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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- As the clock ticked down on the Arizona
State-USC game, a USC fan yelled at the Sun Devils' J.R. Redmond,
"Hey, were you honeymooning?"
"I'm getting divorced right now," Redmond yelled back,
obviously happy to be playing football again and putting a strange
personal episode behind him.
The Sun Devils' talented running back returned from a one-game
suspension Saturday by rushing for 148 yards and three touchdowns
in Arizona State's 26-16 victory over the slumping Trojans.
"We have one of the best football players in the United States,
and when he's playing, we're that much better," said Bruce Snyder,
coach of the Sun Devils (5-4, 4-2 Pac-10).
ASU quarterback Ryan Kealy agreed that it was great to have
Redmond in the lineup.
"He's not just a great running back; when he comes in, he
changes the whole team."
Redmond ran the ball 34 times, caught three passes for 11 yards,
returned seven punts for a total of 39 yards, and even opened the
game at free safety.
"He's going to be tired," Snyder said. "That's the most I
think I've ever had a player play for me."
Redmond didn't mind.
"That's the first time in a while I was able to play on both
sides of the ball, and I was feeling real energetic," the ASU
senior said.
Redmond scored on runs of 1, 3 and 14 yards as the Sun Devils
handed the Trojans (3-6, 1-5) their fifth straight loss, their
worst slump since a six-game slide in 1991.
Redmond's 14-yard scoring run gave the Sun Devils breathing room
with 1:47 left to play.
The Trojans continued to sputter on offense again despite a
change at quarterback.
Senior John Fox, who lost the job to Mike Van Raaphorst in 1997,
got the nod and went 15-of-24 for 124 yards, with one touchdown and
one interception, but could not move the team consistently. Van
Raaphorst played most of the second half and completed 12-of-24 for
91 yards, with two interceptions.
"We are a struggling football team," USC coach Paul Hackett
said. "We need to get ourselves back on track against Washington
State and get some momentum for the UCLA game; that's what this
season comes down to."
Arizona State tight end Todd Heap had seven catches for 100
yards and one touchdown. Kealy completed 18-of-29 for 223 yards and
one touchdown, with one interception.
Defensive tackle Ennis Davis pulled the Trojans, who had trailed
since early in the second quarter, within three points when he
returned an interception off Kealy 30 yards for a TD with 8:46 left
in the game. David Newbury missed the PAT kick.
Redmond scooted into the end zone untouched from the 3-yard line
to give the Sun Devils a 19-7 lead midway through the second
quarter. Newbury hit a 29-yarder to narrow the deficit to 19-10
with 2:02 remaining before halftime.
Kenny Williams' interception of a pass by Fox set up the Sun
Devils' second touchdown early in the second quarter.
Williams returned the interception 30 yards to the USC 1, and
Redmond bulled into the end zone on the next play. Stephen Baker's
PAT kick failed.
USC scored first, on a 2-yard run by Chad Morton with 5:18
remaining in the first quarter. Arizona State came back right, with
a 31-yard run by Delvon Flowers and a 32-yard pass from Kealy to
Brian Forth keying an 80-yard drive that ended with Ryan's 2-yard
pass to Heap.
While USC is out of the bowl picture, Arizona State, with
Redmond back, remained in the running for a postseason spot.
Redmond was suspended for accepting improper benefits, including
cellular phone air time and a plane ticket to Las Vegas, from a
female student who worked part time in the ASU athletic department.
He married the woman on Aug. 25. According to the report ASU
submitted to the NCAA, she had allowed Redmond to use her
cellphone, then told him he had violated rules and the only way he
could avoid NCAA penalties was by marrying her.
According to Redmond, who now is divorcing the woman, she also
told him she intended to seek half of his future earnings, which
could be substantial since he is expected to go high in the NFL
draft. The woman has denied making any such demands.
"It was just so good for him to put things behind him," Snyder
said. "When he's playing football, that's when he's really in his
element."
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ALSO SEE
College Football Scoreboard
Arizona State Clubhouse
USC Clubhouse
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