SportsDirect Inc. staff
Oct 12, 2014
USC 28, No. 13 Arizona 26: Javorius Allen rushed for a career-high 205 rushing yards and three touchdowns as the visiting Trojans handed the Wildcats their first loss.
Cody Kessler was 20-of-30 for 185 yards and threw a 21-yard TD pass to Nelson Agholor for USC (4-2, 3-1 Pac-12), which escaped with the victory when Casey Skowron's 36-yard field goal attempt sailed wide right with 12 seconds remaining. Agholor had seven receptions for 81 yards to help the Trojans win for the fourth time in their last five games against the Wildcats.
Jared Baker accounted for three touchdowns while Anu Solomon completed 43-of-72 passes for 395 yards and a score for Arizona (5-1, 2-1), which was held to 77 rushing yards, well below its season average of 224. Leading rusher Nick Wilson sat out due to an ankle injury and Terris Jones-Grigsby rushed 12 times for 32 yards before leaving in the second quarter with a head injury.
Allen scored on runs of 34 and 48 yards to give USC a 14-6 lead at the end of the first half, which ended when the Trojans blocked Skowron’s 34-yard field goal attempt. Arizona pulled within 21-13 on Baker’s 6-yard touchdown run with 6:05 left in the third quarter before USC answered on its next possession with Allen’s 1-yard score.
Arizona, which entered the contest as the Pac-12’s last unbeaten team, cut the deficit to 28-20 on Solomon’s 41-yard touchdown pass to Baker early in the fourth quarter. The Wildcats pulled within 28-26 on Baker’s 1-yard TD run with 1:07 left and failed to convert the two-point conversion before recovering the ensuing onside kick, which led to Skowron’s missed field goal attempt.
GAME NOTEBOOK: USC kicker Alex Wood converted four extra points in place of regular starter Andre Heidari, who did not play because of a groin injury. … The past eight games in the series have been decided by seven points or fewer. … Arizona saw its streak of rushing for at least 100 yards end at 27 games.