USC makes a giant opening assertion with thrilling last-minute victory over LSU

Fatigue was setting in. Religion, ever fragile, was fading. USC’s revamped protection held powerful. Its new beginning quarterback appeared snug. However USC’s grasp on its season opener had been slipping away since halftime. One drive, finished in by a botched trick play. One other swallowed by a fourth-down swat.

Nonetheless, Miller Moss remained undeterred. Greater than 9 months had handed because the quarterback’s memorable Vacation Bowl debut, lengthy sufficient to marvel if his six-score efficiency was merely a bowl-season mirage. However at no level since, nor in any second Sunday in his second begin, did Moss waver. Not at the same time as Louisiana State defenders barreled towards him on third down within the fourth quarter, forcing him to fling a prayer into the nook of the top zone.

That prayer would discover its reply, together with just a few others Sunday, touchdown within the palms of Ja’Kobi Lane for a landing that turned the tide USC. Poise turned to jubilation for Moss, as he pumped his fists, roaring to the very best reaches of Allegiant Stadium, his gutsy efficiency serving to safe No. 23 USC’s season-opening 27-20 victory over No. 13 LSU.

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For Lincoln Riley, it was proof the adjustments he made have put USC nearer to the Faculty Soccer Playoff.

“We all know what we’ve been constructing,” Riley mentioned. “I do know we’re making progress.”

USC nonetheless wanted extra assist to safe the win after Moss’ dramatic landing go to Lane. Its protection held on towards LSU deep in its territory, forcing a game-tying discipline objective, and Moss maneuvered the Trojans down the sphere, finishing 5 of six passes, earlier than Woody Marks burst by way of a crease for his second landing run.

After an offseason of uncertainty and unanswered questions, Sunday made for a powerful response towards the Tigers, the primary time in his three common seasons at USC that Riley beat a staff ranked increased than his personal.

He had new defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn to thank, partially, for that, as USC’s protection held an opposing offense to twenty or fewer factors for the primary time since final September. The Trojans nonetheless gave up 421 yards, however LSU averaged 6.6 yards per play, a serious enchancment from a lot of final season.

USC’s tackling, a sore spot for the higher a part of a decade, was night-and-day totally different. The run protection, which was repeatedly run over final season, held LSU to 117 yards on the bottom, a lot of which got here on 4 performs.

“This new defensive id is means totally different,” USC defensive finish Braylan Shelby mentioned. “We knew what we had. We knew what we needed to do. And we simply went on the market and did it.”

Moss took full benefit of these stops when he bought them, finishing 27 of 36 passes for 378 yards and a landing. The place LSU was conservative with quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, Moss let it rip early and sometimes, finishing 12 passes of 20 yards or extra.

But it surely was his poise late that was particularly eye-opening. Twice on USC’s clinching drive, Moss snuck a bullet go between two defenders. Earlier within the recreation, he threw right into a crowd of LSU defenders to search out wideout Kyron Hudson for a leaping, one-handed seize.

“I bought loads of perception in him,” Riley mentioned. “He’s a troublesome competitor, man. That’s what he’s confirmed.”

Nussmeier appeared properly on his option to proving himself Sunday, too, as he moved the Tigers methodically down the sphere early. Eliminating the ball shortly, he initially neutralized USC’s go rush with a barrage of quick and intermediate passes, extending 4 drives within the first half to eight performs or longer.

However after a 13-play LSU drive to open the sport, USC’s protection got here up with a essential cease on fourth down, inside its personal 3-yard line. Lynn dialed up a inside linebacker blitz, and Mason Cobb delivered, forcing an errant throw to finish the drive.

The second loomed giant, as neither staff led by greater than a landing the remainder of the night.

USC managed to punch it in simply as soon as within the first half, after two drives have been stopped deep within the crimson zone. The primary, jump-started by an electrical return from Zachariah Department, stalled on the five-yard line and resulted in a discipline objective. The second, within the remaining seconds of the primary half, wasn’t so lucky, as new kicker Michael Lantz missed a simple 29-yard discipline objective.

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It was precisely the form of setback which may have despatched USC spiraling prior to now. Not Sunday.

“Our id actually confirmed by way of,” Moss mentioned.

Even after LSU mounted a third-quarter landing drive, USC’s protection regrouped and clamped down, holding LSU to only 16 yards duringits subsequent two drives.

“There’s a vibe and a confidence about that group proper now, and we’re simply solely going to get higher,” Riley mentioned. “It was cool to see in that second, in that area, us believing it as a lot as we did.”

And if Sunday is any indication, perception gained’t be restricted to USC’s locker room for lengthy.

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This story initially appeared in Los Angeles Times.