Pac-12: Mike Bercovici ready for another Hail Mary if necessary

Arizona State quarterback Mike Bercovici said Thursday that he watched last season’s game-winning Hail Mary pass against USC about 50 times.

Bercovici’s 46-yard pass to Jaelen Strong gave the Sun Devils a 38-34 victory at the Los Angeles Coliseum.

Bercovici, a senior who played at Woodland Hills Taft High, has moved on and is focused on the upcoming season, but he would be ready if the opportunity presents itself against the Trojans again.

“I’d rather not throw Hail Marys because the completion percentage on those aren’t very good,” Bercovici said during Pac-12 Conference media days at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank. “But, hey, you know what? If it ends up like that then we’re going to go after it the same way ….

“Those finishes, they might come once in a lifetime, but if it has to be that in 2015, we’ll make it happen.”

USC plays at Arizona State on Sept. 26.

The Trojans were picked to win the Pac-12 in a preseason media poll. The Sun Devils were picked second behind the Trojans in the South Division.

“We’re excited to play a team like that because you always play with a chip on your shoulder when you’re playing against the highest-ranked team,“ Bercovici said.