Because the clock ticked down on an extended chilly Pasadena night time, a small however sturdy cheer rose from the shivering Rose Bowl lots.
“We Are … SC!”
For the longest time on this 92nd assembly with UCLA, they weren’t.
The Trojans stumbled. They botched. They stunk.
USC defensive finish Sam Greene (44) pressures and tackles UCLA quarterback Ethan Garbers (4) on fourth down, forcing Garbers to throw an incomplete go. The play sealed the Trojans’ win Saturday night time on the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Instances)
However then, on this avenue battle’s ultimate breaths, they discovered themselves.
Lincoln Riley grew to become an SC coach. Jayden Maiava grew to become an SC quarterback. Ja’Kobi Lane grew to become an SC receiver.
And when it was completed, a gaggle of hugging younger males in cardinal and gold bounced out of the blue-dyed Rose Bowl with a 19-13 victory and a renewed definition of self.
For one of many few exhilarating occasions on this desultory season, they have been actually SC.
“Awesome, awesome win,” stated Riley.
Whereas this sixth victory for the 6-5 Trojans qualifies them for a bowl sport, they’re nonetheless clearly inferior to they need to be. However watching them within the scarf-biting strain of late Saturday night time, they simply may be more durable than anybody thinks.
And whereas they’ll rightfully be large underdogs to playoff-bound Notre Dame on the Coliseum of their common season finale subsequent week, the dramatics of Saturday’s victory confirmed that they could nonetheless be able to marching to midfield and planting that Trojan sword.
Whereas they’re basically completed — they missed the playoffs, and that’s all that issues round right here — this workforce is definitely not performed but, and the final weeks of this disjointed dance might nonetheless be attention-grabbing.
USC defensive linemen Elijah Hughes (56) and Braylan Shelby (34) rejoice after stopping UCLA late within the fourth quarter, sealing the Trojans’ win at Rose Bowl on Saturday in Pasadena.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Instances)
“Winning breeds confidence, it breeds excitement, it’s confirmation of the things that you do,” stated Riley. “For us to win one, especially in this fashion, obviously this is a massive win for us.”
Issues obtained massively attention-grabbing with 11:13 left within the sport and the Trojans trailing 13-9.
That they had already blown three separate earlier possessions from contained in the UCLA five-yard line, settling for 3 discipline objectives after awful runs and misdirected passes.
That they had additionally did not reap the benefits of three unsportsmanlike conduct penalties assessed to UCLA on the finish of the primary half, ensuing within the Bruins kicking off the second half from Alhambra.
The overmatched hosts had seemingly given USC the sport on a platter, but for the longest time the Trojans refused to take it.
Then, firstly of that fourth quarter, USC mainly tore it out of UCLA’s fingers.
The rally began, as these items have usually performed later, with a punt by the good Eddie Czaplicki that pinned UCLA on the one-yard line.
“It’s almost like a zen thing, there’s no doubt about anything I’m doing right now,” stated Czaplicki, who has been arguably their finest participant in current weeks.
USC receiver Kyron Hudson pulls in a go from Makai Lemon on a trick play towards UCLA within the fourth quarter on the Rose Bowl on Saturday.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Instances)
The Bruins went three-and-out and their very own punter, Brody Richter, shanked one to midfield. One play later, Maiava flipped a backfield go to Makai Lemon, who then accomplished a 39-yard go to a wide-open Kyron Hudson, who carried it all the way down to the four-yard line.
It was an amazing name by Riley of a play that the weakened Trojans — 27 gamers referred to as in sick on Tuesday — had barely examined.
“We hardly repped it,” stated Hudson. “It’s having trust in each other.”
He was requested if Lemon threw it that properly in apply.
“He threw it even better, that’s the crazy thing,” stated Hudson. “Makai, he’s an amazing athlete, an amazing player.”
This time, for as soon as, the Trojans completed, Maiava operating away from two Bruin defenders to discover a leaping Lane behind the tip zone.
The one higher finisher Saturday was a former Bruin who was launched after the primary quarter to a roaring standing ovation. Yeah, Dodgers supervisor Dave Roberts was right here.
As for Maiava, he’s nonetheless very a lot a piece in progress. In his second sport after taking up the beginning job from Miller Moss, he wasn’t nice, going solely 19 of 35 for 221 yards whereas making a number of questionable choices, however he made the one throw that counted.
“We’ve got a great group,” stated Maiava. “We’ve got a resilient group.”
USC security Akili Arnold celebrates as UCLA turns the ball over on downs late within the fourth quarter on the Rose Bowl on Saturday.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Instances)
They’ve obtained a gaggle that’s slowly discovering itself, higher late than by no means, ending the sport by stopping the Bruins on a fourth-and-one failed quarterback sneak by Ethan Garbers.
“It was huge for us to give us that confidence again that we’re really, to us, the best team in the nation,” stated security Akili Arnold.
If nothing else, on a revelation of a Saturday night time, they as soon as once more grew to become the most effective workforce in Los Angeles.
They have been, as soon as once more, SC.
