Colorado Buffaloes vs USC Trojans Match Player Stats On Oct 08, 2016

The Sports Xchange
Oct 8, 2016

USC quarterback Sam Darnold threw three touchdown passes to offset his three turnovers as the Trojans held on to beat No. 21 Colorado 21-17 in Pac-12 play at the Los Angeles Coliseum on Saturday.

The Buffaloes (4-2, 2-1) were playing as a ranked team for the first time since 2005.

USC (3-3, 2-2) was in control for much of the game but needed to answer after Colorado tied the score at 14 with 10:20 left on a 10-yard pass from Steven Montez to receiver Bryce Bobo.

The Trojans responded with a 70-yard drive, capped by a 7-yard pass to tight end Tyler Petite, his second scoring reception of the day.

Colorado converted a 42-yard field goal with 4:49 left but never got the ball back. Wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster could have scored on a third-and-7 reception but he went down to the ground after a 25-yard gain at the Buffaloes 14-yard line so the Trojans could run out the clock.

Darnold, a redshirt freshman making his third start, completed 25 of 37 passes for 358 yards.

The Trojans led 14-0 at halftime but much of their good work was undone by four turnovers.

USC lost three fumbles in Colorado territory, starting with Darnold's fumble just shy of the goal line on a 17-yard scramble on the Trojans' first possession. Colorado recovered in the end zone.

The Trojans gave away the ball three times in about the first five minutes of the second half, including another fumble by Darnold, who coughed up the ball at the Colorado 33 as he was being sacked.

One play later, Colorado scored on a trick play. Bobo took a lateral to the left and threw deep to the right sideline for running back Phillip Lindsay, who scored on a 67-yard reception.

Darnold was picked off on the ensuing possession by linebacker Kenneth Olugbode, but Trojans cornerback Adoree' Jackson came to the rescue with a sideline interception at the USC 25 in which he did the splits in mid-air and managed to toe-tap with his right leg before falling out of bounds.

Colorado redshirt freshman quarterback Steven Montez started his third consecutive game in place of Sefo Liufau, who left the Michigan game on Sept. 17 because of a right ankle injury. But Liufau entered with 2:56 to go before halftime when Montez had the wind knocked out of him after being hit following an incomplete pass.

Liufau, not considered 100 percent, finished the half, but Montez returned to start the third quarter. He completed 25 of 40 passes for 197 yards, with one touchdown and an interception.

USC's second touchdown was one for the highlight shows.

From the Colorado 11, Darnold fumbled a handoff to running back Justin Davis, recovered, scrambled to his left, reversed field to the 35-yard line and fired a pass to Petite near the original line of scrimmage. Petite weaved through traffic, diving into the end zone for a 14-0 lead with 3:40 to go before halftime.

Bobo, a junior, caught a career-high 10 passes for 83 yards.

NOTES: USC RT Zach Banner, who missed last week's game because of a sprained ankle, was not in uniform Saturday. He was replaced by Jordan Simmons. ... Trojans TE Taylor McNamara (back) did not dress out. ... Colorado had been seeking its second consecutive road win, something it hasn't accomplished since 2004. ... USC leading rusher Justin Davis left the game early in the third quarter with an ankle injury and did not return. ... Colorado has at least one takeaway in 19 consecutive games, the longest streak in the nation. ... The Buffaloes dropped to 0-11 all-time vs. USC and 2-20-1 in games played in California. ... Colorado LB Kenneth Olugbode had 10 tackles, his fourth consecutive game with double-digit tackles. ... Former USC WR Marqise Lee led the Trojans out of the tunnel before the game.