USC ready to move on after exciting win

Though USC nearly blew another late fourth-quarter lead, the Trojans were able to escape Tucson, Arizona, and crack back into the AP Top 25 following a 28-26 upset victory over the then-No. 10 ranked Arizona Wildcats (5-1, 2-1 Pac 12).

The Trojans (4-2, 3-1) are now ranked No. 22 in the AP Poll, and sit at the top of the Pac-12 South standings after a game that seemed like it was going to be a repeat of last week’s heartbreaker against Arizona State.

Fortunately for USC, however, Arizona kicker Casey Skowron pushed a last-second field goal attempt from 36 yards out wide right, sealing the Trojan’s dramatic victory.

Instead of having to explain what went wrong in the fourth quarter, USC head coach Steve Sarkisian can take his team into Homecoming Week with some momentum as they prepare to host Colorado (2-4, 0-3) at the Coliseum on Saturday.

Even with the Trojans looking solid record-wise through six games, Sarkisian pointed out that the team is still searching for parts of its identity.

“We are still learning,” Sarkisian said. “We are still trying to figure things out.”

Overall, Sarkisian was pleased with his defense’s performance against an up-tempo Arizona attack. The Wildcats’ freshman quarterback Anu Solomon attempted a remarkable 72 passes, at least partially due to running back Terris Jones-Grigsby’s injury. The Wildcats ran 101 total plays, only five of which Sarkisian considered “explosive.”

The wear and tear of so many plays did take its toll on the Trojan’s secondary, as both junior cornerback Kevon Seymour and freshman cornerback/wide receiver Adoree’ Jackson exited the game with injuries. Redshirt freshman Chris Hawkins and true freshman Jonathan Lockett were forced to carry the majority of the load during the final quarter. Sarkisian said that Seymour and Jackson’s health problems could linger into this week. Senior fullback Soma Vainuku also missed the majority of the fourth quarter with a hamstring injury.

Another issue Sarkisian brought up was redshirt junior quarterback Cody Kessler’s apparent reluctance to throw the ball deep. Sarkisian said that he wanted Kessler to throw more passes down field against Arizona, though the plan did not work as well as they wanted it to.

“When we’ve called the deep ball, I’d like Cody to let it rip,” Sarkisian said.

Sark’s air-it-out strategy might have led to Kessler’s first interception of the year, which happened during the closing stages of the second quarter. The long ball did open up the running game, however, which allowed redshirt junior running back Javorius “Buck” Allen to break out for 205 yards and three touchdowns on 26 carries.

With the win, USC was able to knock the Wildcats down to No. 16 in the AP Poll and hand them their first loss of the season, while also leapfrogging them in the Pac-12 South Standings. Cross-town rival UCLA is now unranked in the AP Poll after falling to No. 9 Oregon 42-30 at the Rose Bowl on Saturday, ending their 24-week streak in the polls.

Here at home, the Trojans will now use the week to prepare for a Colorado team that has yet to win a Pac-12 matchup this season. The Buffaloes are coming off a bye week, so Saturday’s game will be their first since Oct. 4, when they fell at home to Oregon State. USC’s tilt with the Buffs will kick off at 3:00 p.m.