- Madden did "minimal work," said head coach Steve Sarkisian, but he called it a "positive" sign just to get No. 23 back out on the practice field as more than a spectator.
- Madden: "I just came out here and tested it out to see how it felt. It felt sore. I'm just taking it day-by-day. It's very frustrating, but it's football."
- Otherwise, "We appear relatively healthy," said Sarkisian, who noted that OL Jordan Simmons is out with a bone bruise.
- The Trojans will need all hands on deck given the projected mid-90s temperatures on tap for Saturday's late afternoon start. "We all see the forecast," said Sarkisian, who recognized that rotations will be critical this week. The Trojans are focused on "playing all of our available people" in practice and then in the game this week.
- The heat will be compounded by two fast paced teams. The Sun Devils ran 105 plays against UCLA last Thursday to tie USC's Pac-12 record 105 plays against Fresno State. "Both teams are going to go fast," said Sarkisian.
- Cody Kessler has been remarkably efficient leading USC's offense. He leads the nation in passing attempts without throwing an interception, yet he has not received the same national attention as other Pac-12 quarterbacks. "That's the last thing I am focused on," said Kessler. "You have to win. People can write whatever article they want about you, but what matters is you go out and perform on the field."
- RB D.J. Foster is ASU's most dangerous weapon. The Pac-12's leading rusher is also a major threat as a receiver. "I don't know if there is a better word than versatile," Sarkisian said about Foster. "He's all over the place."
- The Sun Devils' offense deceived the Trojans with misdirection last year en route to scoring 62 points. Sarkisian explained that ASU uses nearly every possible formation and the offense incorporates running backs extremely well in the passing game.
- ASU has the worst run defense in the Pac-12, so the Trojans could have opportunities to gash the Sun Devils. USC's running backs have been good this season, but they have not made the game breaking plays consistently. "It's just that last little piece to their game that we want to take them to another level," said Sarkisian.
- USC broke some long runs last year in Tempe, but it was mostly a hard night, which ended in Lane Kiffin losing his job. "Last year was tough, it was a rough loss," said TE Randall Telfer. "But Coach Sark is emphasizing that there's nothing we can do about that. We don't want that blemish on our resume two years in a row. Our preparation is the same that it's been all season, we're going to go out and compete our tail off, but in the back of our minds, we know what we have to do."
- Telfer has been utilized more in the passing game the last two weeks as well as fellow TE Bryce Dixon. "It felt good. I haven't done that in a while," he laughed. "It was good to get the ball in my hands and contribute."
- In looking at the Sun Devils' defense, Sarkisian described them as a "very aggressive unit," and expects all the missed tackles against UCLA will be considered an "aberration" going forward. The head coach is focused on the line of scrimmage this week as the place the game will be decided.
- Here is Sarkisian's post-practice press conference including some praise for Adoree' Jackson:
