LOS ANGELES - Eno Benjamin ran for 185 yards and two touchdowns and N'Keal Harry scored on a 92-yard punt return to help Arizona State knock off USC 38-35 and end the Trojans' streak of 19 consecutive wins at the Coliseum.
In addition to his theatrics in the return game, Harry caught four passes for 95 yards and one touchdown for the Sun Devils, who accumulated 449 yards in total offense.
Manny Wilkins passed for 166 yards with a touchdown and capped the game off with a 45-yard touchdown rush – the longest of his career – to put the game away for the Sun Devils in the waning moments of the fourth quarter.
After the Sun Devils staked a 24-7 lead early, USC responded with 21 unanswered points to take a 28-24 advantage midway through the third quarter. But the Sun Devils' will didn't waver and Harry's heroics were at the forefront.
The see-saw affair teetered back in ASU's favor in a dramatic way in the latter stages of the third quarter as Harry returned a punt 92 yards for a touchdown and a 31-28 lead for the Sun Devils. After catching the punt, Harry went from one side of the field to the other and then was off to the races for the third-longest punt return in program history. Harry was aided in the initial stages of the return by teammates Dasmond Tautalatasi and Kyle Williams, who both came through with blocks to eliminate Trojan defenders from Harry's path.
USC threatened in the fourth quarter, driving to ASU's 20-yard line with 10:22 remaining in regulation and choosing to go for a long fourth-and-one conversion instead of attempting a field goal to tie the game. ASU's Merlin Robertson wrapped up Aca'Cedric Ware inches short of the line to gain to maintain the Sun Devil advantage.
The two teams exchanged punts with ASU getting the ball with 3:53 left and still holding on to a three-point edge. ASU went to work on the ground behind four straight rushes from Benjamin for 21 yards and USC taking its last timeout with 1:33 left on the clock and ASU facing a third-and-1.
Wilkins put the game away immediately after that timeout, keeping the ball on a perfectly executed read-option play as he sprinted 45 yards to the house and a two-possession Sun Devil lead with 1:23 remaining.
USC was able to keep it interesting with a touchdown pass with 35 seconds remaining to get back within three points, but the ensuing onside kick found the grip of none other than Harry and ASU was able to hold on for just its second victory at the Coliseum since 2000.
The Trojans struck first in the contest as Tyler Vaughns brought back Michael Sleep-Dalton's punt 82 yards for a touchdown and early 7-0 lead.
The Sun Devil offense was not daunted by USC 's quick score as it came back with a determined eight-play, 75-yard drive that ended with Wilkins connecting with Harry for a 44-yard touchdown to knot the score at 7-7. Benjamin, who had a 62-yard touchdown run overturned by replay earlier in the drive, ran for 23 yards on the scoring march.
The momentum ASU established on offense carried over to the defensive end on USC's first possession as safety Jalen Harvey forced USC quarterback Jack Sears into an errant lateral. Darien Butler outraced several players to the ball, falling on it at the USC three. Benjamin converted the USC miscue into points two plays later with a three-yard touchdown run to give ASU a 14-7 lead.
ASU's run of unanswered points eventually reached 24 after a 31-yard field goal by Brandon Ruiz and a 49-yard touchdown run by Benjamin in the second quarter. Benjamin's scoring dash concluded ASU's longest scoring drive of the season (95 yards) and gave ASU a 24-7 lead with 6:12 remaining in half. The Sun Devils successfully converted four third downs on the drive.
USC started to find its groove on offense late in the second quarter as the Trojans went 75 yards in just 93 seconds for their first touchdown of the game, a six-yard scoring pass from Sears to Michael Pittman that cut ASU's lead to 24-14 with 13 seconds left in the first half.
Benjamin rushed for 125 yards and Wilkins passed for 120 yards in helping the Sun Devils roll up 286 yards in total offense in the first half. Defensively ASU allowed only 116 yards and seven points over the game's first 30 minutes.
The Trojans erased the once 17-point deficit with a pair of touchdowns – an eight-yard run by Velus Jones and a 36-yard pass from Vaughns to Pittman – over the first 4:36 of the third quarter to reclaim the lead 28-24.
The Sun Devils return to action next Saturday (1 p.m. MST) when they host Utah at Sun Devil Stadium. The contest will be ASU's annual Homecoming game. To purchase tickets, call the Sun Devil Ticket office at 480-727-0000 or go online to TicketMaster.com.
In addition to his theatrics in the return game, Harry caught four passes for 95 yards and one touchdown for the Sun Devils, who accumulated 449 yards in total offense.
Manny Wilkins passed for 166 yards with a touchdown and capped the game off with a 45-yard touchdown rush – the longest of his career – to put the game away for the Sun Devils in the waning moments of the fourth quarter.
After the Sun Devils staked a 24-7 lead early, USC responded with 21 unanswered points to take a 28-24 advantage midway through the third quarter. But the Sun Devils' will didn't waver and Harry's heroics were at the forefront.
The see-saw affair teetered back in ASU's favor in a dramatic way in the latter stages of the third quarter as Harry returned a punt 92 yards for a touchdown and a 31-28 lead for the Sun Devils. After catching the punt, Harry went from one side of the field to the other and then was off to the races for the third-longest punt return in program history. Harry was aided in the initial stages of the return by teammates Dasmond Tautalatasi and Kyle Williams, who both came through with blocks to eliminate Trojan defenders from Harry's path.
USC threatened in the fourth quarter, driving to ASU's 20-yard line with 10:22 remaining in regulation and choosing to go for a long fourth-and-one conversion instead of attempting a field goal to tie the game. ASU's Merlin Robertson wrapped up Aca'Cedric Ware inches short of the line to gain to maintain the Sun Devil advantage.
The two teams exchanged punts with ASU getting the ball with 3:53 left and still holding on to a three-point edge. ASU went to work on the ground behind four straight rushes from Benjamin for 21 yards and USC taking its last timeout with 1:33 left on the clock and ASU facing a third-and-1.
Wilkins put the game away immediately after that timeout, keeping the ball on a perfectly executed read-option play as he sprinted 45 yards to the house and a two-possession Sun Devil lead with 1:23 remaining.
USC was able to keep it interesting with a touchdown pass with 35 seconds remaining to get back within three points, but the ensuing onside kick found the grip of none other than Harry and ASU was able to hold on for just its second victory at the Coliseum since 2000.
The Trojans struck first in the contest as Tyler Vaughns brought back Michael Sleep-Dalton's punt 82 yards for a touchdown and early 7-0 lead.
The Sun Devil offense was not daunted by USC 's quick score as it came back with a determined eight-play, 75-yard drive that ended with Wilkins connecting with Harry for a 44-yard touchdown to knot the score at 7-7. Benjamin, who had a 62-yard touchdown run overturned by replay earlier in the drive, ran for 23 yards on the scoring march.
The momentum ASU established on offense carried over to the defensive end on USC's first possession as safety Jalen Harvey forced USC quarterback Jack Sears into an errant lateral. Darien Butler outraced several players to the ball, falling on it at the USC three. Benjamin converted the USC miscue into points two plays later with a three-yard touchdown run to give ASU a 14-7 lead.
ASU's run of unanswered points eventually reached 24 after a 31-yard field goal by Brandon Ruiz and a 49-yard touchdown run by Benjamin in the second quarter. Benjamin's scoring dash concluded ASU's longest scoring drive of the season (95 yards) and gave ASU a 24-7 lead with 6:12 remaining in half. The Sun Devils successfully converted four third downs on the drive.
USC started to find its groove on offense late in the second quarter as the Trojans went 75 yards in just 93 seconds for their first touchdown of the game, a six-yard scoring pass from Sears to Michael Pittman that cut ASU's lead to 24-14 with 13 seconds left in the first half.
Benjamin rushed for 125 yards and Wilkins passed for 120 yards in helping the Sun Devils roll up 286 yards in total offense in the first half. Defensively ASU allowed only 116 yards and seven points over the game's first 30 minutes.
The Trojans erased the once 17-point deficit with a pair of touchdowns – an eight-yard run by Velus Jones and a 36-yard pass from Vaughns to Pittman – over the first 4:36 of the third quarter to reclaim the lead 28-24.
The Sun Devils return to action next Saturday (1 p.m. MST) when they host Utah at Sun Devil Stadium. The contest will be ASU's annual Homecoming game. To purchase tickets, call the Sun Devil Ticket office at 480-727-0000 or go online to TicketMaster.com.