USC junior defensive end Leonard Williams runs with the ball. (Photo Courtesy of Ralf Cheung/The Daily Trojan)One year ago, USC football had just fired head coach Lane Kiffin after a blowout loss in Tempe, prompting many pundits to say the program was on a downward slide.
The Trojans, (3-1, 2-0 Pac-12) who are now led by Steve Sarkisian, are preparing to avenge their worst loss of last season.
Redshirt senior linebacker Hayes Pullard, who is tied for second on the team in tackles, believes the program is in a better place than it was after USC's 62-41 loss to ASU a year ago.
"We're definitely growing as a team," Pullard said. "We're getting better day in and day out, focusing on our preparation."
Sarkisian, who was hired to replace Kiffin, said the program is in good shape.
"I wasn't here a year ago, so I don't know how to compare, but I just know that I think we're in a really good place right now," Sarkisian said. "We have great kids; they work hard every single day, and I'm fortunate to have this job opportunity."
Last week, UCLA was able to contain ASU's star offensive player, junior running back D.J. Foster, holding him to just 30 yards on nine carries and five catches for 68 yards.
Sarkisian said that USC has to key in on Foster and make sure that the Trojans always know where he is.
"DJ is a guy we have a lot of respect for because he's such a versatile player," Sarkisian said. "He can run it, he can catch the ball out of the backfield, he can motion out of the backfield and play wide receiver and run routes, so you have to know where he is, first of all. Second of all, when he does run it, your gap integrity has to be great. And thirdly, when they throw it, whether we're in zone or man coverage, we have to do our job and maintain proper leverage and we have to understand the route concepts that are coming and then make the play on the football."
Redshirt junior quarterback Mike Bercovici is expected to make his second straight start in the absence of redshirt senior Taylor Kelly. Pullard said it is important for USC to respect Bercovici's ability to run the ball as well as his ability to throw.
"He's definitely athletic," Pullard said. "We have to go out there and make sure we keep an eye on him because he can break it at any time."
USC was able to hold Oregon State's record-setting quarterback Sean Mannion to just 123 yards passing last week, something Sarkisian was proud of and hopes to continue moving forward.
"I loved our aggressiveness up front," Sarkisian said. "We didn't get a bunch of sacks, but we were aggressive up front and we tried to give him some different looks in the secondary and we were aggressive with the receivers. At the end of the day, our guys played pretty good."
Despite ASU's big loss last week to UCLA, Pullard said the Trojans are not underestimating their opponents.
"We can't judge them based off playing UCLA," Pullard said. "It's another Pac-12 Conference game, and they're still competing to go for a championship as well as us."
2014 season in photos
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Photo Courtesy of The Daily Trojan
Reach the reporter at mtonis@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @Tonis_The_Tiger
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