For the first time in almost a month, Lincoln Riley could exhale.
With 58 seconds remaining in the game, No. 24 USC had just allowed its 49th point of the afternoon on a 13-yard halfback slip screen to freshman Jaivian Thomas. A simple point after would have tied the game. However, Cal head coach Justin Wilcox decided to bet on redshirt freshman quarterback Fernando Mendoza and attempt a game-winning 2-point conversion.
Mendoza had plenty of time to throw as the Golden Bears’ route concept developed, but the secondary hung tough. As soon as he released the ball, junior cornerback Jaylin Smith lept over redshirt senior wide receiver Brian Hightower and slapped the final pass of the game onto the yellow turf in the end zone, securing a 50-49 win for the Trojans.
“I’m really, really damn proud of the group,” Riley said, following the win. “They could have folded after the last two weeks when things didn’t go our way. To step up here on the road and find a way to get this sucker done is huge.”
The idea that Cal would even need a two-point conversion to win the game at the end seemed unfathomable in the opening minute of the fourth quarter, when a QB sneak from Mendoza put the Golden Bears ahead by 14 points. Cal’s offense was firing on all cylinders, and the Trojans’ offense had scored just two touchdowns in its previous nine possessions.
Time was running low, and if USC was going to avoid a three-game losing streak, it would need a major spark.
That spark came from redshirt junior running back MarShawn Lloyd. Lloyd, along with the rest of the Trojan rushing attack, had a frustrating start to his game, only averaging three yards per carry in the first half. Yet, his game relies on explosiveness, and two explosive plays in the second half set up a pair of crucial scoring drives.
In the drive immediately after USC went down by two scores, Lloyd hauled in a cross-body pass from junior quarterback Caleb Williams, shook off two defenders and sprinted down the middle of the field for a 53-yard pickup. The play got the Trojans to the Golden Bears’ six-yard line less than a minute after the Mendoza touchdown, setting up a QB sneak score.
“I knew that once [Lloyd] got into the transfer portal, that there would be games like this,” Williams said. “He’s a team guy. He doesn’t get up and down about his touches, but when it’s his time to go, his number shines.”
Three fumbles and one touchdown later, USC found itself in possession of the ball with four and a half minutes remaining in a tie game. On the first play of the drive, Lloyd took the handoff, made one cut to the outside at the line of scrimmage and let his speed take over. He busted down the Cal sideline for a 56-yard gain, again putting the Trojans in first and goal.
One play later, redshirt senior running back Austin Jones ran through a wide-open hole and into the end zone. This was the biggest drive of the day for the Trojan offense, but they only needed two plays to earn their first lead since the second quarter.
USC had to overcome multiple double-digit deficits on Saturday afternoon due to the success of the Golden Bears’ offense, especially in the first half. Through the first 30 minutes, Cal averaged 9.6 yards per play. Mendoza had success throwing over the middle to redshirt sophomore wide receiver Trond Grizzel and redshirt freshman tight end Jack Endries, who combined for 155 yards on 13 catches, but the offense saw the most success in its run game.
The Trojans had no answer for sophomore running back Jaydn Ott, who broke big run after big run. Behind Ott, the Golden Bears averaged nearly 10 yards per carry and had two touchdown runs of over 40 yards in the first half. The run success led to four touchdowns on Cal’s first five offensive drives.
The second half was a much better showing from USC’s run defense, as Cal only averaged 2.4 yards on 24 carries. A major reason was the return of sophomore defensive tackle Bear Alexander, who could not play in the first half due to a targeting penalty he took in the closing minutes of USC’s previous game. Once Alexander returned to the game, the Trojans allowed 21 points on 10 drives, a low enough number to allow the offense to make the comeback.
“Bear is a tremendous player, we definitely missed him in the first half,” redshirt senior edge rusher Jamil Muhammad said. “When he came in the second half, he did some awesome things. He penetrated the gaps like he usually does. I’m proud to see how he handled missing the first half, and it was good having him to help us finish that game.”
The Golden Bears may have been a more efficient offense than their opponent at their best, but they made a few too many mistakes to close out the game. They had four turnovers as a team – three fumbles and one interception – directly leading to 20 points for USC.
Williams had an up-and-down performance. He completed just over half of his passes, yet he still accumulated 369 yards and two touchdowns without throwing an interception. Williams passed for 300 of those yards on 10 plays, as he consistently attacked Cal’s defense down the field.
“I had a few mistakes in the Notre Dame with dumb passes I threw,” Williams said regarding his season thus far. “I’ve had one off day in three years, I’d say. Something Kobe [Bryant] said is that when you fail you succeed. When you’re striving for success, doubt can creep in. I keep focusing on success and trying to get better, because doubt is a weird thing.”
Redshirt senior wide receiver Tahj Washington hauled in two deep balls down the middle, leading his team with 102 receiving yards on five catches. Redshirt sophomore tight end Lake McRee also had a big day with 72 yards on four receptions.
This win was an important one for the Trojans, who had lost two straight games coming into the weekend. Although this matchup against a team under .500 came down to the last seconds, Riley’s confidence in his group has not wavered.
“I believe this team can win [the Pac-12],” Riley said. “Hell yeah, I do. I know we can. … This team’s good is definitely good enough to beat anybody. We’re not getting our good consistently enough to separate in some of these games. Some of our stretches offensively and defensively are dominant, but we’re still making too many self-inflicted errors.”
The win improves USC to 7-2 on the season and 5-1 in the Pac-12. The Trojans will face their toughest test so far next Saturday when they welcome undefeated Washington to the Coliseum.