Linebacker Anthony Wheeler paced the feisty effort from the Texas defense, finishing with game highs of 12 tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss, and a team-high 1.5 sacks.
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But given the circumstances, it’s hard to have asked for anything more than what the Trojans and Longhorns delivered this time.
No. 25 UCLA (2-0) at Memphis (1-0): The Bruins’ résumé consists of a dramatic come-from-behind victory over Texas A&M followed by a convincing home win over Hawaii.
As the 2017 college football continues on Saturday, Texas and USC face off at 8:30 PM EST in L. A. Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California.
The journey to get there proved to be full of surprising twists.
Herman knows it’s a big opportunity and a special meeting – the first since the 2005 national title game, won by Vince Young’s Texas heroics.
That level of toughness, physicality and fight resonated throughout all phases of the USC defense on Saturday night.
ABOUT USC (2-0): The Trojans still have plenty of room for improvement on the offensive side of the ball – particularly at quarterback, as Sam Darnold has been intercepted four times on 59 pass attempts. None of Louisville’s four possessions after the touchdown lasted longer than five plays, and Jackson was limited to 7-of-19 passing for 72 yards and a score with six carries for 55 yards. The Longhorns got on the board with a 38-yard interception return from DeShon Elliott. The Texas Longhorns ground game is averaging 252 yards per contest, and Chris Warren III leads the way with 197 yards and two touchdowns.
The third-year sophomore passer led USC’s offense 52 yards in the final 39 seconds of regulation, putting it in position to tie the game after he completed three consecutive passes to receivers Steven Mitchell and Deontay Burnett, as well as freshman running back Stephen Carr.
USC leads 14-7 at the half. Regular starter Shane Buechele is the team’s best passer but missed the last game with a bruised shoulder.
It was Ehlinger’s first start on the road and his inexperienced showed early, with his first three possessions ended with a turnover on downs, an interception, and a fumble. Texas was hit 10 times for 73 yards.
Darnold ended up completing 28 of 49 passes for 397 yards and three touchdowns. The game remained scoreless for most of the first half, until USC quarterback Sam Darnold slung a touchdown pass to go up, 7-0. And then there sat Texas, first-and-goal in the second overtime, sniffing the end zone when a Trojan defender named Christian Rector ripped the ball clean from quarterback Sam Ehlinger’s hands.
And the Trojans are in a different place, too, a place that came very close to being dark and cold Saturday night, until Darnold and USC saw the light. While USC finished on a roll, they didn’t qualify for the Pac-12 championship game and were never really in the College Football Playoff discussion; the Trojans were ninth in the final CFP ranking.
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The Longhorns’ first-year bench boss Tom Herman has also enjoyed regular success when facing nationally-ranked opponents, compiling a ideal 6-0 SU record while coaching Houston, including four outright wins with the Cougars pegged as underdogs.
