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Fight OnHow do you sum up history? USC head coach Clay Helton resorted to words that he has said so many times, calling these Trojans "the embodiment of Fight On." It took every resilient ounce the Trojans could muster to pull out a Rose Bowl Game that mirrored the ups and downs of this season and this program's last eight years. "I felt in my gut that this was going to be a 60-minute game," said Helton. "They just found a way to get it done." Trailing 49-35, the Trojans won the fourth quarter, 17-0, to set off a celebration that exorcised years worth of frustration for the Trojan Family.
The Dream Kick
Overtime beckoned. The Trojans tied the game with 1:20 left on the clock, knowing they needed a defensive stop just to get to the extra session. Instead, Leon McQuay III, at the second time of asking, picked off Penn State QB Trace McSorley to tee up a 46-yard, walk-off field goal for Matt Boermeester. After the game, surrounded by teammates alternating between screaming and crying, USC's redshirt junior kicker was as cool as ice. He talked about his "process" and "technique", comparing the kick to every other one from his career. One day, Boermeester will fully understand that he drilled one of the most iconic field goals in USC history. "It hasn't really hit me yet," he admitted. "I'm just happy I got the opportunity to do so."
Young Jedi
USC redshirt freshman QB Sam Darnold is not big on emotion either. The San Clemente kid displayed a "laser-like focus" for four quarters, according to his head coach, setting a Rose Bowl record with 5 touchdown passes en route to winning the offensive MVP award. He needed every one. Darnold also threw for 453 yards, three shy of a Rose Bowl record, and he needed every one of those too. Faced with having to move the team 80 yards in two minutes and without any timeouts, Darnold carved up the Penn State defense in 39 seconds to tie the game. "I love the quiet confidence about him," said Helton about his QB. "You never saw his demeanor change tonight."
The Blue Shirt
In less than a month, USC will celebrate its 2017 recruiting class at National Signing Day. As a "blue shirt", an unrecruited player who does not get announced until the fall when he enrolls, sophomore WR Deontay Burnett never got that moment. And while USC is dependent on five-star talents like Adoree' Jackson and JuJu Smith-Schuster, where would the Trojans have been tonight without Burnett? He finished his first Rose Bowl with 13 catches (a USC Rose Bowl record) for 164 yards and 3 TD (tying a Rose Bowl record). "I always dreamed of this. I always dreamed of coming to USC and playing in a Rose Bowl," said Burnett. "Every day I go against the best, and when you take that and translate it to Saturday, you have success."
Short Memories
After shutting out Penn State in the first quarter, the USC defense gave up touchdowns on seven consecutive Penn State drives. Instead of folding up shop, the Trojans fought back, blanking the Nittany Lions in the fourth quarter to provide the platform for a stirring comeback. "We hit a point where we said enough is enough," OLB Uchenna Nwosu said. "The offense did a great job and kept us in the game. They didn't give up. We knew we had an offensive brother so the defensive brothers had to come together." Senior DT Stevie Tu'ikolovatu was named the Rose Bowl defensive MVP after leading the Trojans with eight tackles.
The Train Rolls On
With a Heisman candidate returning at quarterback and Rose Bowl momentum at their backs, the Trojans will steam into the offseason and set the highest goals in 2017. "I think it shows the progress of our football team as a whole," said Helton about the value of winning this game going forward. "We are definitely headed in the right direction with the experience and cohesiveness of this staff and some very talented young kids. I love where we are going. We are not a finished product. We believe in winning championships here." While Helton and the Trojans will not be satisfied until they are raising the Pac-12 and national championship trophies, for one night at least, the Trojan Family can exult in a magical day at the Rose Bowl.
Here are the game highlights from highest-scoring Rose Bowl ever:
