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LOS ANGELES — If Saturday night was the last time Utah played USC, at least the fans in attendance at the LA Memorial Coliseum got a good show.
USC fans were left with a familiar feeling after playing Utah, though.
After surrendering a 14-point lead to USC in the fourth quarter, Utah placekicker Cole Becker drilled a 38-yard field goal attempt as time expired to lift the 14th-ranked Utes to a 34-32 win on the road over the 18th-ranked Trojans. It was Utah's fourth consecutive win over USC.
"Bottom line is, we found a way to win," Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham said. "That's a heck of a football team we just beat tonight — tons of athletes, athletes everywhere, speed everywhere. And we did it with toughness and grit, which, again, is our MO."
Utah was well on its ways to wrapping up the game early, but quarterback Bryson Barnes threw a pick six on a short field to open up the fourth quarter, and suddenly USC had some life after being previously stopped time and again by Utah's defense. After an otherwise strong performance from Barnes, Utah was left to sweat it out.
USC held firm on Utah's ensuing possession and forced the visiting team to punt. And after kicking to dynamic freshman Zachariah Branch all night and keeping him mostly contained, Branch picked the perfect time to make Utah pay. The freshman returner picked up 61 yards on the punt and set up the Trojans with a short field for a potential go-ahead score.
Reigning Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams did the rest and rushed for an 11-yard touchdown on the next play. But the Trojans failed to convert a 2-point try as they narrowly held onto a 1-point lead.
Barnes made up for his previous foible and led Utah into USC territory as the clocked neared zero, and even had a game-saving scramble for 26 yards to set Becker up for the game-winning score.
"They've got a Heisman Trophy winner at quarterback, so they're gonna make some things, and that's just the way it is," Whittingham said. "But we've got ourselves a pig farmer at quarterback, so we're proud of that guy, too. They love him and what a warrior he is. We saw that grit that he has on that last drive, was QB runs, and found a way to win; that's what this team is this year."
Barnes finished his second straight start throwing for 235 yards, three touchdowns and one interception on 14-of-23 passing.
"Bryson is gonna be Bryson," said running back Ja'Quinden Jackson, who rushed for a game-high 117 yards on 26 attempts. "He's a competitor and he's smart. We definitely believe in that guy."
Though Jackson led the team in rushing yards — and eclipsed 1,000 career rushing yards — it was two-way player Sione Vaki that continued his hot streak on offense to help Utah contend with USC. The safety turned offensive player finished with 217 all-purpose yards, including 149 yards and two touchdowns on five catches.
VAKI TO THE HOUSE ONCE AGAIN!!!
— Utah Football (@Utah_Football) October 22, 2023
📺 @CFBONFOX#GoUtespic.twitter.com/ljaM9qKqTR
Utah set the tone early with a three-play drive that was capped off by Barnes tossing a 53-yard pass to a streaking Vaki, who quickly outpaced his trailing defender for the early score. But Williams and the USC offense was not about to be outdone on the team's home field.
USC needed two plays more than Utah, but the result was the same when running back MarShawn Lloyd evaded tackles for a 45-yard rushing touchdown to even the score.
And the race was on.
The Trojans got the first stop of the night, and Williams then connected on a 52-yard strike down field to Tahj Washington to put the home team on Utah's 1-yard line. Two plays later, Branch received the pitch back from Williams on a misdirection play, and the freshman had green grass in front of him for the easy 2-yard go-ahead score.
On the ensuing possession for Utah, it was the visiting team's chance to equalize. Freshman Mikey Matthews returned the kickoff to USC's 48-yard line, and Barnes orchestrated an eight-play, 47-yard drive that ended with Barnes finding the end zone on a 10-yard QB keeper to even the score.
And that was all in the first quarter.
Defense (and penalties) was the theme of the second quarter as both teams were held out of the end zone, but Utah resumed the scoring on its first drive of the third quarter as it utilized a strong run game before Barnes connected with tight end Landen King for a 6-yard touchdown pass for the go-ahead score.
It got worse for the Trojans when Van Fillinger stripped Lloyd of the ball and Cole Bishop jumped on the ball to give Utah another chance at a score. Utah responded with a five-play, 55-yard drive that ended with Vaki breaking ankles en route to a 15-yard touchdown to give the Utes a 14-point lead.
