USC
4-3 , 3-1
Arizona
4-3 , 2-2
Team Stats
ARIZ 0, USC 3
USC - McGrath, Chase 31 yd field goal 4 plays, 8 yards, TOP 1:22
ARIZ 0, USC 10
USC - Pittman, Michae 9 yd pass from Slovis, Kedon (McGrath, Chase kick) 5 plays, 34 yards, TOP 2:19
ARIZ 0, USC 17
USC - Stepp, Markese 12 yd run (McGrath, Chase kick), 10 plays, 87 yards, TOP 5:09
ARIZ 0, USC 20
USC - McGrath, Chase 38 yd field goal 4 plays, 9 yards, TOP 1:19
ARIZ 0, USC 27
USC - Vaughns, Tyler 5 yd pass from Slovis, Kedon (McGrath, Chase kick) 4 plays, 60 yards, TOP 1:17
ARIZ 0, USC 34
USC - Christon, Kenan 55 yd run (McGrath, Chase kick), 3 plays, 68 yards, TOP 1:07
ARIZ 7, USC 34
ARIZ - Casteel, B. 56 yd pass from Gunnell, G. (Havrisik, L. kick) 3 plays, 70 yards, TOP 0:55
ARIZ 7, USC 41
USC - Christon, Kenan 30 yd run (McGrath, Chase kick), 7 plays, 75 yards, TOP 3:52
ARIZ 14, USC 41
ARIZ - Casteel, B. 27 yd pass from Gunnell, G. (Havrisik, L. kick) 7 plays, 98 yards, TOP 1:48
Game Leaders
Players Mentioned
Defense Clamps Arizona as USC Football Dominates Wildcats, 41-14
October 19, 2019 | Football, Features
Freshman Kenan Christon rushed for 88 of his 103 yards in the fourth quarter and made two blazing runs to score his first career touchdowns for the Trojans (4-3, 3-1 Pac-12).
USC beat Arizona for the seventh straight time and moved to first in the Pac-12 South lead with a dominant defensive performance against Khalil Tate and the Wildcats (4-3, 2-2), holding them to 167 yards and no points in the first three quarters.
Tate passed for 47 yards and was sacked six times before touted freshman Grant Gunnell replaced him in the third quarter for the Wildcats, who have lost two straight after a four-game winning streak. USC led 34-0 before Brian Casteel took a short pass from Gunnell 56 yards for Arizona's first points with 12:12 to play.
Gunnell passed for 196 yards and hit Casteel for two touchdowns long after the game was decided.Lock 'em up!
— USC Trojans (@USC_Athletics) October 20, 2019
The Trojans have a season-high 5 sacks tonight.#FightOn | #BeatTheWildcats pic.twitter.com/ufyJGLqrUd
Slovis passed for 232 yards without a turnover as USC won easily despite another rash of significant injuries for a team that has already used three quarterbacks this season.
The Trojans began the night without their top three cornerbacks and defensive end Christian Rector due to injury, and they lost top safety Talanoa Hufanga in the first half and star freshman defensive end Drake Jackson in the second half. Running backs Stephen Carr and Markese Stepp also picked up injuries during the game.
Those injuries led to the electrifying debut of Christon, who won the California high school title in the 100-meter sprint last May. The San Diego native flew past the Arizona secondary on a 55-yard TD run early in the fourth quarter, and he added a 30-yard TD sprint moments later.
Tate missed his final chance to beat USC during his career with the Wildcats out of nearby Serra High, a hotbed for Trojans talent. The Inglewood native made his first career start against USC as a 17-year-old freshman, but failed in four opportunities for a win over his hometown program.USC 41, Arizona 7@KChriston_Jr goes over 100 yards on the night!
— USC Trojans (@USC_Athletics) October 20, 2019
📺: @Pac12Network#FightOn | #BeatTheWildcats pic.twitter.com/aDyV0u4NO0
Both defenses started strong at the Coliseum, but Arizona's turnovers gave a double-digit lead to the Trojans in the first quarter. USC kicked a short field goal after Stanley Berryhill muffed a punt, and Pittman took a screen pass 9 yards for a score after Casteel fumbled.
Stepp capped an 87-yard drive by scoring from 12 yards out to put USC up 17-0 shortly before halftime.
Gunnell threw an interception shortly after relieving Tate, leading to three more points for USC.
Moments after Slovis hit Pittman for a 54-yard gain, Vaughns caught a 5-yard TD pass late in the third quarter to put the Trojans up 27-0.
THE TAKEAWAY
USC: The Trojans have plenty of work to do, but they're still in the driver's seat in the Pac-12 South with their win over Utah. Injuries could be the biggest obstacle between USC and the league title game, but the Trojans looked fairly sharp while moving one step closer.UP NEXT
USC: A short week of preparation for a trip to snowy Colorado on Friday night. The Trojans then return home on Nov. 2 to host No. 12 Oregon, the current Pac-12 North leader.Click Here to purchase tickets to USC's Trojan Family Weekend game.
