Arizona State by the Numbers
The "by the numbers" previews have been conspicuous by their absence of late, so there's no time like the penultimate game of the season to revisit. Rather than individual stats, this version is a look at the results that USC and Arizona State have against the conference teams that they have both played.
First, Arizona State:
| Offense |
Defense |
|||||
| Opponent |
Result |
Passing |
Rushing |
Passing |
Rushing |
Other Notes |
| Cal |
W, 31 - 20 |
219 |
144 |
261 |
98 |
ToP 37.30, T.O. +1 |
| Oregon |
L, 23 - 35 |
379 |
110 |
200 |
200 |
ToP 35.20, T.O. - 1 |
| Oregon State |
W, 44 - 32 |
361 |
35 |
190 |
324 |
ToP 30.50, T.O. +4 |
| Stanford |
W, 41 - 3 |
266 |
174 |
237 |
-2 (!) |
ToP 34.26, T.O. +2 |
| Washington |
W, 44 - 20 |
227 |
296 |
142 |
146 |
ToP 35.33, T.O. -1 |
| Washington State |
W, 23 - 20 |
217 |
78 |
369 |
82 |
ToP 35.21, T.O. -1 |
| Total |
1669 |
837 |
1399 |
848 |
||
| Average |
278.2 |
139.5 |
233.2 |
141.3 |
And then, USC:
| Offense |
Defense |
|||||
| Opponent |
Result |
Passing |
Rushing |
Passing |
Rushing |
Other Notes |
| Cal |
W, 24 - 17 |
129 |
239 |
199 |
200 |
ToP 30.19, T.O. +1 |
| Oregon |
L, 17 - 24 |
277 |
101 |
157 |
182 |
ToP 30.59, T.O. -1 |
| Oregon State |
W, 24 - 3 |
187 |
100 |
85 |
91 |
ToP 29.34, Push |
| Stanford |
L, 23 - 24 |
364 |
95 |
149 |
86 |
ToP 32.08, T.O. -4 |
| Washington |
W, 27 - 24 |
236 |
224 |
90 |
100 |
ToP 34.51, T.O. -1 |
| Washington State |
W, 47 - 14 |
302 |
207 |
183 |
64 |
ToP 33.02, T.O. - 1 |
| Total |
1495 |
966 |
863 |
723 |
||
| Average |
249.2 |
161 |
143.8 |
120.5 |
So, numbers.
I took a look at the Scouts preview, and the crux of their thinking was that ASU has the better quarterback and wide receivers, but SC otherwise has the edge. The notion is that SC's strong run defense will force ASU to pass more, and ASU's relatively porous offensive line not very good at protecting Rudy Carpenter (the team's yards per play average for the season is nearly a yard shorter because of all the sacks - from 4 yards and change to 3 yards and change).
The numbers suggest that the teams are well matched on offense, with USC having a slight disadvantage in passing and advantage in running. The defense, on the other hand, is not as close. If the Trojans take it easy on the turkey and don't get all sleepy from tryptophan overloading - as well as keeping a lid on the usual penalties, minimizing turnovers, stuffing the run, and putting pressure on Carpenter - they've got a reasonable chance of winning this game.
However, this is ASU's shot at the Rose Bowl - so they won't be taking the game at all lightly. Simply minimizing mistakes probably won't be enough for SC, so hopefully they can muster a little enthusiasm.