It could all have ended on Saturday – for that matter, it probably should.
Any hope to push for a College Ledge Footbalt playoff berth, of course, but also hope to win the Pack-12 South.
This could be the zombie season for USC after one game.
Instead, the Trojans made two fourth-down touchdowns around a recovered side non-side kick in the fourth second, clearing a 13-point deficit in the final minutes of the fourth quarter and undoing a morning full of errors and mistakes. Deliver a shock – and potentially a wake-up call – in a unique season that lowers no margin for error.
With quarterback Caden Slovis ’21-yard touchdown strike remaining at 4:9 on Drake London 1:20, this could be the team’s game of the season and give the Trojans a 28-27 win over Arizona State from the inside. Coliseum.
Related: Culmination: Drake London shows that he is a U.S.C. Ready for a role in a crime Everything after the victory over ASU Clay Halton and the plays said Join the postgame discussion on Trojan Talk
Coach Clay told Halto that he is predicting a very good result for his players in this tense fourth quarter, but really, who can see that coming?
U.S.C. lost three smokes (one on the goal line), threw a red zone interception, two failed fourths and a -1 soon after, and Sun Devils quarterback Jaden Daniels broke behind a couple to allow the full center. Suffered defensive losses. Area reserved for expensive third-down conversions.
And the last turnover seemed to seal it as the Marquis Step beat Arizona State 23 with 6:04 left, which was ultimately considered to be the decisive possession of the Trojans after 27-14.
“I tried to stay positive. When it was 2-14-1 it was I was going to the side and saying, ‘Guys, I see it right now, you’re going to win this game ૨ 28-27. Two. Take the scores, we’ll treat it like a two-minute drive, go over our two-minute drive rules, we’ll get a touchdown, get an onside kick and get back to the score, “Halton said later.” And they did it. I thought the whole side would stay positive, not panic, not be ready and just play the whole football presented in the situation. “
Well, certainly not completely, but at least for the last six minutes.
Veteran defensive lineman Marlon Tuapulotu knocked Daniels down for a 2-yard loss on the 3rd and 9th, pushing the fast Arizona State Punt for four plays after a stepping kick, and the U.S.C. He had 4:28 left on his 20-yard line.
Almost immediately, the Trojans faced a fourth-3 themselves, but Caden Slovis teamed up with Tyler Vance for a 14-yard pickup. Slovis then met Amon-Ra St. Brown to open the ards between 36 yards. But not long ago he was fourth-and-13 and the Trojan’s hope was again on life support.
USC managed to draw the state of Arizona to side fuse, set up a free game, and lead the Slovis ball to a well-marked St. Brown in the end zone. Apparently intentionally – and in the hands of Red Shirt refresher Brumit Cocoy, who played his first game with the Trojans, his hands slipped away.
“Really, we got them to jump s fuse so I want to give them a chance at that point. I know we’ll take another shot, it doesn’t really matter if they pick it up so I threw it at Amon. So and he suggests it to the brew, ”Slovis said.
McCoy said: “We called the freeze play, so we didn’t even have a play called at the time, but they just jumped offside, so we ran the warts. Amon-Ray did a great job being awake. He realized it was this. A free play, so it’s a free play, as well as giving someone a chance. So he commented on the ball, just was aware of the situation, and I was able to make a play. ”
State of Arizona 27, USC 21
With just 2:52 on the clock, Troys dialed a side non-side kick with freshman kicker Parker Lewis. It is haunted by an unfamiliar Sun Devil and McCoy again found the right place rather than retrieving the loose ball for a huge play.
“I never had to move on. They told me on the side that I was going to one side,” McCoy said. “Honestly, I thought I was messing up. I thought I could attack the ball. I was kind of waiting for it to jump and let it go, but it stayed low. It kind of fell from the inside and I was whole. Watching the ball in time, and I was able to fall on it. “
He still has 2:49 left for a little more magic after taking charge at USC’s own 45.
Redshirt senior running back Vav Malepi, who fell to the goal line in the first quarter, saw his play time cut significantly when he got some relief from a back-to-back run of 20 and 13 yards. Start the final drive of the Trojan.
But yet, USC will end in fourth and longest – with a wrong start of 5 yards it will push ASU 21 to fourth and 9 – its season effectively on line.
In a regular season shortening a six-game epidemic where it is already on a hill to consider CFP against more sports-playing conferences, undoing the month’s expectations and targeting is a loss this year, and any chaos maker is in the fourth quarter. A Trojan would have penciled for them almost anywhere on Saturday.
So on all those stakes, Saturday went to the frequently used play by offensive co-ordinator Graham Haral Trojan, but one that rarely gave Downfield a good performance.
“It’s a play we play all the time. We played it down a lot there too, and to be honest with you they mostly played us and they didn’t give it to us. It’s a chance to get a down-the-field shot.” Said Slovis.
The play Call was not specifically for London, but it was fitting that the standout softer ended up being the best read with a seam trip. London had been a consistent one for USC all afternoon and now the game was in his hands – literally.
“To be honest, anyone on that game could beat him. He played that way,” Lunden said.
Sloves took a quick drop and fired down in the middle and end zone. There were two defenders against London, but the throw was perfect – a 21-yard touchdown on 4-and-9, which was already to happen to make that moment possible.
“The fourth place with Drake and with. Is as good as I’ve seen and catches, just a year old, it’s one of those things that you have to pull the trigger – it doesn’t work if you’re hesitant.” Got there full time and with perfect accuracy.
Said London, who had a high 8 catches in the team for 125 yards and that TD: “The retreat got me out. There was no safety at the top and the rest is history.”
It could be if this season turns anything up for the USC, as the Trojans shouldn’t be the team celebrating Saturday. No differences based on the astronomical subject with a little more than a minute left.
“I told the guy in the locker room, this is one of the games I don’t care about, I’ll never forget this game.” “I will never forget this team for the way they fought this team in 2020 and the fighters they are and the competitive people they are.”
Surprisingly, USC is now in the driver’s seat at Pack-12 South and with a head-to-head win over Ari Rizo’s state team, Utah could be the top challenge in the division, depending on what it shows this season.
Surprisingly, the Trojans would have left the Coliseum with a charge of velocity despite everything setting those dramatic final minutes.
After all, this was not the end for the team’s 2020 hopes – it would probably be the beginning.
The Trojan has a lot of questions to solve. The offensive line was worrisome, with Brett Nylon coming off the field late in the game just before center started. Apparently, the obvious were in trouble. The Wanted Passing attack was muted for most of the night, even though the Slovis finished 40-of-55 for 381 yards, 2 TDs and 1 INT at the end. And the defense dropped 258 rushing yards, including 111 to Daniels.
But the USC will have a chance to try to consider all of those things because officially they have not taken any action yet.
“The way the chips fell, the way we had the turnover, and despite being able to come up with W, it says a lot about the character of this team and how we move forward.” McCoy said.
“We couldn’t win this game a year ago,” Halton said.
He hopes a week from now that his Trojans won’t try to follow the same script, as this was one of a kind – the second chance of the season that no one had to provide.
