Inept USC Fumbles Another One Away as ASU Wins, 24-0

re is something about Sun Devil Stadium that brings out the worst in USC and, correspondingly, the best in Arizona State.

It was evident again Saturday night before a near-capacity crowd of 70,710 as Arizona State trounced USC, 24-0, in the Pacific 10 opener for both schools.

The Trojans did not look anything like a team that was favored to repeat as conference champion.

They committed six costly turnovers--five fumbles and an interception--and the defense broke down against the alert Sun Devils.

If there was any silver lining in the loss, it was the performance of tailback Aaron Emanuel, the highly regarded freshman from Quartz Hill High School.

Emanuel did not get into the game until the third quarter, but he ran hard and managed to gain 76 yards in 14 carries.

So USC, which was upset by Baylor, 20-13, last weekend, is 1-2 and, more important, 0-1 in the conference. Arizona State is 2-1 and 1-0.

USC is 1-4 in games played in Tempe, including a 26-10 Fiesta Bowl loss to Penn State on Jan. 1, 1982. Moreover, ASU has won four of six meetings with USC.

It was the first shutout for the Trojans since Washington won, 24-0, at the tail end of a 4-6-1 season in 1983.

Arizona State outplayed USC in the second quarter with a 17-point blitz and then added a touchdown in the fourth quarter.

USC had scoring chances, but the interception and fumbles squandered those opportunities.

USC quarterback Sean Salisbury, who had season-ending injuries twice in Sun Devil Stadium, managed to escape with his good health Saturday night.

But the fifth-year senior completed only 5 of 13 passes for 52 yards while throwing the one interception. He was replaced by redshirt freshman Rodney Peete in the fourth quarter.

While the Trojans lost five fumbles, the Sun Devils had only one turnover.

Three USC turnovers preceded 17 of ASU’s 24 points, including an electrifying 95-yard touchdown pass play--quarterback Jeff Van Raaphorst to split end Aaron Cox.

USC is not regarded as a big-play, catch-up team and, when the Trojans fell behind, 17-0, in the first half, it was a futile struggle the rest of the way.

“What could have been an entertaining game, we let get away,” USC Coach Ted Tollner said. “We hoped we could move the ball the way we are capable of, and we did. But we turned it over.

“Their defense was outstanding. We would like to think we were better than we showed tonight. We’ve been struggling offensively for three games. We put Aaron in to do something. The youth and inexperience showed through. The raw skill is obviously there, though. We needed a spark.”

John Cooper, ASU’s new coach, said he is going to savor the win for a while.

“Any time you beat USC, it’s a great win,” he said. “Tonight, we shut out a team that had only been shut out twice in the past 18 years. Our defense played super football. We caused some USC fumbles, and they fumbled the ball on their own.”

The Sun Devils stunned the Trojans with a 17-point blitz in the second quarter--and both of ASU’s touchdowns came in a most unlikely manner.

Arizona State was confronted with a fourth-and-inches situation on the USC 33 after a scoreless first quarter.

The Sun Devils called time out, and when play resumed, the call from the bench fooled the Trojan defenders.

Mike Crawford leaped over a stack in an apparent try for the first down. But he didn’t have the ball. Van Raaphorst faked to Crawford cleverly, then dropped back and threw a pass to fullback Vince Amoia, who was all alone on the 20. He scored easily.

The Trojans came back strong after the kickoff. Steve Webster replaced Fred Crutcher at tailback, and his darting runs, along with a 21-yard burst up the middle by fullback Todd Steele, helped carry USC to a first down at the ASU 5-yard line.

Webster gained three yards and was then replaced by Crutcher. The senior USC tailback fumbled, and free safety Dave Fulcher recovered for ASU at the 2-yard line.

“I never had control of the ball,” said Crutcher, who gained 72 yards in 18 carries.

After two running plays gained three yards, Van Raaphorst dropped back and found Cox with a pass at the ASU 30-yard line. Cox beat cornerback Matt Johnson, and USC safety Tim McDonald made a futile dive at the wide receiver, who covered the final 70 yards without a Trojan in serious pursuit.

The 95-yard scoring play represented the longest touchdown pass play ever against USC.

Bostrom’s second conversion made it 14-0, but there was more to come.

On USC’s next series, Salisbury was stripped of the ball by nose guard Dan Saleaumua, and ASU defensive end Frank Rudolph recovered at the Trojan 13-yard line.

The Sun Devils got into the end zone again on a 10-yard pass from Van Raaphorst to flanker Paul Day. But ASU was cited for holding, nullifying the score.

ASU salvaged something from the turnover, Bostrom kicking a 32-yard field goal with only five seconds remaining in the first half.

USC had troubled moving against an aroused ASU defense in the first quarter. But Salisbury did manage to march the Trojans to a first down at the ASU 21-yard line.

Crutcher gained 5 yards, but USC was cited for holding on second down. Two plays later, Salisbury’s pass went through the hands of flanker Randy Tanner and into the grasp of linebacker Greg Battle for an interception at the ASU 15.

The Sun Devils then drove for their first touchdown.

Arizona State had 214 total yards in the first half, compared to 137 for USC. The Trojans compiled 116 yards on the ground, but ASU countered with 162 yards passing--95 coming on the strike from Van Raaphorst to Cox.

Emanuel made his USC debut in the third quarter. On his first carry, he was stacked up for no gain, but on second down from the USC 15, Emanuel charged for 18 yards while breaking a tackle.

Emanuel gained 20 yards more on a drive that carried to the ASU 26-yard line. The Trojans stalled, and on third-and-12 from the 28, Salisbury found Norman with a 10-yard pass.

Although the Trojans were trailing by 17 points, they didn’t go for the first down. Instead, Don Shafer attempted a 36-yard field goal that was wide.

The Sun Devils weren’t doing much offensively in the quarter, and the Trojans were on the move again.

Emanuel gained five, four and seven yards for a first down at the Arizona State 41-yard line. Then, on what appeared to be a broken play, Salisbury rolled out and fumbled to Fulcher.

Later in the quarter, another fumble was more damaging to the Trojans. Emanuel lost the ball, and ASU had a first down at the USC 35.

Helped along by an 11-yard pass interference penalty against cornerback Lou Brock, the Sun Devils soon made it 24-0 on Crawford’s one-yard dive early in the fourth quarter.

Webster returned the ensuing kickoff 45 yards, and redshirt freshman Rodney Peete replaced Salisbury at quarterback.

Peete rolled out for six yards, and Emanuel added nine for a first down at the ASU 41. But the Trojans turned the ball over again at that juncture.

Peete couldn’t reach Emanuel with a handoff, the ball popped loose, and ASU gained possession.