USC
1-0
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Western Michigan
0-1
Team Stats
WMU 0, USC 7
USC - Jones, Ronald 16 yd run (McGrath, Chase kick), 6 plays, 75 yards, TOP 2:00
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WMU 7, USC 7
WMU - BOGAN, Jamauri 4 yd run (GRANT, Josh kick), 8 plays, 59 yards, TOP 3:32
WMU 14, USC 7
WMU - WASSINK, Jon 7 yd run (GRANT, Josh kick), 11 plays, 84 yards, TOP 5:08
WMU 14, USC 14
USC - Jones, Ronald 1 yd run (McGrath, Chase kick), 8 plays, 45 yards, TOP 3:35
WMU 21, USC 14
WMU - WASSINK, Jon 27 yd pass from WATSON, Keishaw (GRANT, Josh kick) 9 plays, 75 yards, TOP 5:49
WMU 21, USC 21
USC - Darnold, Sam 11 yd run (McGrath, Chase kick), 10 plays, 83 yards, TOP 4:03
WMU 21, USC 28
USC - Carr, Stephen 1 yd run (McGrath, Chase kick), 12 plays, 56 yards, TOP 4:08
WMU 28, USC 28
WMU - PHILLIPS, Dariu 100 yd kickoff return (GRANT, Josh kick)
WMU 28, USC 35
USC - Jones, Ronald 37 yd run (McGrath, Chase kick), 3 plays, 83 yards, TOP 0:57
WMU 31, USC 35
WMU - GRANT, Josh 43 yd field goal 5 plays, 40 yards, TOP 2:13
WMU 31, USC 42
USC - Carr, Stephen 52 yd run (McGrath, Chase kick), 3 plays, 66 yards, TOP 0:41
WMU 31, USC 49
USC - Tell, Marvell 37 yd interception (McGrath, Chase kick)
Game Leaders
Players Mentioned
No. 4 Trojans Hold Off Western Michigan, 49-31
September 02, 2017 | Football, Features
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Although a fourth-quarter flurry erased USC's struggles on the scoreboard, the Trojans left with respect for the Broncos and determination to get better.
Ronald Jones II ran 37 yards for the tiebreaking touchdown with 6:57 to play Saturday, and No. 4 USC rallied from a second-half deficit for a 49-31 victory in both schools' opener.
"It's just stuff that we have to go through," said quarterback Sam Darnold. "You're going to have little mistakes. You're going to have setbacks, but we have to learn from them and get better."
Jones rushed for 159 yards and three scores, while freshman Stephen Carr added 69 yards rushing and two TDs in an auspicious debut for the Trojans, who scored 28 points in the fourth quarter.
Marvell Tell returned an interception 37 yards for a TD with 3:13 to play as USC won its 10th consecutive game despite major trouble from the defending MAC champion Broncos on a brutally hot day at the Coliseum.
"I am happy to have that type of experience," USC coach Clay Helton said. "I'm happy it wasn't easy, and was a hard-fought game. We know that there's a lot of progress that needs to be made, and very quickly."
Darnold passed for 289 yards and rushed for a score, but the junior had thrown at least two touchdown passes in each of the Trojans' previous nine games, including his record-setting performance in last season's Rose Bowl. Deontay Burnett caught seven passes for 142 yards.
Jon Wassink passed for 67 yards, caught a touchdown pass and rushed for another score in coach Tim Lester's debut for his alma mater. Even after losing coach P.J. Fleck, quarterback Zach Terrell and star receiver Corey Davis, the Broncos' 15 returning starters came back strong after winning 13 games and reaching the Cotton Bowl.
"Our guys came to play," Broncos tailback Jamauri Bogan said. "We knew that we would show up. We knew that the country would expect us to fold. I really feel like we laid it on the line, and we're ready for next week."
After Carr's first TD run put the Trojans ahead midway through the fourth, Western Michigan's Darius Phillips returned the ensuing kickoff 100 yards for a tying touchdown with 7:54 to play. USC then gained 79 yards on two big plays, with Deontay Burnett making a 42-yard catch before the speedy Jones' third TD run.
"Whoo, their running backs are special, you know what I mean?" Lester said. "We had to stop the run, and that was the frustrating part toward the end."
THE SNAP
Jake Olson, the Trojans' blind long-snapper, made his USC debut when he delivered the snap for the final extra point. The remarkable moment was the culmination the remarkable dedication to football shown by Olson, who completely lost his sight eight years ago, but never gave up on his football dreams. "What a pressure player," Helton said. "Was that not a perfect snap?"
UP NEXT
USC: Stanford and its vaunted running game visit the Coliseum.
