USC takes control of Pac-12 South with win over Colorado

The Trojans started off slow, then scored 28 unanswered points to claim a lead that would never be taken away from them against No. 19 Colorado on Saturday night in a 31-20 win at the Coliseum. The win propelled USC into first place in the Pac-12 South, with a 3-1 conference record and 4-2 mark overall.

Twenty-one of those points came in the second quarter. USC’s fire ignited after Colorado scored the first touchdown of the game, when sophomore wide receiver Laviska Shenault Jr. took the snap on the 49-yard line and ran it all the way out of a Wildcat formation.

USC redshirt sophomore wide receiver Velus Jones responded immediately with a 31-yard kickoff return to open the drive that would end with a 27-yard pass from freshman quarterback JT Daniels to Vaughns in the end zone, putting the Trojans on the board. Vaughns preceded his touchdown with a 28-yard reception.

USC celebrates after a touchdown. – Josh Dunst | Daily Trojan

On USC’s next drive, Daniels launched a pass 65 yards to junior wide receiver Pittman in the end zone to give USC its first lead of the game. Colorado responded with a drive that failed to pick up any yards. Daniels came back out and threw to Pittman again for a leaping 39-yard catch. Pittman ended the drive fittingly with another catch in the end zone to score a touchdown, extending USC’s lead to 14 with one minute left in the half.

Daniels threw two interceptions in the first quarter, with the first coming on the first snap of the game

and seemed to have no Trojan receivers in the area. It took until the fifth drive of the game for USC to record a first down on a 12-yard reception from Pittman.

Daniels’ second interception was forced by Colorado senior safety Evan Worthington when he threw a pass downfield with two minutes left in the first quarter intended for St. Brown.

The first quarter consisted of nine possessions and ended with neither team entering the red zone and no score on the board. USC’s defense held Colorado to only two first downs in the first quarter and one rushing yard, while the offense failed to convert a third down.

The Trojans ended the first half with no rushing yards on 11 attempts, but had 255 passing yards compared to Colorado’s 20.

Redshirt senior cornerback Ajene Harris tipped a pass from Montez and bobbled the football before running it 6 yards into the endzone to bring some life to the third quarter and to give the Trojans a 21-point lead. The quarter ended still without an answer from Colorado.

The fourth quarter saw two penalties in a row from USC that pushed Colorado close to the end zone. They inched forward and scored a touchdown on a two-yard rush from senior running back Kyle Evans, their first points since the first quarter. The Buffaloes closed within two scores after another touchdown, but the Trojans hung on for the win.

The Trojan defense held Shenault to 72 yards on nine carries and senior running back Travon McMillian to 43.

USC’s four sacks on the night started with Colorado’s first drive of the game when senior linebacker Porter Gustin sacked Montez on third down. Gustin and redshirt senior defensive lineman Malik Dorton combined for another sack for a 9-yard loss right before Harris’ pick-six. Redshirt sophomore defensive lineman Liam Jimmons added a sack in the second quarter to push Montez back 9 yards and prevent the Buffaloes from finding a first down.

USC finished the night with 13 penalties 123 yards, not much of an improvement from the 18 penalties for 169 yards against Arizona.

The Trojans will travel to Utah to continue Pac-12 play on Oct. 20 at 6 p.m.

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