LOS ANGELES — In a delayed Pac-12 debut defined by the unfamiliar, it took an extraordinary sequence to save USC from an all-too-familiar fate against Arizona State.
A late morning marked by sloppy mistakes nearly slipped away from the Trojans on Saturday. Three times they turned the ball over inside Sun Devils territory. Twice, they turned the ball over on downs in the same spot. As USC lined up for a desperation onside kick, down six points with 2:49 remaining and no timeouts, its fate seemed assured, its hopes of contention — in the Pac-12 and College Football Playoff — kaput.
But then, an errant bounce on an onside kick fell in front of defensive back Max Williams, and a stadium of 78,000 empty seats suddenly felt alive. Seven plays and 45 yards later, a dart from Trojans quarterback Kedon Slovis found Drake London in the back of the end zone, capping an extraordinary comeback that ended in a 28-27 opening-weekend win for USC.
Before that fortunate twist of fate, USC did all it could to dash its own hopes. It gave the ball away four times. Its defense broke down all too often. Its offense struggled to find a rhythm. The mistakes felt like an extension of its worst moments from a season ago, even after USC had rebuilt half of its staff and fortified most everything else to avoid such issues.
But on a strange gameday that begin at 9 a.m. with a cold November rain, in a stadium filled only by cardboard fans and piped-in crowd noise, that one — albeit, major — break was all the Trojans needed.
Vavae Malepeai, who opened the game with a fumble at the goal line, jump-started the drive after the onside kick, rushing for 33 yards on two carries to get the Trojans close. Slovis, who finished with 381 passing yards and two touchdowns, completed two passes to get USC to the 16-yard line.
Even then, an ill-timed error nearly cost them the game, as right tackle Jalen McKenzie committed a false start, giving the Trojans a fourth-and-nine from the 21-yard line with the game on the line. That's when Slovis found Drake London, his most consistent target on the day, and London pulled down the deciding touchdown in traffic for his eighth catch on the day.
Little else proved consistent for USC on Saturday. Its run game struggled to find room against a stout Arizona State front. Its defense, meanwhile, was shredded on the ground for 258 yards, including 111 from quarterback Jayden Daniels.
But at the start of a strange, shortened season, an errant onside kick, a stellar final drive, and an extraordinary touchdown catch was all the Trojans would need to overcome their mistakes and keep hope of contention alive.
