Oct 9, 2008 7:31 pm US/Pacific
ASU QB Doubtful, USC Couldn't Care Less
LOS ANGELES (AP) ―
After falling victim to a stunning upset in its Pac-10 opener, Southern California bounced back in resounding fashion last weekend with a blowout victory over a ranked opponent.
But if the eighth-ranked Trojans want to continue their resurgence on Saturday, they may have to do it with their starting quarterback coming off an injury.
USC will look to deal a fourth consecutive defeat to visiting Arizona State, which could be missing its starting signal-caller due to injury.
After a 27-21 loss at Oregon State on Sept. 25 knocked the Trojans (3-1, 1-1 Pac-10) from their No. 1 ranking, coach Pete Carroll's team wasted no time making a statement in their return to action, as they rolled up nearly 600 yards of offense in a 44-10 win over then-No. 23 Oregon last Saturday.
Mark Sanchez threw for 332 yards and three touchdowns without an interception, but the junior sustained a bone bruise in his left knee when he was sacked by the Ducks. After some uncertainty early in the week, Sanchez went through a full session of practice on Thursday and appears on track to start Saturday.
"It looks promising," USC coach Pete Carroll said of Sanchez.
If Sanchez is unable to go, Mustain would get the start after shooting up the depth chart last week. The transfer from Arkansas entered the game Saturday after Sanchez's injury and went 5-of-8 for 111 yards, a touchdown and an interception.
"I know he's really pumped up about the opportunity," Carroll said. "He did a nice job last week, which helps him kind of lead into this week."
The Trojans may have to deal with a key injury on the other side of the ball, too. Standout linebacker Rey Maualuga missed Saturday's game due to a sprained knee, but there's a chance he could return against Arizona State.
USC was still impressive against Oregon, scoring 41 unanswered points to finish the game, including 24 straight just before halftime.
While the quarterbacks completed two-thirds of their passes for 443 yards, the defense held the Ducks 37 points below their previous season average, putting together what Carroll called "exactly the game we were looking for to bounce back and get back on track."
Arizona State (2-3, 1-1) needs a similar type of effort. The Sun Devils were ranked 15th before their three-game losing streak, which began with a stunning 23-20 home loss to UNLV on Sept. 13. After a 27-10 defeat to then-No. 3 Georgia, they lost 24-14 at California last Saturday.
Adding to their problems was an injury to senior quarterback Rudy Carpenter, who sprained his ankle during the loss to California. Carpenter hopes to make his 37th straight start on Saturday, but his foot was still in a boot on Tuesday and he could turn into a game-time decision.
On Wednesday, coach Dennis Erickson labeled Carpenter "very doubtful," and while he didn't name backup Danny Sullivan the starter, Erickson did say, "Our plan is that Sully's going to play. That's where it's at right now."
The junior, who was once recruited by USC, has just one completion in eight attempts this season.
Arizona State also has other problems. The Sun Devils have just 75 rushing yards in the last two games combined, and they've turned the ball over five times in the last three contests while managing just one takeaway.
"We try to run our game plan, and on offense, we haven't been executing the way that we should be," said Carpenter. "We haven't been completing passes. We haven't been making big plays. So, I'm trying to find the answer."
The tough start is hardly what was expected of a team that shared the Pac-10 title with the Trojans last season, though USC advanced to the Rose Bowl due to a 44-24 victory over the Sun Devils in Tempe.
That was the Trojans' eighth straight win in the series. They've averaged 40 points and more than 475 total yards in those games.
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