No. 23 USC uses late surge to beat Nebraska, keep

LINCOLN, Neb. — During the 2 weeks since USC’s deflating defeat at Notre Dame, Lincoln Riley reiterated the same rallying cry with his crew. Their future, he told them, was still in their fingers. A particular season was still within attain. A College Football Playoff run was still in play.

All it could take was his Trojans placing the past behind them and taking part in their best soccer.

But that’s not what occurred Saturday. After two weeks getting ready to put their best foot ahead, USC put together one of its least spectacular efforts of the season. Its offense was out of kinds. Its protection was run over on the ground. And yet still, in spite of it all, the Trojans managed to escape with a 21-17 victory.

It didn’t look like it could go that method for the better half of three quarters Saturday. Jayden Maiava, who entered the sport third in the nation in passing yards per sport, struggled to do a lot of something downfield. The Trojans’ top receivers have been held completely in verify. As a consequence, USC was left to rely on walk-on working back King Miller to keep the offense transferring.

Miller answered the call, dashing for 129 yards in 18 carries. And in the fourth quarter, after Nebraska’s offense had ground to a halt, it was Miller who punched in the go-ahead landing.

But it could take a lucky sequence of occasions for USC to even get in that place, beginning first with a 43-yard flea flicker to Tanook Hines downfield. A few performs later, a controversial move interference call introduced them within putting distance for Miller to give the Trojans their first lead of the night time.

For Maiava, the flea flicker was one of his few notable passes all night time. He managed to full just 9 of his 23 passes for 135 yards. He also threw an interception.

USC’s protection did its best work in the second half to guarantee Maiava’s poor efficiency wasn’t a downside. Nebraska working back Emmett Johnson ran for 165 yards in 29 carries, but the remainder of the Huskers’ offense only managed 121 yards mixed.

And with quarterback Dylan Raiola out for the second half with an injury, USC was ready to restrict Johnson just enough to weasel its method back into the sport.

Considering the way in which USC got here out Saturday, it was a marvel it was even in place to climb back.

Nebraska set the tone early by giving it to Johnson, who responded by busting through sort out after sort out. After USC had opened with a three-and-out, Nebraska held the ball for seven minutes and 14 performs on its first drive, before Raiola threw a third-down landing move to punctuate the possession.

Meanwhile, the Trojans didn’t earn a first down until their third drive of the night time. Miller was ready to discover some working room after that, dashing for 49 yards on a single drive. But just as Miller appeared to discover momentum, USC turned away from the run.

Nebraska’s Elijah Jeudy pushes USC quarterback Jayden Maiava out of bounds Saturday in Lincoln, Neb.

(Steven Branscombe / Getty Images)

With a first down inside the 10-yard line, Riley called three straight move performs. Then, on the doorstep of a rating, USC dedicated a false start on fourth and short. It ended up settling for a 27-yard area objective.

It was an particularly uncharacteristic first half for an offense that got here into Saturday averaging more yards than any other crew in faculty soccer. Another area objective was all the Trojans might muster for the remainder of the first half. It was the first time since their loss to Michigan last September that they couldn’t handle at least one first-half landing.

The Trojans’ top passing assault was fully grounded before halftime, as Maiava managed a meager 57 yards on six of 16 passing. Miller proved to be the Trojans’ only dependable source of first-half offense, piling up 82 of his 129 yards.

Halftime wouldn’t help issues a lot. On his first move of the second half, Maiava threw a move straight to a Nebraska defender that was simply intercepted.

USC’s protection offset Maiava’s mistake by forcing Nebraska’s quarterback to fumble a few performs later. But the Trojans have been rapidly stuffed on a fourth and short close to midfield.

A missed Nebraska area objective put the ball back in Maiava’s fingers. And this time, the Trojans’ quarterback used his legs to make Nebraska pay, stiff-arming his method to a 16-yard landing keeper. A two-point conversion tied it.

Miller pushed USC in entrance on the Trojans’ next possession with his rating. It was all they’d need to depart Lincoln clinging to playoff hopes that hadn’t appeared possible even an hour earlier.