The No. 6-ranked Trojans found themselves in a shootout Saturday night in the first half against a reeling Arizona State that had already fired its coach and had yet to beat an FBS opponent this season.

But quarterback Caleb Williams was just too good in delivering an emphatic bounce-back performance after his struggles a week ago, and the defense made obvious second-half adjustments to allow just 14 yards in the third quarter and 113 in the half.

In the end, it was what most expected -- a comfortable 42-25 win for the Trojans over the Sun Devils inside the Coliseum.

"We challenged the guys -- we didn't play just overall in the first half the way we needed to, just the attacking, relentless style that we want to play. And really on both sides," coach Lincoln Riley said. "Offense had some really good quality drives, but it just wasn't quite us, wasn't quite the edge that we're used to playing with and that we expect to play with. I thought our guys responded well in the third quarter and made some key plays when it mattered to get away and win the game.

"Lot to improve on, no question about it. We're going to have to play a lot better -- we've got some really good opponents coming up obviously [so] we're going to certainly need to improve and that's obviously the goal. So we'll keep improving, but it's a tremendous win."

RELATED: First-and-10: The 10 most significant takeaways from the Trojans' performance vs. ASU | WATCH: Postgame press conference with Lincoln Riley, Caleb Williams and Eric Gentry

Williams finished 27-of-37 passing for 348 yards, 3 touchdowns and his first interceptions of the season (the Trojans' first turnover period) and also rushed for 44 yards and a score. Jordan Addison led a balanced passing attack with 8 catches for 105 yards, while Mario Williams (5-50) and Kyron Hudson (3-46) hauled in touchdowns. Travis Dye led the run game with 62 yards and 2 TDs on 13 carries.

And defensively, Calen Bullock had a fourth quarter interceptions to keep the Trojans' turnover streak alive, while a handful of players combined to produce 5 sacks.

USC is 5-0 overall and 3-0 in the Pac-12, with the chance to move to 6-0 for the first time since 2006 as it hosts Washington State next weekend.

First quarter

10:28, USC: Caleb Williams 1-yard run (Denis Lynch kick), USC 7-0

6:28, ASU: Xazavian Valladay 29-yard pass from Emory Jones (Carter Brown kick), 7-7

1:52, USC; Mario Williams 7 pass from Caleb Williams (Denis Lynch kick), USC 14-7

Second quarter

9:53, ASU: Carter Brown 40-yard field goal, USC 14-10

6:05, USC: Malcolm Epps 4-yard pass from Caleb Williams (Denis Lynch kick), USC 21-10

2:27, ASU: Emory Jones 6-yard rush (Carter Brown kick), USC 21-17

Third quarter

1:10, USC: Travis Dye 1-yard run (Denis Lynch kick), USC 28-17

Fourth quarter

10:54, USC: Kyron Hudson 2-yard pass from Caleb Williams (Denis Lynch kick), USC 35-17

6:16, ASU: Xazavian Valladay 2-yard run (Carter Brown kick), USC 35-25

3:50, USC: Travis Dye 1-yard run (Denis Lynch kick), USC 42-25

It may not be a singular moment, but the Trojans defense forced three consecutive punts to open the second half, which was critical to turning this game from a shootout to one with USC firmly in control.

Through the first two quarters, the Sun Devils had scored on every single full drive (not counting a 1-play possession before the end of the half), with two touchdowns and a field goal. The Trojans struggled in particular to contain the ASU rushing attack, allowing the Sun Devils to gash them on wide runs play after play for 101 yards on the ground in the first half. Despite USC's brilliance on offense, ASU was matching pace to keep the score close at 21-17 going into halftime. T

he Trojans' defense adjusted at halftime, coming out determined to stop the run in the third quarter. ASU could no longer rely on long gains on first and second down, forcing it into tough third-down situations that didn't emerge in the first half. USC was able to force punts on all three of those opening drives, setting the tone for the closing stages of the game and allowing the Trojans to extend their lead.

Caleb Williams’ first touchdown pass of the game was a stunner of a throw, one that firmly reminded everyone watching of his exceptional talent.

The quarterback took the snap on a play originating from the ASU 7, before rolling to his right, surveying his choices while Sun Devil defenders bore down on him from the left and in front. Williams kept running right and backwards — a typically inadvisable proposition that makes any throw back at the end zone much more difficult. With the defender closing in for the finish, Williams fired the ball across his body with no space to set his feet or square his shoulders. The ball flew back toward the back-middle of the end zone, where it found a wide-open Mario Williams straight in the hands for a USC touchdown.

It was a difficult throw, and 99% of quarterbacks would be told to never even attempt such a thing given the level of difficulty and the potential risk. Williams is not of the 99% however, and for him that’s a throw he knows he can hit.

QB Caleb Williams

Williams re-earned this honor in style after his rough outing against Oregon State, turning up this week prepared to bring it from the first snap. Williams got off to the kind of blazing start we grew to expect for him after the first three games of the season, scoring touchdowns on each of the Trojans’ first three drives.

Williams’ elusiveness remained just as impactful as ever, as the quarterback used his legs to save the Trojans from certain disaster behind the line of scrimmage on multiple plays to salvage first downs. Williams made a number of jaw-dropping throws that only a handful of other quarterbacks could conceivably pull off, showcasing his unique arm talent and the spectacular accuracy that he’s capable of delivering when he’s locked in. Two of those came on goal-to-go situations, with Williams delivering spectacularly placed balls amid heavy traffic to Mario Williams and Malcolm Epps while on the move. Williams once more looked like the quarterback who led this team for the first three weeks of the season -- decisive, accurate and composed.

That's not to say he was perfect; Williams made a rough mistake on USC's first drive of the second half, throwing an interception on an ill-advised goal line fade to Jordan Addison. Nonetheless, the Trojans' quarterback was playing at the highest level for a vast majority of the game. His elite play Saturday night was the single most important factor toward the USC victory.

S Max Williams

There wasn't a singular player who had a standout performance on defense Saturday, but Max Williams deserves credit for what was a sound all-around performance on the night. The safety was highly effective as a downhill tackler, stopping a number of first-half runs that may have gone for much larger gains if he hadn't made a play. Williams played his deep coverages well through the night, leaving little for Emory Jones to take advantage of down the field. His consistent tackling and sound awareness in space helped the USC defense retain its structure even when it appeared to be on the verge of breaking multiple times through the first half.

For much of this game, the Trojans reverted to the formula we saw through the first three weeks of the season. The offense returned to high-volume explosiveness predicated on Caleb Williams, while the defense struggled early to get a handle on ASU’s rushing attack. Though the defense stiffened in the second half, it was Williams and the offense that brought this game home for USC. The USC passing offense was once more just too much for the opposition to handle, as Williams picked apart the ASU defense with timely decision-making and uncanny accuracy.

The Trojans' receiving corps stepped up to support their quarterback in this one with Jordan Addison leading the way and others like Mario Williams, Brenden Rice, and Kyron Hudson turning in productive nights. Though solid running and strong second-half defense contributed to the win, the dominance of USC's passing offense manufactured this victory.

Perhaps the most important takeaway is that USC's passing game is healthy and well. All eyes were on Caleb Williams to see how he responded to his shaky performance last week, and the young quarterback didn't disappoint. Despite throwing his first interception of the year, Williams played his best game of the season in my estimation and the result was a dominant showing for the Trojans through the air.

Some clear adjustments by the offense helped contribute to the smoother performance this week, and that should alleviate any long-term worries that the Oregon State game may have brought up. The defense continued to show that it's a work in progress, but the unit's second half performance should offer hope that the potential flashed against the Beavers can be maximized on through the remainder of the year.

Passing

Caleb Williams: 27/37, 348 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT

Rushing

Travis Dye: 13 carries, 62 yards, 2 TDs

Caleb Williams: 8 carries, 44 yards, 1 TD

Raleek Brown: 6 carries, 27 yards

Austin Jones: 2 carries, 6 yards

Receiving

Jordan Addison: 8 receptions, 105 yards

Brenden Rice: 3 receptions, 72 yards

Mario Williams: 5 receptions, 50 yards, 1 TD

Kyron Hudson: 3 receptions, 46 yards, 1 TD

Austin Jones: 2 catches, 27 yards

Tahj Washington: 2 catches, 26 yards

Travis Dye: 2 catches, 11 yards

Kyle Ford: 1 catch, 7 yards

Malcolm Epps: 1 catch, 4 yards, 1 TD