Record Updates
In its 102nd season of competition, Sun Devil Football’s all-time record is 577-371-24.
Against The Trojans
The Devils beat USC at the Coliseum for the first time since a 26-16 victory in 1999 and have now recorded consecutive victories over the Trojans for the first time since 1996-97. ASU still trails the all-time series with the Trojans, 19-12.
On The Road Against A Ranked Team
This is the second consecutive season the Devils have beaten a top-25 team on the road, and both occurred in Los Angles (38-33 win at No. 24 UCLA on Nov. 16, 2013).
On the Road
Todd Graham is 9-5 at Arizona State in true road games and the Sun Devils are winners of six straight on the road and five straight Pac-12 road contests. ASU had 8 road wins in the entirety of the previous coaching regime 2007-11.
How The Devils Scored
o Wide receiver Jaelen Strong 4–yard reception from quarterback Mike Bercovici in second quarter to tie the game, 7-7
o Strong 77-yard reception from Bercovici in second quarter to put ASU ahead, 15-7
o Alex Garoutte 20-yard field goal in third quarter to put ASU ahead, 18-17
o Running back DJ Foster 21-yard reception from Bercovici in fourth quarter to make it 27-25 USC
o Wide receiver Cameron Smith 73-yard reception from Bercovici in fourth quarter to make it 34-23 USC
o Strong 46-yard reception from Bercovici in fourth quarter to put ASU ahead, 38-34
The Force Is Strong
Wide receiver Jaelen Strong recorded 10 catches for 202 yards and three touchdowns. This is the ninth game a Sun Devil has collected more than 200 receiving yards and the first since Gerell Robinson had 241 yards on 13 catches in the 2011 Las Vegas Bowl. Strong’s 202 yards are the seventh most in school history. This is his second career double-digit receptions game and he is the 12th Sun Devil in school history to collect 10 catches in a game.
Strong now has 10 100-yard receiving games in his career. That trails only Derek Hagan (18) and Shaun McDonald (12) for the most in school history.
This was Strong’s first career multi-touchdown game and he is the first ASU receiver this season with multiple receiving touchdowns in a single game. He is the first Sun Devil with three touchdown catches since Rashad Ross had three against Navy in the 2012 Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl.
Half of Strong’s six first-half receptions went for a first down, and he finished with seven total in the game. Of Strong’s 41 receptions this season, 30 have gone for a first down.
Strong now has 614 receiving yards and five touchdowns this season on 41 catches, and he has 1,736 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns on 116 catches in 19 career games.
In Berco We Trust
Quarterback Mike Bercovici was 27-for-45 for 510 yards and five touchdowns, and did not throw an interception. He is the first Sun Devil to pass for more than 500 yards since Andrew Walter set the school record with 536 against Oregon on Oct. 19, 2002, and he is just the fifth quarterback in school history to ever throw for more than 500 yards. He is also just the sixth different quarterback in school history to throw five touchdowns.
Bercovici is 78-for-130 (60 percent) for 1,077 yards and nine touchdowns in 2014.
Devils Dig The Long Ball
The Devils have now recorded the past five 70-plus yard plays the Trojans have allowed in the past five seasons. The Devils’ 77-yard touchdown pass to Strong was the longest play the Trojans have given up this season. Smith also caught a 73-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter. The previous high passing play was 29 yards by Sean Mannion of Oregon State and the previous high was a 66-yard rush by T. Murphy of Boston College. USC also gave up a 74-yarder against ASU last season (Kelly to Foster) and 70-yard rush by Cameron Marshall in 2011.
First Time For Everything
The Devils’ 4-yard touchdown to open the second quarter was the first passing touchdown the Trojans allowed all season. They allowed five total in the game.
#FosterFacts
Running back DJ Foster recorded his 10th career receiving touchdown, and second of 2014 and now has 290 receiving yards on 21 catches this season.
Foster also has recorded a reception in 32 consecutive games - or every game he has played in his career. Entering the weekend, that was tied for the nation's ninth longest active streak.
Career Day For Kohl
Tight end Kody Kohl set a career high with three catches for 43 yards. He matched his career receiving-yard total on the Devils’ first drive of the second quarter as he notched two catches, one for 12 yards and one for 16, to set up the Devils’ first touchdown of the game. Both catches were career longs at the time.
Long Toss
The 77-yard touchdown from Bercovici to Strong was the Devils’ longest touchdown pass since Brock Osweiler to TJ Simpson (78 yards) on Nov. 26, 2010, against UCLA. It was also the longest passing playing of the Todd Graham/Mike Norvell era.
Red Zone Efficiency
The Devils went 2-for-2 inside the red zone against USC with one touchdown and one field goal, and improved to 21-for-23 inside the red zone with 16 touchdowns and five field goals this season.
Defense
Simone Nights
Safety Jordan Simone set a career high with 20 tackles in the game, including 12 solo, and is the first Sun Devil to reach 20 tackles since Mark Tingstad against Arizona back in 1988. Simon has now registered double-digit tackles in two games this season, and his 20 tackles are the highest single-game tackle total for a defensive player under Coach Graham at ASU. Damarious Randall (last season/17) and Brandon Magee (2012/17) are tied for second.
Getting To The QB
The Devils tied its season high with three sacks (Calhoun, Hardison, Moeakiola), previously set at Colorado.
Other career Nights
Linebacker DJ Calhoun set a career high with nine tackles, all in the first half, and also recorded his first career sack.
Cornerback Lloyd Carrington set his career high with 10 tackles, and cornerback Kweishi Brown set a career high with five tackles.
Special Teams
Kyle Middlebrooks' 47-yard kickoff return to open the game was his longest at ASU and the longest at ASU since Rashad Ross' 100-yard touchdown return against Colorado in 2012. He finished with 131 total return yards.
The Devils completed their second two-point conversion of the season on a pass from Bercovici to Kohl on the Devils’ second touchdown of the game.
Alex Garoutte converted his first field goal and first extra-point kick of the season.