The followers had been booing. The massive guys weren’t tackling. The ability guys weren’t catching. The coach’s failures had been hovering.
As USC took the sector initially of the second half at an offended Coliseum Saturday afternoon, the Trojans trailed Wisconsin by double digits amid the suffocating scent of right here we go once more.
Enter their tousle-haired, eye-blacked breath of recent air.
Enter the antithesis of a modern-day school quarterback, a three-year backup who didn’t switch, didn’t stroll out, didn’t promote out.
Enter Miller Moss, who liked USC even when USC didn’t love him again, who now spreads that love across the area with a sure resilience that sends a definite message.
He’s acquired this job and he’s not giving it up. He’s acquired this staff and he’s not letting them stop.
When his interception and fumble led to that 21-10 halftime deficit Saturday, he did what any nice USC quarterback does.
He fought on. And on. And on.
Learn extra: USC overcomes errors to rally previous Wisconsin for Large Ten win
Two second-half landing passes on pinpoint strikes. One second-half landing on a spinning scramble that turned him the other way up. One ensuing journey to the medical tent to have his head examined, for which he had an ideal clarification.
“You go flying, you see some issues,” he stated.
Because the Trojans flew by way of the second half, the one factor everyone noticed was Miller Moss strengthening his grip as this staff’s chief with a drive that squeezed the life out of Wisconsin within the Trojans’ 38-21 victory.
“One factor we stated in that room and at all times have — present me a tricky staff and I’ll present you a tricky quarterback,” stated coach Lincoln Riley.
Per week after getting pushed round late in a heartbreaking loss at Michigan, the Trojans appeared like a tricky staff as a result of Moss appeared like a tricky quarterback.
He’s no Caleb Williams, however no one round right here is speaking about Caleb Williams. He’s no Heisman favourite, however no one round right here is speaking about particular person awards.
This new Trojan period wants smashmouth victories. The brand new Trojan tradition requires comeback credibility. These new Trojans want a quarterback who can benefit from a reborn protection and handle their embattled coach’s recreation plan effectively sufficient to present them an opportunity within the 12-team playoff.
And, consider it, this 3-1 staff is sweet sufficient to qualify for the playoffs. The Trojans ought to most likely be capable to get there with two losses. Penn State in two weeks appears to be the one powerhouse standing of their method, and Moss is an ideal match for this journey.
Humble, teachable, likeable, linked with Riley and, in fact, as daringly bonkers as his seven-yard landing run on fourth and one which clinched the win with 8:22 remaining.
In it, chugging on intuition and never playbook, Moss juked one defender and spun by way of one other one earlier than touchdown in the long run zone on his head.
After which, no one was extra dizzy than his teammates.
Stated operating again Woody Marks: “I knew he had it in him, however not like that — that was loopy.”
Added linebacker Mason Cobb, who completed the sport with a 55-yard pick-six: “I’ve by no means seen that. That little leap in the long run zone, that was loopy.”
Moss was requested concerning the play and simply shrugged. He talked about it as if he was strolling throughout a campus quad, not traversing a bridge over doubt.
”I felt like they had been crashing fairly laborious,” he stated, referring to dashing linemen. “I felt the man crash, thought I may get one, was in a position to get slightly bit extra.”
Riley acknowledged that Moss didn’t precisely comply with the script, however famous it was a sensible deviation.
“It was not 100% designed that method,” Riley stated. “Miller noticed it and was aggressive and made an important play.”
Learn extra: USC leaders Miller Moss, Kamari Ramsey use expertise honed throughout years enjoying chess
It primarily accomplished a day during which Moss accomplished 30 of 45 passes for 308 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. For the season he’s accomplished 65% of his passes for eight touchdowns and two interceptions regardless of being consistently harassed due to the struggles of an evolving offensive line.
Whereas he was solely sacked as soon as Saturday, and whereas his safety was noticeably improved, his remaining landing go got here within the face of an overbearing blitz that couldn’t cease him from discovering Duce Robinson for an eight-yard rating.
Stated Ja’Kobi Lane, who caught 105 yards value of passes for 2 touchdowns: “He’s a dawg. And he performed prefer it.”
It’s this admiration from teammates that has elevated Moss from an nameless benchwarmer to a very powerful individual on this staff. There are lots of causes the Trojans had been grateful that he was cleared in that medical tent after crashing into the tip zone. This staff that after couldn’t use him now can’t win with out him.
“You see him get smacked, stand up again and throw touchdowns,” stated Cobb. “Man, we’re a staff that’s going to maintain swinging. That’s our identification, for actual.”
That’s each their identification and Miller Moss’ identification, the profession minor leaguer now taking the largest of hacks.
Considerably misplaced within the offensive outburst was the truth that the protection pitched a shutout within the second half, exhibiting once more that this D’Anton Lynn factor is admittedly understanding. That, and this Miller Moss depth is contagious.
On Wisconsin? Non Wisconsin.
“They actually embody what we wish to be about,” stated Moss of the Trojans’ protection.
He’ll by no means say that about himself. He ought to have stated that about himself.
This story initially appeared in Los Angeles Occasions.
