No. 24 USC narrowly avoided a third straight loss in a 50-49 win over Cal on Saturday.
Cal scored with 58 seconds left and chose to go for a go-ahead two-point conversion instead of a game-tying extra point. But Fernando Mendoza couldn’t find anyone open in the end zone and his pass fell incomplete.
Jaylin Smith breaks up the Cal two-point conversion pass with 58 seconds remaining as #USC retains a 50-49 lead.
After everything that’s gone wrong today, the Trojans are poised to escape Berkeley with a badly-needed win.
Wild! pic.twitter.com/qz4f7z64WO
— Ryan Young (@RyanYoungRivals) October 29, 2023
USC trailed for much of the game after blowing a 17-7 first-half lead. Cal scored 21 straight points to take a 28-17 lead into a bizarre halftime sequence before the Trojans went on a 21-point run of their own in the fourth quarter.
Cal went up 43-29 early in the fourth before USC scored three touchdowns in less than eight minutes thanks to Cal turnovers. Cal fumbled a punt to set up USC’s game-tying score at 43-43 and USC took the lead after a fumble on Cal’s ensuing possession.