Wake-up call: Trojans rally in opener
DrakeLondoncaught a 21-yardtouchdown pass with 1:20 to play, and No. 20 USC rallied from a late 13-point deficit for a 28-27 victory over Arizona State on Saturday in the Pac-12’s long-delayed season opener.
Bru McCoy caught a deflected 26yard TD pass with 2:52 left for the Trojans (1-0), and Max Williams recovered the onside kick. On fourth and 9, Kedon Slovis fired a pass down the middle to London, and the two-sport athlete beat double coverage to haul it in for an electrifying score.
USC’s defense then stopped Arizona State (0-1) on downs near midfield with 50 seconds left to preserve an astonishing comeback for perpetually embattled coach ClayHelton’s team.
“Well, it reminds you of 2020, doesn’t it?” Helton said. “A year of adversity and finding a way to overcome hard situations. I’m proud of our football team. We made it.”
Until their rally, the Trojans were struggling for poise and precision in a game that began at 9 a.m. USC agreed to its earliest kickoff in at least 70years for a national television audience, but it looked like another embarrassment for Helton and his Trojans — before it abruptly turned into a thrilling triumph.
USC racked up 556 yards of offense and outgained the Sun Devils by 164 yards, but the Trojans were nearly finished because they committed three turnovers and turned the ball over on downs two more times — all inside ASU territory.
Slovis passed for 381 yards for USC, while Stephen Carr and Markese Stepp made scoring runs in the first half. London also caught eight passes for 125 yards, none bigger than his winning TD reception.
“That play was a play we run all the time,” Slovis said. “Therewas three steps and a hitch ball, and Drake did the rest for me.”
Liberty wins on reprieve: Alex Barbir hit a career-long 51-yard field goal with 1 second remaining to liftNo. 25 Liberty to a 38-35 victory over Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va.
Barbir’s kick punctuated a wild ending for the Flames, who rallied from a 20-14 halftime deficit and moved to 7-0 for the first time in program history.
Barbir had a 59-yard attempt blocked with 8 seconds left, and Virginia Tech’s Jermaine Waller returned it to the end zone for what appeared to be the game-winning score for the Hokies (4-3). But officials ruled that Virginia Tech had called a timeout before the attempt.
Liberty then elected to go for it on fourth-and-6 from the Virginia Tech 41. MalikWillis found CJ Yarbrough for an 8-yardgain at theVirginiaTech 33 with 5 seconds left, allowingBarbir to comeout for a shorter 51-yard attempt, which he drilled.
Willis led the Flames, who knocked off their second ACC opponent this season and won their eighth straight gamegoing back to last season. He threw for 217 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 108 yards and a score.
Hendon Hooker paced Virginia Tech, throwing for 217 yards and three touchdowns and rushing for 156s yards and a touchdown.
Defense steps up: Jason Taylor II returned a fumble 85 yards for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter, and Oklahoma State stopped Kansas State’s 2-point try thatwould have tied it with 2:08 to go, allowing the No. 14 Cowboys (5-1,4-1 Big 12) to escape with a 20-18 victory inManhattan, Kan.
The Cowboys’ Spencer Sanders was held to just 108 yards passing without dynamic wide receiver Tylan Wallace and with running back Chuba Hubbard slowed by an injury. LDBrownhelped to pick up the load, running 15 times for 110 yards, as Oklahoma State leaned on its defense to bounce back from an overtime loss to Texas.
Around the nation: Gerrid Doaks rushed for a career-high 184 yards and one touchdown and Desmond Ridder ran for three scores and threw for another and No. 6 Cincinnati (6-0, 4-0 AAC) rolled past Houston 38-10 to extend its school-record home winning streak to 18 games. ... KellenMond threw four touchdownpasses to becomeTexas A&M’s career leader and the No. 7 Aggies (5-1, 5-1 SEC) routed South Carolina 48-3. ... Shane Buechele threw four touchdown passes, two to Tyler Page, and No. 18 SMU broke away from undermannedTemple 47-23 in Philadelphia. ... Rhamondre Stevenson ran for 104 yards and two touchdowns asNo. 19 Oklahoma (5-2, 4-2 Big 12) routed winless Kansas 62-9. ... No. 22 Texas stopped West Virginia on fourth-down passes into the end zone twice in the fourth quarter, enabling the host Longhorns (5-2, 4-2 Big 12) to escape with a 17-13 victory. ... Taulia Tagovailoa competed 18 of 26 passes for 282 yards and three touchdown passes as Maryland (2-1, 2-1 Big Ten) defeated Penn State 35-19 for just their third win in the 44-game series and first since 2015.