Drake London caught a 21-yard touchdown pass with 1:20 to play, and No. 20 Southern California overcame a late 13-point deficit to beat Arizona State 28-27 on Saturday in the Pac-12′s long-delayed season opener.
Bru McCoy caught a deflected 26-yard TD pass with 2:52 left for the Trojans, and Max Williams recovered the onside kick. On fourth-and-9, Kedon Slovis fired a pass down the middle to London, and the two-sport athlete beat double coverage to haul it in for an electrifying score.
USC stopped Arizona State on downs near midfield with 50 seconds left to preserve an astonishing comeback for perpetually embattled coach Clay Helton’s team.
Southern California wide receivers Bru McCoy (4) and Amon-Ra St. Brown celebrate after McCoy caught a pass deflected by St. Brown for a touchdown as Arizona State defensive back Timarcus Davis walks away during the second half of an NCAA college football game in Los Angeles, Saturday, Nov. 7, 2020. (Keith BirminghamThe Orange County Register via AP)
Until their rally, the Trojans were struggling for poise and precision in a game that began at 9 a.m. USC agreed to its earliest kickoff in at least 70 years for a national television audience, but it looked like another embarrassment for Helton and his Trojans — before it abruptly turned into a thrilling triumph.
USC racked up 556 yards of offense and outgained the Sun Devils by 164 yards, but the Trojans were nearly finished because they committed three turnovers and turned the ball over on downs two more times — all inside ASU territory.
Slovis passed for 381 yards for USC, while Stephen Carr and Markese Stepp made scoring runs in the first half. London also caught eight passes for 125 yards, none bigger than his winning TD reception.
Arizona State wide receiver Bru McCoy (4) catches a pass for a touchdown that was tipped by teammate wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (8) as Arizona State defensive back DeAndre Pierce (2) and defensive back Timarcus Davis (6) during the second half of an NCAA college football game Los Angeles, Saturday, Nov. 7, 2020. (Keith BirminghamThe Orange County Register via AP)
Freshman DeaMonte Trayanum rushed for 87 yards and two touchdowns, while Rachaad White had a 55-yard TD reception in a similarly strong debut for the Sun Devils.
NO. 13 INDIANA 38, NO. 23 MICHIGAN 21
Michael Penix Jr. passed for 342 yards and three touchdowns and Indiana beat Michigan for the first time in 33 years.
Penix helped Indiana (3-0) snap a 24-game losing streak in the series — tied for the longest active skid in the Football Bowl Subdivision. It was the Hoosiers’ first victory over the Wolverines since Oct. 24, 1987, just their second in 41 games and only the second in the 21 games played at Memorial Stadium.
The Wolverines (1-2) still don’t have a top-15 road win since beating Notre Dame in 2006. Their second consecutive loss could turn up the pressure on coach Jim Harbaugh in his sixth season at Michigan
Penix was 30 of 50, helping Indiana convert nine of 16 third downs. Ty Fryfogle caught seven passes for a career-high 142 yards — all in the first half.
NO. 18 SMU 47, TEMPLE 23
Shane Buechele threw four touchdown passes, two to Tyler Page, and SMU broke away from undermanned Temple.
The game was pushed back from its original Thursday date while Temple dealt with virus-related issues. The Owls were missing 15 players who were in COVID-19 protocol.
SMU led 20-16 before Buechele connected with Kylen Granson on a 24-yard TD pass on the first play of the fourth quarter. The Mustangs (7-1, 4-1 American Athletic Conference) scored four touchdowns in the first 7 1/2 minutes of the period. Temple (1-4, 1-4) scored on the first play of the game, with wide receiver Randle Jones going 75 yards on a screen pass from Trad Beatty.
NO. 22 TEXAS 17, WEST VIRGINIA 13
Texas stopped West Virginia on fourth-down passes into the end zone twice in the fourth quarter, enabling the Longhorns to escape.
Texas (5-2, 4-2 Big 12) overcame an offense that produced nearly 100 yards and 27 points fewer than its average.
Sam Ehlinger, typically the Longhorns’ offensive star, completed just 15 of 31 passes for 184 yards, but he connected with Brennan Eagles for a 7-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter and with Jake Smith for a 33-yard TD strike in the third. Freshman Bijan Robinson rushed for 113 yards on 12 carries for Texas.
Jarret Doege was 35 of 50 for 317 yards for West Virginia (4-3, 3-3).
NO. 25 LIBERTY 38, VIRGINIA TECH 35
Alex Barbir hit a career-long 51-yard field goal with a second left to lift Liberty past Virginia Tech.
The Flames rallied from a 20-14 halftime deficit to move to 7-0 for the first time in program history.
Barbir had a 59-yard attempt blocked with 8 seconds left, and Virginia Tech’s Jermaine Waller returned it to the end zone for what appeared to be the winning score for the Hokies (4-3). But officials ruled Virginia Tech called a timeout before the attempt.
Liberty went for it on fourth-and-6 from the 41. Malik Willis found CJ Yarbrough for an 8-yard gain at the Virginia Tech 33 with 5 seconds left, allowing Barbir to come out for the 51-yarder.