In a city where the house always wins, the Trojans beat the odds Friday night. Just two short miles from the infamous Las Vegas Strip, USC football pulled off a breathtaking 35-31 comeback win against the Texas A&M Aggies at Allegiant Stadium.

USC (7-6, 4-5 Big Ten) earned its spot in the contest with an unimpressive 6-6 regular season record in its inaugural Big Ten campaign. However, Head Coach Lincoln Riley was determined to see his team finish the year on a high note. Despite entering the locker room tied 7-7 at the half, spirits remained high on the Trojan sideline. However, that confidence wavered in the third quarter when the Aggies roared out to a 24-7 lead after three unanswered scores.

Just as the USC section got quiet, the Trojans fought back with three unanswered scores of their own: 2 touchdown receptions by sophomore wide receiver Ja’Kobi Lane and a touchdown run by freshman running back Bryan Jackson to give USC a 28-24 lead.

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In response, the Aggies (8-5, 5-2 SEC) charged down the field late in the fourth quarter and scored with a run from freshman quarterback Marcel Reed to retake the lead at 31-28. This left the Trojans with 1:49 on the clock and a fleeting hope of tying the game. 

But redshirt sophomore quarterback Jayden Maiava wanted more than just a tie. He marched the offense down the field with precise passes unseen in the first half, finding Lane and sophomore receiver Makai Lemon for big gains to set up the Trojans in the red zone with seconds to spare. Maiava found redshirt senior wide receiver Kyle Ford on a slant route for the game-winning touchdown with 8 seconds remaining on the clock as the stadium erupted. Game, set, match.