Last year's Arizona State game will be on the mind of every single Trojan when the two teams battle this Saturday. Quarterback Cody Kessler had his only multi-interception game of his career, USC allowed 28 points in the third quarter alone and then-coach Lane Kiffin was fired after the 62-41 debacle in Tempe. 

Jeff Metcalfe, who covers a plethora of Arizona sports for azcentral sports, is one of the best when it comes to Arizona State football knowledge. He joins Neon Tommy to help preview this epic Pac-12 South showdown. With so much turnover from last year's Arizona State team to this one, what do USC fans need to know come this weekend? 

1. The big injury news for the game is that Arizona State quarterback Taylor Kelly isn't expected to play. It seemed like, however, that backup quarterback Mike Bercovici performed admirably against UCLA last weekend. What are some of the big differences between Kelly and Bercovici's strengths and weaknesses? Will Arizona State still run a similar offense with Bercovici under center?

Kelly, of course, is a dual-threat quarterback averaging 8.8 yards per rush this season and had 826 yards rushing (not subtracting sack yards) in 2013. Bercovici is more mobile than when he came to ASU in 2011, but does not make the defense account for him on runs like Kelly does. To that extent, ASU’s offense is somewhat different although the most noticeable difference vs. UCLA was the use of tailback D.J. Foster, who only rushed for 30 yards after coming in averaging 170.

Bercovici threw five passes to Foster for 68 yards en route to setting school passing records for attempts (42) and completions (68) in his first start (488 yards passing). Bercovici has a big arm, but needs to be careful not to force balls into coverage. He threw a critical interception late in the first half against UCLA, when a chip-shot field goal would have evened the game at 20. But he kept winging it in the second half even after the Bruins went way ahead, and gained valuable experience with the first team going into the USC game.

2. Many people know of D.J. Foster and Jaelen Strong, arguably two of the best skill players in the country. Are there any other weapons that you think have a good chance of making an impact this game? Who are some of the other options that Arizona State likes to utilize on offense?

Cameron Smith is a sophomore wide receiver with enough speed to get open deep and has become the No. 2 target behind Strong. Deantre Lewis rushed for 46 yards against UCLA. Freshmen Kalen Ballage, particularly inside the red zone, and Demario Richard also provide running back depth after Foster. I will be surprised if ASU doesn’t try to re-establish Foster like in the first three games, particularly with Bercovici making his first start on the road. ASU has yet to see the best offensively, or defensively for that matter, from tight end/Devil-backer De’Marieya Nelson, whom I expect soon will have a breakout game.

3. Speaking of Foster, his production so far has been otherworldly. How much do you attribute his success in the rushing attack to his running ability versus the offensive line or even the offensive scheme? Does Foster pick up most of his rushing yards between the tackles or does he like to bounce to the outside?

Foster is just 5-11, 205 and played mostly slot receiver until Marion Grice was injured late last season. He can run inside, but is at his best in space, which is why offensive coordinator Mike Norvell likes to throw to him. ASU has a quality offensive line led by left tackle Jamil Douglas and generally wants to establish the run, which again made it a bit of a surprise that Norvell did not follow that pattern in the UCLA game even before it got out of hand. Perhaps, though, that was intended to play to Bercovici’s strength since he doesn’t run like Kelly. Expect to see Foster used in a variety of ways and, I expect, especially on the ground where the Trojans are vulnerable.

4. Safety Damarious Randall leads college football with an average of nine solo tackles per game. Does he position himself closer to the line of scrimmage or is he often the last line of defense? Would you consider the secondary the strength of the defense?

Both ASU safeties – Randall and Jordan Simone – have had to clean up a lot for mistakes and poor tackling in the front seven. Ultimately, that’s not a good thing for any defense. I’m not at this point you could say there is an established strength to the ASU defense although the pass defense has a statistical edge over the rush defense (No. 102 nationally). But when you’ve allowed 1,125 yards in two Pac-12 games, no one gets a pass.

5. Arizona State's front seven did not look very good against UCLA, missing many tackles. Is this the group that has been most affected by the team's youth? Does Arizona State coach Todd Graham still use a similar aggressive defensive scheme with this defensive front as in previous seasons, including many blitzes?

The losses of two-time Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year DT Will Sutton, Devil-backer Carl Bradford and linebacker Chris Young is, to no one’s surprise, impacting the front seven. Even given that, the tackling has at times been atrocious as even Graham has admitted. Some believe ASU’s defense is too complex given its youth and inexperience, and the Sun Devils are not putting enough pressure on the quarterback. To succeed defensively requires a collective, disciplined effort that right now is difficult for the Sun Devils to sustain.

6. How has the Graham regime at Arizona State been viewed by the fan base? Besides a lack of penalties, what are some other constants with this team under Graham? What adjustments do you think he will make with the defense after the embarrassment against UCLA?

With 18 wins and a Pac-12 South title in his first two seasons at ASU, Graham won over fans who were skeptical upon his arrival after just one season at Pitt. He dreams big and talks national championship from the start of every season, which is not a bad thing for ASU at a moment in time when it should be the aspiration given the renovation of Sun Devil Stadium (Graham and his wife recently donated $500,000 to that cause). 

ASU actually has had more penalties than normal under Graham this season, but that emphasis symbolizes the discipline he insists on. He is quite the teacher, working hands on with the secondary, and motivator, and probably as intent as any of the players to prove the UCLA outburst was an anomaly. But realistically I felt all along that ASU would need to outscore teams to get to eight wins this season and nothing so far has changed my opinion. UCLA hit on five plays of 80 or more yards – three on offense, one defense, one special teams – against ASU. The Sun Devils must shut down those explosive plays and make USC earn its yards/points the long way.

7. What is your prediction for the game?

ASU hung 62 points on USC last year in, of course, Lane Kiffin’s last stand. That won’t be forgotten any more than the Sun Devils allowing UCLA to score the most points ever (also 62) by an opponent at Sun Devil Stadium. Bercovici, out of Taft High School where he teamed with Trojans NT Antwaun Woods, will light it up at times but has to prove that he can avoid costly turnovers. And ASU’s defense, well it’s going to take a lot to wash away what Brett Hundley and company accomplished, in the second half especially. ASU hasn’t won in LA since 1999, and I don’t see that seven-game Coliseum losing streak ending: USC 35, ASU 28.

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