Minnesota 24-17 USC (Oct. 5, 2024) Game Recap

MINNEAPOLIS – Max Brosmer stormed into the end zone for Minnesota on fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line with 56 seconds left and broke the tie with his third rushing touchdown of the game, sparking a 24-17 upset at 11 . place rankings Southern California on Saturday evening.

Brosmer, who was 15 for 19 and 169 yards passing, dug into a group of blockers and found enough scoring space to cross the goal line. The on-field decision shortchanged Brosmer, but the replay led to a turnaround the entire stadium knew was coming.

With the Trojans (3-2, 1-2 Big Ten) out of timeouts, Miller Moss got them within striking distance before his lob from the 28 into double coverage was intercepted by Koi Perich in the end zone for his second interception of the game.

Darius Taylor had 200 yards from scrimmage for the Gophers (3-3, 1-2), including 144 yards on 25 carries, and led a two-touchdown rally in the fourth quarter.

With USC leading 17-10, Moss was pressured at the rim by Jah Joyner and grabbed by Devin Williams with 10:11 left when his pass was interrupted and the ball floated forward.

Minnesota went 65 yards in six plays for Brosmer's second rushing touchdown, a keeper-off tackle that tied the game with 7:08 left. The defense forced a three-pointer, setting the Gophers up for the game-winning drive.

Moss, who topped 300 yards twice in the first four games, went 23 for 38 for 200 yards and a touchdown against a Minnesota team that led the FBS in pass defense entering the week.

Woody Marks had 20 carries for 134 yards and a touchdown for USC.

Taylor lost a fumble at midfield when Kamari Ramsey tossed the ball into the air with 27 seconds left before halftime. The Trojans had just enough time for the game-winning 54-yard field goal from Michael Lantz, who began his career in Minnesota in 2019 before a back injury temporarily halted them in 2021. He resurfaced at Georgia Southern and transferred to USC.

USC got off to a slow start on offense for the third week in a row. They trailed Michigan 14-3 at halftime in a 27-24 loss and fell behind Wisconsin 21-10 at halftime before rallying for a 38-21 win.

Lantz missed a 47-yard field goal at the end of the first drive, right after Zachariah Branch dropped a first-down catch at the 22-yard line. Late in the second quarter, Quinten Joyner lost a fumble at the Minnesota 38 when Perich sacked the ball.

Part of the problem for the Trojans, however, was simply a Gophers defense that was consistently difficult to beat this season and featured a well-planned and well-executed mix of rushing and coverage to prevent Moss and his receivers from doing much damage caused.

Duce Robinson's 3-yard touchdown catch 7:13 before halftime put USC on the scoresheet, just the second pass score against Minnesota this season.

Just like at home?

Minnesota hosted USC with a kickoff temperature of 71 degrees, the Gophers' warmest October game in 16 seasons. This was also a night game, topping the afternoon opener against Rutgers (66 degrees) on October 29, 2022, which was the previous high of the month.

Impact on the survey

The Trojans will undoubtedly fall in the next round of the AP rankings, which will be released Sunday. The question is by how many digits.

The takeaway food

USC: Awareness and discipline will likely be on the to-do list for coach Lincoln Riley and his staff this week. The Trojans collected eight penalties for 59 yards, including an unnecessary roughness call on Easton Mascarenas-Arnold for physically striking Perich on a fourth-quarter punt return, giving Minnesota's game-winning drive an additional 15 yards.

Minnesota: Coach PJ Fleck ended his postgame news conference two weeks ago after a disheartening loss to rival Iowa after a second-half collapse by imploring fans not to give up on this team. The Gophers nearly prevailed with a 21-point fourth-quarter score against Michigan last week, only to recover an onside kick with 1:37 left that was negated by a questionable offside penalty in a 27-24 loss became.

Next

USC: Host Penn State next Saturday. The Trojans and Nittany Lions, ranked seventh in the latest AP poll, last met in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 2, 2017, in a 52-49 win over USC.

Minnesota: Plays at UCLA next Saturday night. The Gophers last played the Bruins in 1978.

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