COLLEGE PARK, Md. —
In all his years enjoying the game, Miller Moss had by no means traveled thus far for a soccer sport. However the previous month had seen USC and its quarterback crisscross the nation, its Faculty Soccer Playoff hopes unraveling over three Huge Ten journeys throughout a number of time zones. And right here, on the tail finish of that journey nightmare, was the farthest journey of all, with USC in its most weak place of the season, reeling after three losses in 4 weeks, in determined want of a get-right sport towards Maryland.
That stretch had performed a quantity on Moss and the Trojans, his sturdy begin to the season descending into sudden inconsistency that the remainder of the group appeared to reflect. The protection was out of the blue extra fallible than standard. The teaching, out of the blue questionable.
Publication
Struggle on! Are you a real Trojans fan?
Enter electronic mail handle
Signal Me Up
You might sometimes obtain promotional content material from the Los Angeles Occasions.
All of these points appeared to swirl up in the identical nightmarish second Saturday evening, not lengthy after USC regarded primed to place away Maryland, a group that was with out a single Huge Ten win this season. However as soon as once more, a two-score, second-half lead slipped away. As soon as once more, the protection descended into late chaos. As soon as once more, the quarterback couldn’t get it performed. And as soon as once more, the coach’s late selections had been being questioned.
Right here, of their third street journey to the opposite aspect of the nation, was the nadir of an already disastrous stretch for the Trojans, as Maryland capped a mad comeback to beat USC, 29-28, handing the Trojans their third straight loss and fourth in 5 weeks.
For Lincoln Riley, it was the primary time in any season that he’d fallen under .500 as a head coach. He may solely watch afterward as the sector flooded with Maryland followers — and the Trojans’ season formally went up in flames.
Maryland huge receiver Tai Felton runs previous USC security Kamari Ramsey to attain a landing throughout the second half Saturday.
(Alyssa Howell / Related Press)
The decisive, disastrous second got here with USC nonetheless main by a landing, with two minutes remaining. There was nonetheless time for the Trojans to erase all of the back-breaking errors they’d made within the third and fourth quarters.
USC had only one yard left to go for a primary down which may’ve put the sport away. However as a substitute, Riley opted for a subject purpose, and Maryland turned the Trojans away, blocking the kick and returning it 41 yards.
A pass-interference penalty on USC nook John Humphrey introduced Maryland even nearer to taking a lead, after it had transformed a two-point conversion on its earlier drive. Maryland punched it in three performs later, taking a one-point lead that it needed to defend for just one closing minute.
USC nonetheless had 53 seconds left to reply. However Moss, who threw for 336 yards and three touchdowns, may get the Trojans solely thus far. A fourth-down cross to Woody Marks bounced off his chest and hit the turf, closing the door on a USC comeback.
There had been so many probabilities for USC to do the identical, within the lead-up to that second. A decide from Jaylin Smith ultimately zone appeared to place it away. Then a Duce Robinson landing, early within the fourth quarter.
However Maryland saved climbing again, whereas USC slunk away within the second half. Now, with their season in tatters, the Trojans and their coach confronted an extended flight again to select up the items.
