Skip navigation
Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism University of Southern California
Sports

USC Comes Out On Top Over Cal

A strong running game leads USC to victory.

The USC Trojans overcame a slow start Saturday afternoon to beat the California Golden Bears on the road, 27-21.

Cal got off to an early 7-0 lead when quarterback Jared Goff threw a touchdown pass to wide receiver Bryce Treggs. That would be the only lead the Golden Bears would have however, as the Trojans scored 17 unanswered points.

USC quarterback Cody Kessler was efficient, going 18-22 for 186 yards, but it was the Trojans’ run game that sparked the offense. Ronald Jones II finished with 80 yards on 11 carries and a touchdown. Tre Madden added 62 yards on 14 carries and a touchdown. Justin Davis lead the running back trio with 15 carries for 42 yards. 

The Trojans had a 27-14 lead heading into the fourth quarter, but the Golden Bears fought back and made it close. Goff threw his second touchdown pass of the day with just under four minutes left in the game, making it 27-21.

The Trojans were able to burn the clock by continuing to pound the ball, forcing Cal to use its three timeouts. Madden put the game out of reach when he broke a tackle and ran for the first down on a third-and-six. 

“The way he bounced out and read the hole, that’s Tre Madden,” USC offensive tackle Zach Banner said. “He’s one of the smartest running backs ever.”

Wide receiver Deontay Burnett also had a big game for the Trojans. The true freshman had four catches for 63 yards going into Saturday’s contest. He finished the game with three catches for 82 yards. 

Burnett’s big-play ability was huge for the Trojans, especially with wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster forced to miss the majority of the second half due to a fracture in his hand.

“He played awesome especially with some guys some banged up right now,” Kessler said. “We had to modify the pass game a little bit and Deontay is one of those guys who stepped into that role. He made some huge impact plays today. I was very proud of him.”

The Trojans’ defense made some big plays as well. Cornerback Adoree’ Jackson recorded his first interception of his career and returned the pick for a touchdown. Fellow cornerback Kevon Seymour also had an interception, his first of the season.

With the win, USC improves to 5-3 overall and 3-2 in conference play. The Trojans will face the Arizona Wildcats next Saturday at the Coliseum.

The USC Trojans overcame a slow start Saturday afternoon to beat the California Golden Bears on the road, 27-21.

Cal got off to an early 7-0 lead when quarterback Jared Goff threw a touchdown pass to wide receiver Bryce Treggs. That would be the only lead the Golden Bears would have however, as the Trojans scored 17 unanswered points.

USC quarterback Cody Kessler was efficient, going 18-22 for 186 yards, but it was the Trojans’ run game that sparked the offense. Ronald Jones II finished with 80 yards on 11 carries and a touchdown. Tre Madden added 62 yards on 14 carries and a touchdown. Justin Davis lead the running back trio with 15 carries for 42 yards. 

The Trojans had a 27-14 lead heading into the fourth quarter, but the Golden Bears fought back and made it close. Goff threw his second touchdown pass of the day with just under four minutes left in the game, making it 27-21.

The Trojans were able to burn the clock by continuing to pound the ball, forcing Cal to use its three timeouts. Madden put the game out of reach when he broke a tackle and ran for the first down on a third-and-six. 

“The way he bounced out and read the hole, that’s Tre Madden,” USC offensive tackle Zach Banner said. “He’s one of the smartest running backs ever.”

Wide receiver Deontay Burnett also had a big game for the Trojans. The true freshman had four catches for 63 yards going into Saturday’s contest. He finished the game with three catches for 82 yards. 

Burnett’s big-play ability was huge for the Trojans, especially with wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster forced to miss the majority of the second half due to a fracture in his hand.

“He played awesome especially with some guys some banged up right now,” Kessler said. “We had to modify the pass game a little bit and Deontay is one of those guys who stepped into that role. He made some huge impact plays today. I was very proud of him.”

The Trojans’ defense made some big plays as well. Cornerback Adoree’ Jackson recorded his first interception of his career and returned the pick for a touchdown. Fellow cornerback Kevon Seymour also had an interception, his first of the season.

With the win, USC improves to 5-3 overall and 3-2 in conference play. The Trojans will face the Arizona Wildcats next Saturday at the Coliseum.

By: Dan Lovi 

COMMENTS
Leave a comment
Name:
E-mail:*
URL:
Comments:*

We've Moved!


By Sam Bergum
01/21/16 | 11:09 a.m. PST

Visit us at uscannenbergmedia.com!

USC Basketball Knocks Off Rival UCLA 89- 75


By Scott Cook
01/14/16 | 12:05 a.m. PST

USC defeats UCLA with stellar play from their Freshmen. 

Holiday Bowl - USC vs Wisconsin Post-Game Press Conference

Su'a Cravens: "It's the players that need to step up"

Darreus Rogers: "It comes down to the players"

Trojans Fall to Wisconsin in the Holiday Bowl 23-21

We detected that you might be on a mobile device such as an iPad or iPhone. Sorry, at this time the video box is only visible on desktop computers.