USC
7-2 , 5-1
California
3-5 , 1-4
No. 24 USC Football Rallies For Wild 50-49 Win At California
October 28, 2023 | Football
Associated Press
Jaylin Smith deflected Fernando Mendoza's pass in the end zone on a 2-point conversion try with 58 seconds remaining, and No. 24 USC Football ended a two-game losing streak with a 50-49 win over California on Saturday.
The Trojans (7-2, 5-1 Pac-12) rallied after trailing by 11 at halftime. USC scored 21 points in the fourth quarter and went ahead 50-43 on Austin Jones' 7-yard touchdown run with 3:33 remaining.
Another one for @rockwitaust 😤✌️
— USC Football ✌️ (@uscfb) October 28, 2023
📺: @Pac12Network
📱: https://t.co/H8gtm9a666 pic.twitter.com/ienKWoF1RH
Mendoza then drove the Bears 79 yards in nine plays, connecting with Jaivian Thomas on a 13-yard swing pass on third-and-9. With no shot at the conference title, the Bears (3-5, 1-4) chose to go for the win rather than an extra point to tie.
Mendoza dropped back and scanned the field before lofting a throw toward wide receiver Brian Hightower near the back of the end zone. Smith leaped to knock the ball away and the Trojans celebrated.
Defense held strong on the 2-point conversion ✌️
— USC Football ✌️ (@uscfb) October 29, 2023
📺: @Pac12Network
📱: https://t.co/H8gtm9a666 pic.twitter.com/ekBzvID2SQ
"That was a wild one," Trojans coach Lincoln Riley said. "I'm really, really proud of the group. They could have folded there in the fourth quarter. The last two weeks, things haven't went our way. To step up here on the road and go find a way to get this sucker done was huge. There's a lot to build on and there's a lot that needs to improve."
It was the biggest play by USC's defense, which gave up 527 yards but forced four turnovers.
Reigning Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams threw for 369 yards and two touchdowns for the Trojans, bouncing back from subpar performances in losses to ranked foes Utah and Notre Dame.
"I had a few mistakes in the Notre Dame game, dumb passes that I threw. Last week I had a 70 percent completion or something like that," Williams said. "So I had one off day in the past three years."
MarShawn Lloyd rushed for 115 yards and two TDs to help USC beat Cal for the 17th time in 19 years.
USC's offense looked much more crisp than it had during the two losses. Against the Trojans' suspect defense, Cal's offense was nearly as good.
Mendoza, a redshirt freshman, ran for two touchdowns and passed for another. Jaydn Ott matched his career high with three touchdowns and rushed for 153 yards in what could be the final game between the longtime rivals. USC is headed to the Big Ten next year while Cal is going to the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Mendoza passed for 299 yards with an interception.
Both teams piled up more than 300 yards of offense during a wild first half.
Williams and the Trojans scored on their first three drives. USC converted two fourth downs on its opening possession, and Williams completed 10 of his first 12 pass attempts including a 6-yard touchdown to Austin Jones that pushed the Trojans' lead to 17-7.
"It's a very talented team we just competed with and had a number of chances to win and we didn't do it," Cal coach Justin Wilcox said. "It's the turnovers. That's the story."
DELAYED KICK
The first half appeared to end after a long completion from Williams to Lake McCree put USC at the Cal 16-yard line. Officials initially ruled time had run out, and both teams left the field. After consulting during halftime, referees announced that one second still remained on the clock as Cal head coach Justin Wilcox angrily reacted. When both teams returned, Denis Lynch missed a 33-yard attempt.
FANS HOLD PROTEST
The start of the game was delayed for several moments after a group of about 15 fans sat near midfield at Memorial Stadium in protest. It wasn't immediately clear what the fans were protesting as they sat back to back near the 50-year line in the middle of the Cal logo. Police and security approached the group as players from both teams stood and watched. The fans were eventually placed in handcuffs and escorted away.
THE TAKEAWAY
USC: The Trojans were staggering coming into the game and down at the half before rallying for the much-need win. Coach Lincoln Riley's team could have folded in the second half but showed a lot of heart to remain in contention for the conference title.
California: The Bears played maybe their most complete game of the year and still came up short. The defense held up in the first half but couldn't sustain the momentum in the second half.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
The losses to Utah and Notre Dame tumbled the Trojans down the rankings, and they're likely to remain near the bottom of the poll despite beating an underdog Cal team.
UP NEXT
USC: Returns home to begin a three-game stretch against ranked teams, starting with No. 5 Washington on Nov. 4. After that, the Trojans play No. 8 Oregon and No. 23 UCLA.
Team Stats
USC 3, Cal 0
USC - Lynch,Denis 23 yd field goal 14 plays, 69 yards, TOP 06:36
USC 10, Cal 0
USC - Lloyd,MarShawn 2 yd run (Lynch,Denis kick), 5 plays, 42 yards, TOP 02:37
USC 10, Cal 7
Cal - Ott,Jaydn 43 yd run (Bhaghani,Mateen kick), 6 plays, 75 yards, TOP 01:28
USC 17, Cal 7
USC - Jones,Austin 6 yd pass from Williams,Caleb (Lynch,Denis kick) 6 plays, 80 yards, TOP 02:48
USC 17, Cal 14
Cal - Ott,Jaydn 61 yd run (Bhaghani,Mateen kick), 3 plays, 75 yards, TOP 00:50
USC 17, Cal 21
Cal - Ott,Jaydn 4 yd run (Bhaghani,Mateen kick), 8 plays, 66 yards, TOP 02:26
USC 17, Cal 28
Cal - Grizzell,Trond 17 yd pass from Mendoza,Fernando (Bhaghani,Mateen kick) 3 plays, 50 yards, TOP 01:06
USC 23, Cal 28
USC - Williams,Caleb 6 yd run (), 4 plays, 45 yards, TOP 01:10
USC 29, Cal 28
USC - Rice,Brenden 22 yd pass from Williams,Caleb () 1 plays, 22 yards, TOP 00:08
USC 29, Cal 36
Cal - Mendoza,Fernando 2 yd run (Grizzell,Trond pass), 10 plays, 75 yards, TOP 03:30
USC 29, Cal 43
Cal - Mendoza,Fernando 1 yd run (Bhaghani,Mateen kick), 5 plays, 54 yards, TOP 01:20
USC 36, Cal 43
USC - Williams,Caleb 1 yd run (Lynch,Denis kick), 5 plays, 75 yards, TOP 02:50
USC 43, Cal 43
USC - Lloyd,MarShawn 9 yd run (Lynch,Denis kick), 3 plays, 18 yards, TOP 01:19
USC 50, Cal 43
USC - Jones,Austin 7 yd run (Lynch,Denis kick), 2 plays, 63 yards, TOP 00:52
USC 50, Cal 49
Cal - Thomas,Jaivian 13 yd pass from Mendoza,Fernando () 9 plays, 79 yards, TOP 02:30
