- On the injury front, DT Antwaun Woods and OLB Scott Felix are dealing with shoulder injuries. Neither player has a structural issue, per head coach Steve Sarkisian. RB Tre Madden (knee) was limited today, while CB Kevon Seymour (knee) continues to improve.
- Madden on his knee: "It's sore. It's tender, but getting on the field today and getting some of the kinks out feels really good."
- Offensively, the Trojans are getting elite quarterback play from Cody Kessler. The senior has completed 78.7% of his passes through three games, throwing 10 touchdowns without an interception. "At the end of the day, I don't know what more we could really ask of the guy," said Sarkisian about Kessler. "He is playing at a high level."
- At the receiver spot, JuJu Smith-Schuster has embraced the responsibility of being the go-to guy. "He's a natural leader," said WR coach Tee Martin about JuJu. "He wants to win. He's so competitive that he brings up guys around him. That's the true mark of real leadership - not just being concerned with yourself but also bringing other guys with you.
- Of course, the main issues against Stanford came defensively. In the run game, Sarkisian explained that his defensive line "didn't knock back the line of scrimmage enough," while their "rush lane integrity was not good" enabling QB Kevin Hogan to escape on pass plays.
- The second point is important again this week, going against ASU QB Mike Bercovici. "We've just got to keep him in the pocket," said OLB Su'a Cravens. "He does a lot of great things when he gets out and tries to make plays on the run, so as long as we keep him in the pocket and we cover, I think we'll be fine."
- If Felix cannot go this week, freshman Porter Gustin and redshirt junior Jabari Ruffin will take the reps at the rush linebacker spot.
- For the freshmen, this will be their first road game. "Don't let any distractions get in your way," Madden advised. "All our freshman have been really focused and mentally prepared for everything."
- Kessler relished the opportunity to deliver a big win on the road. "I'm excited, I've always loved road games," he said. "You're kind of the underdog. You go in there and there's automatically adversity before you even step on the field. It's going to be fun, and it's going to be cool to see some of the freshmen and how they respond in a hostile environment."
- Here is Sarkisian after practice:
University Southern California Trojans
ASU Tuesday: Notes
September 01, 2015 | USC Ripsit Blog
ASU Tuesday: Notes
The Trojans are happy to be back on the practice field, ready to make amends for last week's mistakes.
Tuesday, June 23
Monday, June 22
Monday, June 22
Monday, June 22
