USC wide receiver Kyron Hudson makes a spectacular, one-handed catch for 24 yards in front of LSU safety Major Burns during the second quarter Sunday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Fatigue was setting in. Faith, ever fragile, was wavering. USC’s revamped defense had held mostly tough. Its new starting quarterback looked mostly comfortable. But USC’s grasp on its season opener had been slipping away since halftime. One drive, done in by a botched trick play. Another swallowed up by a fourth-down swat.
Still, Miller Moss remained undeterred. More than nine months had passed since the quarterback’s memorable Holiday Bowl debut, long enough to wonder seriously if his six-score performance was merely a bowl season mirage. But Moss never wavered, even as Louisiana State defenders charged at him on third down in the fourth quarter and he fired an unlikely pass toward the corner of the end zone, where Ja’Kobi Lane had his arms outstretched for the touchdown.
Moss pumped his fists in jubilation, roaring to the highest reaches of Allegiant Stadium, his gutsy performance helping secure a season-opening, 27-20 win against an SEC opponent.
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USC still needed some help after that stunning score, as its defense held deep in its own territory and Moss maneuvered the Trojans down the field for a game-clinching touchdown run by Woody Marks.
After an offseason of uncertainty and unanswered questions, Moss and the Trojans offered a resounding response against the 13th-ranked Tigers, marking the first time in his three seasons at USC that coach Lincoln Riley beat a team ranked higher than his own.
He had his new defensive coordinator, D’Anton Lynn, to thank for that, as USC’s defense held an opposing offense to just two scores for the first time since last September. The Trojans still gave up 421 yards, but LSU averaged a mere 6.6 yards per play, a major improvement from last…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/usc-makes-big-opening-statement-033639132.html
Author : LA Times
Publish date : 2024-09-02 03:36:39
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