Associated Press Oct 8, 2023, 2:44am ET4 minute display
Caleb Williams’ 2-point conversion and USC’s defensive stop seal the 3OT win
Caleb Williams scores the go-ahead two-point conversion and USC makes the crucial stop to beat Arizona 43-41 in 3OT.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Caleb Williams rushed for three touchdowns before scoring a 2-point conversion in the third overtime, and No. 9 USC stopped Arizona’s last-ditch effort with a wild 43-41 win Saturday night.
Williams passed for 219 yards and three touchdowns for the Trojans (6-0, 4-0 Pac-12), who botched a 25-yard field goal attempt in the final period after Williams made a 59-yard attempt on the final drive. Drive had led 2:08.
The Heisman Trophy winner shook that off and coolly led USC to points on each of its three overtime possessions. USC called for an unorthodox play for the 2-point attempt in the third OT that had the entire offensive line out before Williams took the snap and ran the other way, stretching the ball to the pylon.
The defense then ended the game when linebacker Mason Cobb led a stop by DJ Williams behind the line.
Noah Fifita passed for 313 yards and threw two of his five touchdown passes to Jacob Cowing in overtime, but the Wildcats (3-3, 1-2) blew an early 17-point lead and narrowly missed a signature win in the third Base. Annual coach Jedd Fisch.
During coach Lincoln Riley’s year-and-a-half tenure, USC remained undefeated in the Coliseum, but the Trojans needed another breakout performance from their star quarterback to survive the Wildcats’ energetic surprise attack.
After USC took a 28-20 lead on Williams’ second TD run early in the fourth quarter, Arizona tied the score with 8:17 left on a gutsy TD pass and a 2-point conversion pass from Fifita. The Wildcats forced a USC punt and drove past midfield, but Tyler Loop missed a 50-yard field goal attempt with 2:08 to play.
But the Trojans scored no points after a first-and-goal with 24 seconds left. Williams failed a pass and fumbled a handoff before a high snap on fourth down forced defending champion USC to hunker down and silenced the Coliseum.
Tanner McLachlan also intercepted a TD pass from Fifita, an Orange County native with a huge block of family and friends in the Coliseum stands while impressively filling in for the injured Jayden de Laura. Fifita scored 25 out of 35 points.
Cowing caught 10 passes for 87 yards and four touchdowns, and Jonah Coleman rushed for 143 yards.
USC’s normally polished offense seemed sluggish from the start.
For the first time this season, the Trojans failed to score a touchdown on their opening drive and promptly fell behind for the first time this season. Fifita’s TD passes to Cowing and McLachlan gave Arizona a 17-0 lead early in the second quarter, and Williams fumbled near midfield on USC’s next possession.
But Fifita threw an interception to Jacobe Covington and Williams scored USC’s first points with a 4-yard run. Kyron Hudson caught a TD pass from Williams two seconds before halftime and MarShawn Lloyd’s TD run gave the Trojans the lead in the third quarter.
Williams fought his way through Arizona’s Treydan Stukes and pushed the ball across the goal line to cap a 77-yard drive with 12:54 left, but Fifita made a cool TD throw to Cowing while being hit by USC’s Jamil Muhammad was knocked down.
Williams rushed 18 yards for a TD in the first overtime, but Cowing caught a TD pass from Fifita on Arizona’s first OT snap. Cowing scored again to open the second overtime, but USC safety Calen Bullock blocked Fifita’s pass on the conversion attempt.
Austin Jones then rushed for an 11-yard TD for USC, but Williams couldn’t hit Brenden Rice for the win.