Offensive by any yardstick

We figured this would be one of those games where every Trojans fan in the Coliseum goes home with a puffed-out chest and cockiness, certain another national title is on the way.

We figured, considering Arizona State’s weakened condition, this would end with the scoreboard reading 56 to 3 or 48 to 7. Maybe there would be four touchdown passes, maybe there would be 500 yards of offense and a defense that left footprints in Sun Devils chests.

Well, at least we were right about the defense.

The final score Saturday was 28-0; a nice win, to be sure, but one marred by a spotty, sloppy display on offense that hearkened back to last year’s colossal upset at the hands of Stanford. It’s not often when a head coach walks off the field after winning 28-0 and candidly admits, as Pete Carroll did, that “we could have easily been beaten today.”

Remember when it was figured the Trojans of 2008 -- led by their gunslinger quarterback, their speedy fleet of running backs and Rey Maualuga -- would spend this season barnstorming to another national title?

It might happen, but not if the offense doesn’t start playing like a Ferrari instead of a 12-year-old Toyota Celica.

“We simply were not very good offensively,” said USC offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian, a look of severe frustration on his face. “One snap we’d drop the ball, next snap we’d have a guy open and miss him. Then we’d miss a block and get sacked.” He grimaced. “It wasn’t pretty . . . we gotta get right, we just gotta get right.”

It didn’t start out so ugly. The first drive was a beauty that went 72 yards in eight plays and ended in a touchdown dive by bum-kneed but game quarterback Mark Sanchez. Then, suddenly, inexplicably, the Trojans left beauty in the rear-view mirror.

Trojans’ second drive: Sanchez rifles a long pass to an open Ronald Johnson, who, if he makes the catch, probably scores. But the ball hits Johnson in the palms and drops to the grass like a rock. The drive soon stalls, USC punts, the fans groan.

Remember, this was Arizona State. Their quarterback, Rudy Carpenter, entered the game so badly hobbled by a bum ankle he might as well have played on one leg. His team? They are young, weak-kneed and had lost three straight heading into this game.

So it came as a great surprise when the Trojans allowed the Sun Devils to hang around for a good while. They finished the first half leading, 21-0, but it was an unsatisfying lead. The defense provided one of the touchdowns. The offense muddled along, damaging itself with blown assignments and boneheaded penalties.

Everyone watching assumed the appropriate adjustments would be made; that the players, who entered the game leading the Pacific 10 Conference in penalties with nearly nine per game, would come out disciplined, breathing fire, making no mistakes.

But the third quarter felt like something from the Twilight Zone.

First USC drive: Sanchez fumbles and the Sun Devils recover.

Second USC drive: Sanchez drops back and throws a lazy interception.

Third USC drive, after another penalty, Sanchez throws yet another interception. It looked as if he was confused about which team he played for.

You could see that the Trojans and their fans were stunned. There was a smattering of boos. On the sideline, an unusual sight: the Trojans standing back from the field, hands on hips, hardly moving as they watched their banged-up quarterback struggle as badly as he ever has in a football game.

“We just kept telling Mark to stay focused, stay hungry, that we know that he can do it, we know he is better than that,” Patrick Turner said.

Another drive. Sanchez leans back and passes: interception, again. Thankfully, his team was playing an opponent that came to this game with no confidence and half the talent the Trojans have.

The rest of the second half was about the defense’s effort to keep a shutout going -- an effort aided by a pair of Sun Devils field goals kicked so low they could have been blocked by a fifth-grader.

There were good signs from the USC running game. When the Sun Devils wore down, the Trojans simply ran at will. After Stafon Johnson rumbled into the end zone, it was 28-0 -- the ugliest 28-0 any of those watching is likely to ever see.

The coaches knew it. The quarterback -- the gunslinger who now must bounce back and find his confidence if his team is to have a shot at the national title -- knew it too. “Half the time it was me throwing bad balls,” Sanchez said. “I take a lot of the blame for that, for the interceptions . . . we’ll get it cleaned up.”

We hope so.

Next week the Trojans go to Pullman to play Washington State, one of the worst teams in the nation, if not the worst. Going into Saturday’s game, who among us figured the Trojans would be heading north looking to sharpen their game and bone up on their offensive mojo?

Not me.

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kurt.streeter@latimes.com