Going into this game, USC quarterback Matt Barkley was riding high. He threw five touchdowns against Syracuse and was named the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week and was even feeling confident enough to yank Vontaze Burfict's chain.
Arizona State's QB Brock Osweiler was coming off a tough loss to Illinois where he was intercepted twice and sacked for a fumble at a crucial point in the game.
Barkley, a junior, is the starting quarterback for his third season after being one of the top high school recruits in the country. Mel Kiper called him a future NFL top pick and he is consistently ranked in the first round in NFL mock drafts.
Osweiler, on the other hand, only had two career starts prior to this season and is just now starting to get some run as a possible Sunday player.
When the two met on the field of battle for the first time, it was the tall Sun Devil who came away the clear winner.
Barkley went 21-33 for 227 yards and a touchdown but he was intercepted twice and sacked for a fumble at a crucial point in the game (sound familiar). Barkley made some impressive throws but he also missed wide open receivers down the field on several occasions and made poor decisions which cost his team the game.
Osweiler went 25-32 for 223 yards with two touchdowns and no turnovers. He was sacked just once and that came on a botched snap. Brock also ran for 18 yards while Barkley was minus ten on the ground.
Brock also has the "it factor".
Here he is in the postgame press conference with his entire offensive line. The O-line took a lot of heat after the Illinois game and Brock wanted to make sure they were recognized for their role in this win.