Slovis rallies Trojans
Quarterback has 5 TDs, gives USC lead with 16 seconds left
PASADENA, CALIF. » Kedon Slovis threw an 8yard touchdown to Amon- Ra St. Brown with 16 seconds left for his fifth passing TD of the game, and No. 16 Southern California rallied from an 18- point, third- quarter deficit to beat UCLA 43- 38 on Saturday night.
UCLA took a 38- 36 lead with 52 seconds remaining on Nicholas Barr- Mira’s 43- yard field goal, but USC ( 5- 0) answered quickly.
Gary Bryant returned the kickoff 63 yards to the Bruins 43, Slovis connected with Tyler Vaughns on a 35- yard reception and St. Brown caught his second TD of the game on the next play.
Slovis completed 30 of 47 passes for 344 yards with two touchdowns each to St. Brown and Drake London. Vaughns caught eight passes for 110 yards and Vavae Malepeai ran for 110 yards in the 90th Crosstown Showdown.
The Trojans clinched the Pac- 12 South title earlier in the day when Utah beat Colorado.
The Trojans trailed 28- 10 early in the third quarter before scoring touchdowns on five of their seven second- half drives. USC was still down 35- 23 at the start of the fourth quarter before Malapei’s 10- yard run, and London scored his second TD on a 9- yard reception. USC went for two after London’s score but couldn’t convert.
USC was able to rally due to UCLA ( 3- 3) mistakes. The Bruins twice turned it over on downs, fumbled on a fake punt and Dorian Thompson- Robinson was picked off.
Thompson- Robinson was 30 of 36 for 364 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions. Demetric Felton rushed for 90 yards and had two TDs receiving, and Craig Dulcich had eight receptions for 167 yards.
After Brittain Brown’s 15- yard run put the Bruins up by more than two touchdowns, USC scored 13 straight points on Slovis’ TD passes to Vaughns and St. Brown. The Bruins went up 35- 23 when Thompson- Robinson connected with Dulcich for a 69- yard score one play after Slovis was intercepted by Stephan Blaylock.
Felton gave the Bruins a 14- 0 lead with 8: 41 remaining in the first half on a 21- yard reception. After USC scored 10 straight points which included a 65- yard connection from Slovis to London, Felton put UCLA up 21- 10 at halftime on a 12- yard grab with 20 seconds remaining in the first half.
Talanoa Hufanga intercepted a pass for the fourth straight game during the fourth quarter, which led to London’s second touchdown.
USC will play Washington on Friday in the Pac- 12 championship game.