USC Football: 3 takeaways from big road win at Arizona State in Week 11

TEMPE, ARIZONA - NOVEMBER 09: Quarterback Kedon Slovis #9 of the USC Trojans drops back to pass during the second half of the NCAAF game against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Sun Devil Stadium on November 09, 2019 in Tempe, Arizona. The Trojans defeated the Sun Devils 31-26. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

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USC football held on to claim victory in Tempe, getting to six wins and ensuring a bowl berth. What did should we take away from the Trojans’ win?

A week after coughing up possession of the lead in the Pac-12 South race, USC came out motivated to reassert its strength. They did just that, taking down Arizona State 31-26 on the road in Tempe to win a key divisional showdown and earn a critical sixth victory to reach bowl eligibility. After the way things ended in Los Angeles last year, that was the barest prerequisite in 2019 for Clay Helton.

USC played from the lead all game long, scoring the first two touchdowns of the game and taking a 28-7 advantage into the locker room at halftime. Things cooled down a bit in the second half as the Sun Devils chipped away at the Trojans lead, but Arizona State was unable to reach bowl eligibility themselves on Saturday evening in the desert.

A surprisingly entertaining showdown in Pac-12 country might potentially allow the Trojans to climb into the College Football Playoff rankings this week as they are one Utah loss away from getting right back into the Pac-12 South lead.

After a five-win downturn in 2018, USC has the potential to flip the script and run the remaining table for a 10-win season in the 150th anniversary season of college football. What did we learn about these two Pac-12 South teams on Saturday afternoon in Week 11?

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