Quotes: ASU 17, USC 48
ASU Head Coach Todd Graham
Opening statement
“We played very, very poorly. Obviously, you have to give them credit. They whipped our butts. They out-coached us and outplayed us. We’re very disappointed with our performance. We appreciate our fans being out there like they were. It was a great atmosphere. We just didn’t show up to play. We were absolutely awful in the first half. We had two first downs in the first half. We gave up big plays when we haven’t been giving up big plays like that. I think they converted like four third down and 10+ in the early going. We just didn’t show up to play well.”
On the penalties
“We had 10 penalties and four 15-yard penalties. That’s the first in my career. I don’t know. We were doing things that were uncharacteristic of us. You have to give them credit, though. They came out. Obviously, they came off a very difficult loss and we absolutely played very, very poorly. We knew they had good, skilled players coming in. You can’t play offense like that. I mean we didn’t play defense very well either, but we converted one third down the entire night. We were really, really poor. We did a poor job coaching and preparing.”
On the team’s performance
“We have a good team. We're the same team that beat Washington and Utah. In this conference, you have to bring it every week. We obviously did not get our guys prepared the way we needed to and that's our responsibility. We did not play well.”
On bouncing back for Colorado next week
“Our guys have character. We're going to bounce back. We've got a good Colorado team and we have a lot to play for. They're very, very good on offense. I watched them today. We have to bounce back. I give USC credit, they whooped our butts. They out-coached us and outplayed us and they deserve the credit. They're a good football team. It's a shame that we played poorly. We did a poor job of preparing them.”
On team injuries
“Renell (Wren) getting hurt tonight hurt us on the inside. I think that was a big loss for us, when he came out of the game. Kalen (Ballage) didn't play because he had a virus. There were some things that happened like that. I think DJ (Calhoun) and Christian (Sam) played outstanding all year long. We just gave up big play passes. We had missed tackles. We gave them 14 points in the first half with poor play. We got a 15-yard penalty on third and 12...they didn't hear a whistle it was one of those deals. We got knocked on our can tonight, but we have to get back up and play Colorado next week.”
ASU Redshirt Junior Quarterback Manny Wilkins
On issues with ball movement
“We’ve got to play better at quarterback. Have to make better decisions and have to put us in better positions to score points.”
On the outset of the game
“I have to play better at quarterback. Come third downs I think going into half time we were one for eight on third downs. It’s unacceptable regardless of what’s going on in the game, regardless of the situation. I think I have to do my job to put us in the position to score points and win with the ball games.”
On issues with offense
“You know our first drive we came out. It was a missed timing route, N’Keal (Harry) and I, our route. I have to do a better job and hold the ball a little longer and then the swing pass to I think Kalen (Ballage) out there… the dude should have picked him off and scored a touchdown. Unacceptable on my part, and like I said I just have to give us a better chance. You know I do think we played very hard, the dominos just didn’t fall our way tonight. You know that being said I give all respect to [USC] playing the way they did. They came out, they play hard, they wanted it. We just have to make sure there is not volatility on our side of the football.”
ASU Senior Linebacker DJ Calhoun
On what went wrong defensively
“We faced a really good team. I know we got too high over our heads. We prepared ourselves, but a couple of us didn’t come ready to play today. You win together, you lose together.”
On difficulties stopping the run game
“It was people not tackling.”
On the high number of penalties
“That’s something we shouldn’t have done, we’re way better than that. Coach Graham told us when they came out they were going to be talking and everything, but some of us bought into it which was wrong of us. That was lacking on our character. But we just have to put that in the past and move on.”
On lineman issues
“We were getting lined up properly, we just didn’t execute.”
USC Head Coach Clay Helton
Opening Statement
“By far tonight was maybe our best team effort all the way across the board. I commend the men up front in the trenches for the way they performed, both helping our running game and getting a good offense in Arizona State off the field. Good victory on the road. When you’re trying to win a championship, you have to have one of these victories where you come to another team’s place in a hostile environment and be able to stay in first. This is what these players and coaches were able to do. I’m extremely proud of them.”
On difference in the ground game
“I thought the offensive line took a challenge this week. I thought they really controlled the line of scrimmage. When you have great runners like Ronald Jones III and his crew behind him, it makes it all go together. I know I use the word balance all the time but that was balance. When you have 300 yards rushing it makes it easier for a quarterback and the group of wide-outs to get open.”
On coming back from last week
“These are very prideful individuals in that locker room, both as players and coaches. I praise this team because they never stop fighting. Obviously [the win is] a confidence builder. We knew we had a lot to play for sitting here in first place. We control our own destiny. This was the next step. We have another big step next week with another Arizona team that’s playing really good football. As a head coach, you never want that lingering mentality coming off a loss. Usually the better teams clear it out. That’s what these kids did tonight. They had their jaws set and played some of their best football of the season.”
On how the pass game opened up the run game
“The plan was to try to throw it over their heads and back them off. Whether we hit them or not. We thought it was going to be important. Even on the first play, we ran a post-route. It made the safety back off the rest of the time. The rest of the night, that affected them. Great planning by the team and the staff and great execution by the kids.”
USC Quarterback Sam Darnold
On the development of (Wide Receiver) Tyler Vaughns
“Tyler has been a big part of the passing game for a while now. I think the way he works and the fact that every single play the ball is coming to him is huge. That’s a really great mentality to have as a receiver. I think our whole receiving crew thinks like that and I think leaders like Tyler, Jalen Greene and Steven Mitchell really set the example in the beginning of the year and in the offseason on how to attack every day like it’s our last day of football. We all love the game so much and it’s easy when you love the game so much to practice and just work hard for your guys.”
On help from run game
“Whenever we have the run game going, we’ve rushed for over 300 yards I think. Whenever we can do that, it helps me out a lot. It leaves some pressure and some holes in the secondary. It was just a great team win.”
On controlling their own destiny
“Yeah we absolutely do. Next week is obviously a huge game against Arizona. We’re just going to continue to battle and prepare every single week. I think we’re very capable of winning the Pac-12 South and the Pac-12 Championship.”
USC Running Back Ronald Jones III
On the two long touchdown runs
“We had great offensive line play up front with receivers taking away the corners and safeties for me, so just splitting it and it comes out to a race.”
On breaking a few tackles
“Tyler Petite sealed that block for me and I just came off his butt, so I just took it to the house.”
On being pleased with the offense showing explosiveness
“Coach Helton always talks about getting 11 guys to do their job and when we do things like that we’re hard to stop.”
On importance of being in first place in Pac-12 South
“It’s really important. Obviously we control our own destiny, so we’ll just to see who’s going to win the (Pac-12) North, but we just have to take it one game at a time. So we’ve got to win the next game.”
ASU Head Coach Todd Graham
Opening statement
“We played very, very poorly. Obviously, you have to give them credit. They whipped our butts. They out-coached us and outplayed us. We’re very disappointed with our performance. We appreciate our fans being out there like they were. It was a great atmosphere. We just didn’t show up to play. We were absolutely awful in the first half. We had two first downs in the first half. We gave up big plays when we haven’t been giving up big plays like that. I think they converted like four third down and 10+ in the early going. We just didn’t show up to play well.”
On the penalties
“We had 10 penalties and four 15-yard penalties. That’s the first in my career. I don’t know. We were doing things that were uncharacteristic of us. You have to give them credit, though. They came out. Obviously, they came off a very difficult loss and we absolutely played very, very poorly. We knew they had good, skilled players coming in. You can’t play offense like that. I mean we didn’t play defense very well either, but we converted one third down the entire night. We were really, really poor. We did a poor job coaching and preparing.”
On the team’s performance
“We have a good team. We're the same team that beat Washington and Utah. In this conference, you have to bring it every week. We obviously did not get our guys prepared the way we needed to and that's our responsibility. We did not play well.”
On bouncing back for Colorado next week
“Our guys have character. We're going to bounce back. We've got a good Colorado team and we have a lot to play for. They're very, very good on offense. I watched them today. We have to bounce back. I give USC credit, they whooped our butts. They out-coached us and outplayed us and they deserve the credit. They're a good football team. It's a shame that we played poorly. We did a poor job of preparing them.”
On team injuries
“Renell (Wren) getting hurt tonight hurt us on the inside. I think that was a big loss for us, when he came out of the game. Kalen (Ballage) didn't play because he had a virus. There were some things that happened like that. I think DJ (Calhoun) and Christian (Sam) played outstanding all year long. We just gave up big play passes. We had missed tackles. We gave them 14 points in the first half with poor play. We got a 15-yard penalty on third and 12...they didn't hear a whistle it was one of those deals. We got knocked on our can tonight, but we have to get back up and play Colorado next week.”
ASU Redshirt Junior Quarterback Manny Wilkins
On issues with ball movement
“We’ve got to play better at quarterback. Have to make better decisions and have to put us in better positions to score points.”
On the outset of the game
“I have to play better at quarterback. Come third downs I think going into half time we were one for eight on third downs. It’s unacceptable regardless of what’s going on in the game, regardless of the situation. I think I have to do my job to put us in the position to score points and win with the ball games.”
On issues with offense
“You know our first drive we came out. It was a missed timing route, N’Keal (Harry) and I, our route. I have to do a better job and hold the ball a little longer and then the swing pass to I think Kalen (Ballage) out there… the dude should have picked him off and scored a touchdown. Unacceptable on my part, and like I said I just have to give us a better chance. You know I do think we played very hard, the dominos just didn’t fall our way tonight. You know that being said I give all respect to [USC] playing the way they did. They came out, they play hard, they wanted it. We just have to make sure there is not volatility on our side of the football.”
ASU Senior Linebacker DJ Calhoun
On what went wrong defensively
“We faced a really good team. I know we got too high over our heads. We prepared ourselves, but a couple of us didn’t come ready to play today. You win together, you lose together.”
On difficulties stopping the run game
“It was people not tackling.”
On the high number of penalties
“That’s something we shouldn’t have done, we’re way better than that. Coach Graham told us when they came out they were going to be talking and everything, but some of us bought into it which was wrong of us. That was lacking on our character. But we just have to put that in the past and move on.”
On lineman issues
“We were getting lined up properly, we just didn’t execute.”
USC Head Coach Clay Helton
Opening Statement
“By far tonight was maybe our best team effort all the way across the board. I commend the men up front in the trenches for the way they performed, both helping our running game and getting a good offense in Arizona State off the field. Good victory on the road. When you’re trying to win a championship, you have to have one of these victories where you come to another team’s place in a hostile environment and be able to stay in first. This is what these players and coaches were able to do. I’m extremely proud of them.”
On difference in the ground game
“I thought the offensive line took a challenge this week. I thought they really controlled the line of scrimmage. When you have great runners like Ronald Jones III and his crew behind him, it makes it all go together. I know I use the word balance all the time but that was balance. When you have 300 yards rushing it makes it easier for a quarterback and the group of wide-outs to get open.”
On coming back from last week
“These are very prideful individuals in that locker room, both as players and coaches. I praise this team because they never stop fighting. Obviously [the win is] a confidence builder. We knew we had a lot to play for sitting here in first place. We control our own destiny. This was the next step. We have another big step next week with another Arizona team that’s playing really good football. As a head coach, you never want that lingering mentality coming off a loss. Usually the better teams clear it out. That’s what these kids did tonight. They had their jaws set and played some of their best football of the season.”
On how the pass game opened up the run game
“The plan was to try to throw it over their heads and back them off. Whether we hit them or not. We thought it was going to be important. Even on the first play, we ran a post-route. It made the safety back off the rest of the time. The rest of the night, that affected them. Great planning by the team and the staff and great execution by the kids.”
USC Quarterback Sam Darnold
On the development of (Wide Receiver) Tyler Vaughns
“Tyler has been a big part of the passing game for a while now. I think the way he works and the fact that every single play the ball is coming to him is huge. That’s a really great mentality to have as a receiver. I think our whole receiving crew thinks like that and I think leaders like Tyler, Jalen Greene and Steven Mitchell really set the example in the beginning of the year and in the offseason on how to attack every day like it’s our last day of football. We all love the game so much and it’s easy when you love the game so much to practice and just work hard for your guys.”
On help from run game
“Whenever we have the run game going, we’ve rushed for over 300 yards I think. Whenever we can do that, it helps me out a lot. It leaves some pressure and some holes in the secondary. It was just a great team win.”
On controlling their own destiny
“Yeah we absolutely do. Next week is obviously a huge game against Arizona. We’re just going to continue to battle and prepare every single week. I think we’re very capable of winning the Pac-12 South and the Pac-12 Championship.”
USC Running Back Ronald Jones III
On the two long touchdown runs
“We had great offensive line play up front with receivers taking away the corners and safeties for me, so just splitting it and it comes out to a race.”
On breaking a few tackles
“Tyler Petite sealed that block for me and I just came off his butt, so I just took it to the house.”
On being pleased with the offense showing explosiveness
“Coach Helton always talks about getting 11 guys to do their job and when we do things like that we’re hard to stop.”
On importance of being in first place in Pac-12 South
“It’s really important. Obviously we control our own destiny, so we’ll just to see who’s going to win the (Pac-12) North, but we just have to take it one game at a time. So we’ve got to win the next game.”