Jaelen Strong Player Of The Game – ASU vs USC Trojans (Video)
By Mario Hicks
Each week we elect the “Red Hot Sun Devil” of the game, the one player who stood out enough to make a sizzling affect…win or lose. For the second time in a row, our spotlight features Jaelen Strong.
Junior receiver Jaelen Strong had a 46-yard Hail Mary pass on the final play of the game, giving the Sun Devils a shocking 38-34 win over No.16 USC at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
Bercovici: “To be honest, I didn’t think I threw it that well. It looked like a duck.”
After being down 34-24 the Sun Devils made a serious comeback. Bercovici hit Cameron Smith for a 73 yard touchdown play.
After a failed onside kick the Arizona State defense gave Bercovici one more chance. With 24 seconds left on the game clock Bercovici said a prayer and man we’re the prayers answered.
As time expired he found Jaelen Strong in the end zone for a third time as time expired and the Sun Devils upset the Trojans 38-34. Bercovici ended the game with 510 passing yards with 5 touchdowns, and Jaelen Strong ended up with 10 catches for 204 yards and three touchdowns.
Although the game was a struggle for ASU, Jaelen Strong held strong (no pun intended) and did what he had to do.
College GameDay was just as shocked as we were!
HAIL MARY! Sun Devils WIN! #ASUvsUSC
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) October 5, 2014
Click here to read the recap of tonight’s game.
Bercovici ended the game with 510 passing yards with 5 touchdowns, and Strong ended up with 10 catches for 204 yards and three touchdowns. I think they’re on the same page.
With the win the Sun Devils improve to 4-1 on the season.
"“I tell you, that was awesome,” ASU coach Todd Graham said. “Words can’t express what that felt like.”Make no mistake: The Sun Devils needed this. They needed it after falling flat against UCLA. They needed it to keep their Pac-12 South hopes alive.“I don’t know if it gets any better than that,” Graham said."
Bercovici: “To be honest, I didn’t think I threw it that well. It looked like a duck.”
Norvell: “I saw the ball leave Bercovici’s hands and my eyes went straight to 21.”
Strong: “I saw the ball in the air and the first thing I thought was, ‘I’m going to get this.'”
Graham: “When he caught that ball, my heart stopped.”
Bercovici: “I just immediately fell to the floor.”
Norvell: “Unreal.”
Unreal is right!
The ASU Sun Devils will take on the Stanford Cardinals on October 18th and will look to add another win to the books.