LOS ANGELES_One by one, key defenders continued to fall, each injury its own cruel twist of fate for the USC Trojans, whose season teetered on a razor's edge.
Two of USC's starting cornerbacks were already sidelined. A third was a game-time decision, gutting through an ankle sprain. There was a linebacker missing (Palaie Gaoteote IV) and a senior captain down at defensive end (Christian Rector).
A short-handed USC defense opened Saturday's critical matchup down five of its starters against Arizona and its electric offense. Then, it lost two more, as sack leader Drake Jackson and standout safety Talanoa Hufanga left with their own injuries, further decimating the depth chart.
But as the blows kept coming, as the injuries piled up, a depleted defense standing on its last leg stood as tall as the Trojans have all season. Playing most of Saturday's crucial Pac-12 South showdown at the Coliseum down at least half of its starting defense, USC shut down Arizona completely in a 41-14 victory, capping in one of its toughest and most unlikely efforts on the defensive end in recent history.
Despite being down most of its starting secondary, USC (4-3, 3-1 Pac-12) still held Arizona's dynamic dual-threat quarterback Khalil Tate to just 47 yards on six-of-10 passing, shutting him down so thoroughly that he was benched in the third quarter. His replacement, Grant Gunnell, came in and promptly threw a pass that was intercepted by linebacker Kana'i Mauga.
Neither Arizona quarterback had much time to throw throughout, as USC's defensive line, down both of its starting ends, completely dominated the line of scrimmage. Even without Jackson and Rector, the defense racked up a season-high seven sacks.
After yielding a season-worst 473 yards in a road defeat to Notre Dame last Saturday, USC coach Clay Helton assured this week that his defense had a chip on its shoulder with a must-win situation against Arizona ahead.
Those words may have seemed like an empty promise at the time. But Saturday, as injuries forced them to scrape the bottom of the depth chart, a patchwork Trojans defense shouldered the burden, just as he said it would.
It was a fortunate performance, given how flat USC's offense was at the game's start. Against one of the nation's worst pass defenses, which had given up an average of 320 yards per game through the air, the Trojans started without any semblance of rhythm in the pass game.
While its defense stood tall, USC opened the game with four three-and-outs. Kedon Slovis struggled to find options downfield. The Trojans' ground game seemed stuck in the mud. A game that seemed destined to be a high-scoring affair slowed to an early crawl.
But a muffed Arizona punt opened the door in the first quarter, leading to a field goal by Chase McGrath, and from there, the Trojans' defense refused to let up, turning off the power on a previously electric Wildcat offense.
Two drives later, Mauga came flying downhill at Arizona running back Brian Casteel. Mauga had played only sparingly all season, rotating in occasionally for Gaoteote. But with Gaoteote out, Mauga left quite an impression in his first start. He knocked the ball away from Casteel, and John Houston Jr. recovered. That set up with a short field, and it took the Trojans just five plays to score after the turnover, as Slovis connected with Michael Pittman Jr. for a nine-yard touchdown to take a 10-0 lead.
Still, Mauga and the rest of USC's patchwork defense continued to prove itself. Mauga, who also led the team in tackles, would later add a sack and the interception of Gunnell, which set up a field goal to make it 20-0 in the third quarter.
As its defense demoralized Arizona throughout, USC's offense finally found its stride in the second half. Slovis put together an efficient performance, finishing 19 of 28 with 232 yards. He hit Tyler Vaughns late in the third quarter to give the Trojans a four-score lead, and from there, the offense settled into cruise control.
USC's run game tallied 205 yards to bleed out the clock, but it wasn't without its own casualties. Already down leading rusher Vavae Malepeai, USC saw each of its next two leading backs limp to the sideline.
Stephen Carr left shortly before the half, while Markese Stepp followed him in the third quarter. Without them, USC's ground game didn't skip a beat. Freshman Kenan Christon stepped in shortly after and sprinted his way to a 103-yard, two-touchdown effort that was entirely contained to the second half.
In the fourth quarter, the former track star twice blazed past Arizona's unsuspecting defense, scampering to 55- and 30-yard touchdown runs that left the Wildcats defense on its heels.
Where USC's own decimated defense stands after Saturday remains to be seen. But even on its last leg, the Trojans stood as strong as ever, even as injuries threatened to upend them.
