WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Three lengthy hours after his crew evacuated the sector for a lightning delay, coach Lincoln Riley lastly emerged from the tunnel at Ross-Ade Stadium, figuring out any hope of a seamless begin to USC’s highway slate washed away with the rain.
Nothing about USC’s first tour via Massive Ten nation had gone easily, because the Trojans bafflingly blew fourth-quarter leads in all 4 of their convention highway tilts. So earlier than this second foray into the convention, steps have been taken to make this season’s slate of journeys as seamless and comfy as potential.
However Mom Nature had brushed apart these plans earlier than USC’s first highway recreation even started. The Trojans as an alternative have been left mendacity across the tiny visiting locker room at Ross-Ade Stadium for hours earlier than kickoff, doing no matter they might to remain unfastened.
It was hardly the circumstances USC had hoped for, however after falling brief so usually a season in the past, the Trojans rode out the rain and held robust within the fourth quarter to beat Purdue 33-17.
It was the primary win exterior of the West since 2012 for USC, which had misplaced 14 straight video games within the Japanese and Central time zones. That win, in opposition to Syracuse in New Jersey, additionally occurred to be the Trojans’ final recorded climate delay.
Final season, its convention highway losses had are available more and more heartbreaking methods, from a blocked subject objective at Maryland to a failed goal-line stand in Minnesota to a long term that arrange a landing in opposition to Michigan. So when Ryon Sayeri missed a fourth-quarter subject objective off the upright that will’ve put Purdue away, the Trojan devoted understandably held their breath.
It was the form of situation that may have given the Trojans’ post-traumatic stress. Purdue hit one huge go, then one other. USC was known as for an offside penalty, then one other.
However simply when it appeared Purdue would possibly fireplace again into the sport, security Bishop Fitzgerald flew in entrance of a go and picked it off for his second interception of the night time.
It shouldn’t have come to that contemplating how in management USC appeared in the beginning, with its quarterback, Jayden Maiava, slinging the ball over the sector. Maiava would end with 282 yards passing to go along with a speeding landing.
Waymond Jordan and Eli Sanders would mix for 152 yards on the bottom, because the Trojans put up 460 yards of offense.
Out of the gate, USC didn’t look very like a crew that simply sat round for 3 hours killing time. Maiava fired his very first go deep down the sector, hitting Ja’Kobi Lane in excellent stride for a 59-yard achieve. Two performs later, he hit Makai Lemon on the run for one more explosive play of 21 yards.
USC quarterback Jayden Maiava throws in opposition to Purdue within the second half of a 33-17 Trojans win.
(Michael Conroy / Related Press)
The Trojans needed to accept a subject objective on that first drive. However the aerial assault continued on their ensuing possession, as Maiava hit three extra go performs of 20-plus yards earlier than punching in a landing himself. By the tip of the primary quarter, he already had 147 yards passing.
Purdue didn’t have a lot hassle transferring the ball at first, both. It strung collectively 4 huge performs to achieve the pink zone within the first quarter, just for Fitzgerald to intercept a go ultimately zone.
USC mounted lengthy, first-half drives of 10 and 13 performs to push its result in 20-3. However the Boilermakers, whose offensive coordinator spent the earlier two seasons at USC, stored transferring the ball.
It will take an odd sequence of occasions for Purdue to lastly punch it in. After former Trojan wideout Michael Jackson III caught a go within the flat, he threw the ball again to quarterback Ryan Browne. The supposed go was tipped by USC linebacker Eric Gentry, however as a result of it was thrown backward, Browne was in a position to decide it up and dash 26 yards for the rating.
USC would get its personal unusual break a couple of minutes later, with Purdue driving as soon as once more, looking for to make it a one-score recreation. Defensive sort out Devan Thompkins burst via the road on second all the way down to tip Browne’s go into the air, the place it landed within the outstretched arms of huge nostril sort out Jamaal Jarrett.
The 360-pound lineman took off, chugging for an unlikely 70-yard landing.
Purdue fired again a couple of minutes later, and USC missed a subject objective quickly after.
However Fitzgerald swooped in, as USC was lastly in a position to exhale with a Massive Ten highway victory in hand.
