By Josh Green
On a brisk, fall evening in Southern California, Arizona State and USC played a game that had all the makings for a Hollywood ending. Unfortunately for ASU, the ending followed the same script as most of its other losses.
Senior kicker Thomas Weber missed a 42-yard field goal that would have put the Sun Devils ahead with 1:34 left, allowing USC to leave with 34-33 a win, and sending ASU into an all too familiar feeling of disappointment.
For ASU, it’s just another addition to a season full of tough losses. The Sun Devils have lost four games this year by a combined 16 points.
“It hurts inside,” linebacker Brandon Magee said, “When you give it your all and you come up short like that, it hurts.”
ASU led 33-29 with 6:59 left in the game after quarterback Steven Threet connected with Jamal Miles on a nine-yard touchdown pass, but the ensuing PAT was blocked and returned for two points by Torin Harris, slicing the Sun Devil lead to 33-31.
Led by sophomore quarterback Matt Barkley, the Trojans marched 68-yards in nine-plays on a drive that was capped off by a Joe Houston 29-yard yard field goal, putting USC ahead 34-33.
As it did most of the second half, ASU responded nicely, driving 49-yards on eight-plays to set up a field goal attempt for Weber at the USC 24-yard line. The kick was wide left.
The loss delivers an almost fatal blow to ASU’s postseason hopes, as it must now win its final three games to be bowl eligible. The Sun Devils finish the season at home against Stanford and UCLA, and on the road against Arizona.
“We’ve had resiliency all year,” head coach Dennis Erickson said, “Our resiliency will be tested next week. Coming back after a game like this, those are hard.”
ASU couldn’t have asked for a better start to the game, scoring on its opening drive to take a 7-0 lead. But that was really the only success the offensive unit had in the first half, as they failed to take advantage of opportunities to add to the lead.
Eventually USC’s offense started clicking, scoring 14 points in the second quarter to give the Trojans a 14-7 lead at halftime. The Sun Devils were extremely fortunate to have only been down seven. USC got into the red zone five times, but Houston missed two field goals, and Barkley threw an interception in the end zone.
The Trojan defense came up big at the beginning of the second half, as Malcom Smith intercepted a Threet pass and returned it 74-yard for a touchdown. USC took a 22-7 lead after completing a two-point conversion.
But Threet made up for his poor pass, as he led an eight-play, 71-yard drive, capped off by a 21-yard touchdown pass to Gerell Robinson, cutting the Trojan lead to 22-14.
The Saturday night entertainment was just getting started.
A Barkley 22-yard touchdown pass to Stanley Havili put USC up 29-14, but ASU cornerback LeQuan Lewis returned the ensuing kickoff 100-yards, bringing the Sun Devils back within eight.
Junior cornerback Omar Bolden then intercepted a Barkley pass and returned it 66-yards for a touchdown, making it a 29-27 game. ASU failed to convert the tying two-point conversion.
The Sun Devils then took the 33-29 lead thanks to Threet’s pass to Miles. Some of the offense hoped to go for two, but Erickson decided to go for the PAT.
The kicked was blocked, the Trojans responded, Weber missed a field goal, and the Sun Devils let another slip away, one that will likely cost them a bowl game.
This entry was posted on Monday, November 8th, 2010 at 5:18 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
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