturday.
If ASU has its way, it won’t have to hear it nearly as much as in years past.
ASU hasn’t beaten USC since 1999, and in that time it has made five trips to Los Angeles, giving up close to 37 points a game.
“I was trying to memorize the words [of “Fight On”],” ASU coach Dennis Erickson said. “I have heard that a lot of times. A couple times I have been in that stadium [as coach of other teams] where that thing just kept going. The [Trojan] Horse almost dropped. We just wanted to get used to it.”
It’s not as if Sun Devil players wouldn’t have recognized the song before Tuesday’s practice.
Forty-three ASU players attended either high school or junior college in California. While some are redshirts on the practice team and many more aren’t from the Southern California area, many are. The area provides plenty of distractions even without family get-togethers.
“We’ve got a lot of people from California and I feel like the mindset might not have been what it needed to be [in 2008],” junior receiver Gerell Robinson said. “It’s a business trip and we have to go in there and get it done. Say hi to your family and do what you have to do but you have to go in and get this win.”
Even in a year where USC isn’t bowl eligible and perhaps even more than ASU’s contests against Wisconsin, Oregon State and Oregon early in the year, all losses, the implications of a win against the Trojans go beyond just another tick in the left-hand column.
“Our coaches have brought to our attention that we haven’t beaten them since ’99,” Robinson said. “This is definitely a statement game for our program and this should really tell us how we fit in with the rest of the Pac-10, regardless if they are bowl eligible or not.”
For those who grew up watching the Trojans and who plan to have family in the stands, the Coliseum may not be such a frightening stage.
“We aren’t going to treat it any different,” senior cornerback LeQuan Lewis said. “We are going to stay focused and get there late. We are going to go there and get to sleep and just chill at the hotel. We can get excited after the game.”
Impressed or not
While the Trojans have lost three of their last four games, they still boast one of the top passing games in the country and are 13th in the nation in yards per game.
“USC is USC; I haven’t seen a change,” Erickson said.
The Trojans offer up a sparkling receiving duo of freshman Robert Woods and senior Ronald Johnson, who have combined for over 1000 yards and 14 touchdowns.
“The Woods kid is about as good as a young freshman as I have seen,” Erickson said. “He makes a lot of plays; he is a California sprint champion and he creates a lot of problems for you.”
Lewis, one of the defensive stars against Washington State and a player who will be asked to help slow down USC’s passing game, seemed to have an added intensity in practice, often keeping junior receiver George Bell off the line of scrimmage in seven-on-seven drills. Lewis may already be in a game mode.
“I don’t think [Woods and Johnson] are any different than any other receivers,” Lewis said. “They have talent and we have talent. We are just going to go out there and show them up.”
Last year, the Sun Devils lost by just five points at home to a Trojan team that won nine games on the year, and this year they may see a dent in the shield.
“They are vulnerable in a lot more spots than they have been in previous years,” Robinson said. “We feel like, as coach Erickson says, even though we might not have been able to match up across the board with them, had we been able to move the ball last year, we would have been in a good position. But this year I we feel like we match up with them pretty solid.”
Injury update
Junior linebacker Oliver Aaron sat out Tuesday’s practice due to back spasms while sophomore defensive tackle Corey Adams sat out with a stinger. According to Erickson, both players are likely to play against USC.
Sophomore linebacker Vontaze Burfict re-aggravated his ankle sprain early in practice Tuesday, causing him to limp and requiring extra tape, but he returned to practice and Erickson did not express concern afterward.
Reach the reporter at nick.ruland@asu.edu
