Trojans eke out improbable 1-point victory over ASU with late fourth-quarter rally

No. 20 USC pulled off a fourth quarter rally for a 28-27 win over arguably its toughest Pac-12 South opponent, Arizona State, in the Trojans’ long-awaited season opener Saturday. 

Going into the final five minutes of the game, USC’s chances looked slim. But a 26-yard touchdown off a tipped ball on fourth-and-13 followed by an onside kick recovery — each by redshirt freshman wide receiver Bru McCoy — kept the Trojans’ hopes alive. 

USC completed the miraculous comeback with 1:20 remaining in the game, when sophomore quarterback Kedon Slovis threw a 21-yard touchdown to sophomore receiver Drake London on fourth-and-9 to pull the Trojans up by 1 on the scoreboard. 

“The backer pushed out to me, there was no safety over top and the rest is history,” London said of the go-ahead score.

With 3:05 remaining, ASU had a 99.8% win probability, according to ESPN. It took ASU star sophomore quarterback Jayden Daniels throwing four consecutive incomplete passes with around a minute remaining for the Trojans to seal the win.

“A year ago we may not have won this game,” head coach Clay Helton said in a virtual press conference after the game. “But a year older, a year more of experience, I did not see any panic. I saw poise and just kids just saying ‘OK, well, get to the next opportunity.’”

Slovis and USC drove 55 yards in one minute 29 seconds for the deciding touchdown to London. The sophomore wide receiver proved to be the target to turn to throughout the game, logging team-highs of eight receptions and 125 yards, including another notable catch off a tip in the second quarter. 

“It’s our second year in [offensive coordinator Graham Harrell’s] offense, so everybody is a little bit more savvy in it, understanding where we need to be, and Kedon, where to throw the ball,” London said. “So just being in the second year of it, being comfortable, that all plays huge factors into it.”

Junior wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown also reached the century mark with 100 receiving yards on the game, and redshirt senior running back Vavae Malepeai tallied 83 all-purpose yards.

Turnovers and failure to capitalize on ASU’s mistakes hamstrung USC in the first half. Malepeai fumbled trying to extend the ball past the goal line following an ASU muffed punt in the first quarter, and after junior safety Talanoa Hufanga forced a fumble in the second quarter, Slovis threw a pick at ASU’s 10-yard line, marking his sole interception of the game.

“To be honest, it was probably more like the first game jitters, getting them out, getting the kinks out and just trying to focus on pushing the ball down the field,” London said. “And once we catch our groove in Graham’s offense, it’s a pretty scary sight.”

Slovis started slow but beat out Daniels in the quarterback competition. He picked up the slack from the first half with two touchdowns and 130 passing yards in the fourth quarter, ending the game with 381 yards on 40-of-55 passing. 

As offensive production began to heat up in the fourth quarter, the Trojans on the field fed off the energy the sideline produced. Becoming their own fan section, the Trojan bench served as the placeholder crowd noise to amp up the defense.

“With no fans, you have to feed off each other for energy, and I thought really we did that for the most part,” Slovis said. “Especially that last drive, when the defense needs a stop, the whole sideline was making noise and on their feet. Obviously in an empty stadium, it creates a different circumstance for you, but I thought our guys on the sideline did a good job.”

Defensive coordinator Todd Orlando’s USC debut proved underwhelming, as his group allowed a staggering 258 rushing yards, including 111 by Daniels. The stat sheet was fairly blank for Orlando’s unit, only logging one sack — courtesy of redshirt junior defensive lineman Marlon Tuipulotu — reflecting the Trojans’ inability to consistently pressure Daniels. 

Hufanga led the team with 10 tackles, and Tuipulotu logged a second-best eight — including two for a combined loss of 13 yards. 

The Trojans’ unorthodox win comes as two other Pac-12 games, California vs. Washington and Arizona vs. Utah, were scrapped this week amid coronavirus cases. Looking forward to next Saturday, the Trojans are still scheduled to face the Wildcats in Tucson. 

Correction at 11:37 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 7: A previous photo caption in this article stated that London’s 125 yards was a career high. It was not. London had 142 receiving yards on Nov. 23, 2019 against UCLA. The caption has been updated. The Daily Trojan regrets the error.