The No. 19 USC Trojans’ win over Penn State on the road in one of the toughest environments in college football was filled with ups and downs for both teams.
From Penn State converting all five of its fourth-down attempts to USC quarterback Jayden Maiava throwing for 301 yards and three touchdowns without an interception, both teams made plays to keep the game within reach.
However, Lincoln Riley’s decision to attempt an onside kick to open the second half gave the Nittany Lions favorable field position, and USC’s defense struggled to get off the field on third and fourth down. On the other side, Penn State struggled to capitalize in the red zone and watched its comeback hopes disappear after a costly fumble in the fourth quarter.
With eight points separating the teams in the final minutes, the Trojans still needed one more stop to secure the road victory. Instead, a controversial penalty on Penn State’s defense gave USC an automatic first down with just over a minute remaining.
The fourth-quarter call that sealed USC’s win
With just over a minute remaining in the fourth quarter, USC was still in danger of letting its road victory slip away. The Trojans were leading 31-23, but Penn State had spent the night keeping drives alive in critical situations. Penn State had converted all five of its fourth-down attempts and found plenty of success through the air with 285 receiving yards.
Facing a third-and-3 at the Penn State 31-yard line with one minute and nine seconds remaining, USC needed just one more first down to put the game away. A big defensive stop for Penn State could have given quarterback Rocco Becht and the offense one final chance to attempt to tie the game.
As USC allowed the play clock to wind down, Penn State's defensive front made abrupt movements near the line of scrimmage in an attempt to disrupt the Trojans and force a false start. However, the officials ruled the actions a defensive delay of game, penalizing the Trojans' opponent five yards and awarding USC an automatic first down.
Instead of facing a potential fourth down that could have given Penn State another chance, USC was handed the first down it needed to close out the game.
Penn State had repeatedly put USC under pressure by converting on fourth down, and Becht had thrown for 289 yards, which gave the Nittany Lions a legitimate chance to make one final push if they could get the ball back.
Penn State needed a touchdown and a two-point conversion to force overtime. However, the penalty ended that possibility before the Nittany Lions could get another offensive possession.
USC’s White Out Win Gives Lincoln Riley Much-Needed Momentum
USC’s win over Penn State in one of the toughest environments in college football, the White Out, gives the Trojans a statement win that could help their case to make the College Football Playoff in a year when the stakes are higher than ever.
Coach Lincoln Riley has failed to take the Trojans to the CFP. Even with the expanded 12-team playoff field, the Trojans have continued to fall short of the postseason standard expected of the program.
After a 41-27 loss to an Oregon squad that was recently upset by UCLA, a conference loss at Penn State would have left the Trojans at 5-2 overall and 2-2 in Big Ten play. That would undoubtedly have put them in a difficult position before facing two of the conference's biggest contenders in Indiana and Ohio State.
The Trojans do not necessarily need to run the table to reach the CFP, but they have little room for error with Indiana and Ohio State still ahead. Winning at least one of those matchups would give USC a significant boost in the race for an at-large bid. A third loss would make that path nearly impossible.
Beyond the playoff implications, the victory also showed that USC is capable of withstanding the swings of a high-pressure game. It also showed how thin the margin for error can be.
As Riley and the Trojans look toward their CFP push, finding success against the Big Ten's best will come down to making those decisions count and executing when the details matter most.
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