USC shuts down ASU offense

LOS ANGELES - Arizona State feasted on Southern California turnovers and still left the LA Coliseum starved for points Saturday.

Down 21-0 at halftime to the No. 8-ranked Trojans, the Sun Devils came up with five second-half turnovers and still were shut out for the first time since 2004.

USC (4-1, 2-1 Pac-10) added a fourth-quarter touchdown to win 28-0, its ninth consecutive win over ASU. The Sun Devils (2-4, 1-2) carry a four-game losing streak, their first since 2003, into a bye week before hosting Oregon on Oct. 25.

"I can honestly say I don't remember being this inefficient offensively in my too-long career," said ASU's Dennis Erickson, in his 26th season as a head coach. "Obviously there is confidence involved. They moved it a little bit in the second half, but they didn't exactly rip it up. As many turnovers as we got, I would think we would have got ourselves back into the game."

USC quarterback Mark Sanchez lost a fumble to ASU and threw three interceptions in the third quarter.

Yet the Sun Devils could not score against the nation's fourth-ranked defense even given first downs on the USC 11- and 14-yard lines. Both those possessions ended with blocked field goals by Fili Moala, tying a NCAA record for most in a quarter.

ASU also had first down at the USC 21 in the first half while trailing only 7-0 but ended up punting after a sack and false start penalty.

"The defense did a great job and got a lot of turnovers for us, but we got in the red zone and couldn't score," ASU quarterback Rudy Carpenter said. "Nothing was working."

Carpenter made his 37th consecutive start despite a sprained left ankle that he admitted limited his passing velocity. When he tried to throw across the field late in the first half, cornerback Kevin Thomas stepped in front of wide receiver Michael Jones for an interception and 46-yard touchdown return to make it 21-0.

By the middle of the third quarter, after a hit by linebacker Rey Maualuga, Carpenter limped off the field and was replaced by Danny Sullivan.

Sullivan completed just 4 of 17 passes for 28 yards and threw two interceptions, although a potential touchdown pass late in the game was dropped by true freshman wide receiver Gerell Robinson.

"This game was absolutely about our defense," USC coach Pete Carroll said. "Time and time again as the offense made their mistakes, the defense wouldn't have it. They did a great job on third downs in not letting anything happen."

ASU began the day last in Pac-10 and 109th nationally on third-down conversions and succeeded on only 3 of 18. The running game was somewhat improved: Four tailbacks combined for 124 yards, although the total rushing yardage, minus losses for sacks and a fumble, was 75.

"I'm very perplexed, and sometimes I have trouble spelling that word," Erickson said. "We're better than that. We've got some players that are better than how they're playing offensively. We've got to find a way to become more productive. It's just got to happen. We've got to find what's our best way to do it, not that we haven't been studying that."

The good news is the defense, which for a second straight game played well enough in the second half to deserve a better fate.

USC managed 135 total yards in the second half. California had only 67 in the second half of a 24-14 win over ASU a week earlier. Sanchez played most of the game despite missing some practice because of a bruised left knee.

The Trojans drove 72 yards to score on the game's opening possession, then did not score again until 6:15 remained in the second quarter, capping an 80-yard drive.

USC tailback Joe McKnight rushed for 143 yards, 68 of those on four carries during a 92-yard fourth-quarter drive that produced the only points of the second half.

"We made mistakes in the first half, coverage errors or just physical getting beat, that got us in a hole," ASU defensive coordinator Craig Bray said. "The positive is we went in at halftime, we talked about what they were doing, we told them they had to get turnovers to give ourselves a chance, and they responded unbelievably."

Report

Key player

USC defensive tackle Fili Moala blocked two field goals and recovered a fumble to help prevent ASU from taking advantage of five second-half turnovers by the Trojans.

Key moment

Down 7-0 and with a first down on the USC 21-yard line, ASU QB Rudy Carpenter was sacked, followed by a false start penalty. The Sun Devils punted, and the Trojans scored two touchdowns in the final 8:37 to comfortably lead 21-0 at halftime.

Key number

3 of 18: ASU on third-down conversions, adding to its Pac-10 low in that critical category.

Injury report

TE Dan Knapp, a redshirt freshman who made his first start, suffered a medial collateral ligament strain in the right knee late in the first quarter. Long snapper Thomas Ohmart went out with a right arm injury but later returned.

Arizona State kicker Thomas Weber, left, reacts after missing a field goal as wide receiver Gerell Robinson looks on during the second half of their game against Southern California in Los Angeles, Saturday, Oct. 11. USC won 28-0.