USC vs. Arizona: Post Game Wrap Up
In another rollercoaster game for the USC Trojans, it again came down to the last few minutes. After a back-and-forth battle, the Trojans find themselves in the exact position they did seven days ago, leaving this game up to a last few critical plays.
Kedon Slovis went 5 for 5 with 69 yards on the Trojans' last scoring drive, with four of those throws going to USC's best wide receiver, Amon-Ra St. Brown. Running back Vavae Malepeai then ran the ball in for a go-ahead touchdown to take a last-second lead over Arizona, 34-30, a score that'd hold over the final few seconds.
USC is now 2-0 on the year, while Arizona lost its first contest of its shortened season.
The game started off strong for the Trojans with an interception by Talanoa Hufanga on the second play. The USC offense took the field and Markese Stepp ran the ball in for the first USC touchdown within the first two and a half minutes of play. It looked like USC showed up ready to dominate, but Arizona was ready to fight.
The Wildcats answered USC's touchdown with one of their own as Arizona QB Grant Gunnell threw a strong pass to Jamarye Joiner for a 34-yard touchdown, and the game was on.
Slovis had some long bombs intermixed with iffy throws in the first half. There were questions circulating about Slovis having issues with his arm after several missed targets and spiral-less slings, but in the post game press conference he said, "my arm feels fine, I just need to get it fixed mechanically."
The Trojans only put three points on the board in the third quarter. Head Coach Clay Helton and offensive coordinator Graham Harrell emphasized wanting to improve on penalties and turnovers this week against Arizona, but that hardly transpired. Arizona penalties bailed USC out of a few third down conversions and presented them with a new set of downs, but the USC offense struggled to create chemistry on their own side of the ball for the majority of the first three quarters.
[READ: What's Up With Kedon Slovis' Arm?]
It seemed that USC may have been losing their momentum until halfway into the fourth quarter, when Slovis found WR Drake London for a long gain on third down for a first and goal. This was a key third-down conversion and one of the few that saved this game. Slovis then found a target in TE Erik Krommenhoek on another crucial 3rd-and-6, and took the lead over Arizona with the third touchdown of the game. The Trojans were up 27-23 with 3:30 remaining, plenty of time for the Wildcats to come up with an answer. And that's exactly what they did.
Arizona QB Grant Gunnell threw to WR Stanley Berryhill for a six-yard touchdown to re-take the lead once again at 30-27 with 1:35 remaining in play.
But after USC's last-minute heroics, the Wildcats' desperation drive amounted to nothing, and the Trojans escaped Tucson with another heart-stopping win.
[READ: USC vs. Arizona Game Thread]
[READ: ASU Athletes Test Positive For COVID-19. What Does This Mean For USC?]
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