Cougars’ kick, pick beat Trojans in OT

BYU posts rare upset of ranked foe at home

PROVO, Utah — BYU should be getting accustomed to coming from behind to beat traditional powers.

Dayan Ghanwoloku intercepted a tipped pass in overtime after Jake Oldroyd kicked a 43-yard field to give the Cougars the lead, and Brigham Young held on to beat No. 24 Southern California 30-27 on Saturday — one week after a similar fourth-quarter rally to knock off Tennessee.

Zach Wilson threw for 280 yards and a touchdown while running for another score, Ty’Son Williams had 99 yards rushing, and the Cougars (2-1) capitalized on three crucial turnovers.

“No matter the score, no matter the time that’s left on the clock, this team keeps fighting and keeps fighting,” Williams said.

It took the Cougars a few minutes to digest that they had beaten a ranked opponent at home since defeating then-No. 20 Boise State in 2015. Fans stormed the field immediately after the interception Saturday, then stormed a second time when a review confirmed the call on the field.

“You’re still in that game mode,” Wilson said. “Even when you see the pick, you’re thinking, ‘Is that it? Is that game?’ You don’t start celebrating yet. You see everyone come on the field. They always got to review it, so there’s always that split second of, ‘Is the game over yet?’ ”

The Trojans’ Chase McGrath tied the game 27-all when he connected on a 52-yard field goal with 1:43 left in regulation. But those were the only points they scored over the final 10:44 of regulation and overtime, their offense going stale when they needed it the most.

Kedon Slovis threw for 281 yards and two touchdowns for the Trojans (2-1). But he also was picked off three times, including on the final play of the game.

After a week in which USC athletic director Lynn Swann stepped down, coach Clay Helton absorbed a loss that will certainly raise the heat on him going into a crucial stretch. The Trojans play No. 11 Utah on Friday, then have road games against No. 23 Washington and No. 7 Notre Dame.

“We don’t worry about noise,” Helton said. “We live in Los Angeles, California. There’s a ton of damn noise. It’s every day.”

George Frey The Associated Press BYU wide receiver Dax Milne catches a TD pass over USC cornerback Chase Williams in the Cougars’ 30-27 overtime win Saturday in Provo, Utah.