It was another frustrating week for the Arizona St. Sun Devils, as they lost their fourth in a row -- a 38-17 road loss to the USC Trojans. The game was tied at 14 at the half, but ASU was able to muster only a field goal thereafter, while USC's Curtis McNeal would score three touchdowns by himself. The loss drops the Sun Devils to 5-5, needing a win over either Washington St. or Arizona to earn bowl eligibility.
While the defense gave up 38 points, it also forced five turnovers. Instead, it was the anemic offense, which had only 250 yards against a USC defense that set all-time records for ineptitude the week before, that drew House of Sparky's ire as it handed out grades for the game:
Offensive Line: D-
One of the major reasons the offense has been stagnant for most of the last two weeks has been the play of the offensive line. On Saturday, the Sun Devils surrendered season-highs in sacks (seven) and tackles-for-loss (11), and nearly evaded several more in each category. The line has struggled mightily in both run blocking and pass protection, and the 71 yards rushing (a paltry 2.0 yards per-carry), speaks to the struggles of the unit's poor play.
The offensive line may have earned the lowest grade from House of Sparky, but the rest of the offense wasn't far behind, with the quarterbacks and wide receivers earning 'D' grades, and the running backs getting an 'incomplete.'
The Sun Devils face Washington State next Saturday in Tempe, looking to snap their four-game losing streak, and avenge last season's loss to the Cougars in Pullman.