USC ends the season in a thrilling Las Vegas Bowl comeback over Texas A&M

It was less than four months ago, at the start of his third and most consecutive season yet as USC‘s coach, that Lincoln Riley walked off the same field at Allegiant Stadium, brimming with faith. His new quarterback had come through. His rebuilt defense had delivered. The statement he had been looking for finally seemed to come in a season-opening win over Louisiana State.

“We know what we’ve built,” Riley said that night. “I know we’re making progress.”

By the end of December, all signs of progress had long since disappeared, and confidence in USC’s coaching had vanished along with it, lost along the way through a frustrating season that ended Friday night right back where it began.

But after a campaign filled with frustrating fourth-quarter collapses, the Trojans were able to, however briefly, return to the form they found back in September, coming from behind to beat Texas A&M in the Las Vegas Bowl 35-31 to finish their season 7-6.

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The bookends had some striking similarities, right down to the breathtaking finish, as USC once again battled through a fourth-quarter deficit to earn an emphatic victory. Even if this statement did not sound quite the same as the one in September.

Once again, it took timely stops by USC’s defense and heroics from its best receiver as Ja’Kobi Lane rushed for 127 yards and three touchdowns, giving him a dozen on the year.

But this time, the Trojans’ quarterback first had to dig himself out of a deep hole.

Where Miller Moss had put on a show during the season opener, his replacement, Jayden Maiava, struggled to even move USC’s offense at the start of a mistake-filled finale. Even worse, he committed three head-scratching interceptions, each of which threatened to derail a Trojan offense that appeared to be hanging by a thread.

But before questions about USC’s quarterback future could be asked, Maiava managed to move the Trojans down the field on one scoring drive … then another … then another. He hit Makai Lemon for two big plays downfield, then found Lane for his second and third touchdowns. In quick succession, USC erased a three-score deficit behind its quarterback’s cannon right arm.

Texas A&M fired back as quarterback Marcel Reed worked his own magic on a clear touchdown drive and sprinted into the end zone with less than two minutes remaining.

That was too much time to leave Maiava, who put an ugly start behind him to finish with 295 yards and four touchdowns. Back in the pocket on third-and-13, with the bowl hanging in the balance, he fired a pass downfield that found Lane, who tripped his way through a tackle for a 33-yard gain. Maiava hit Lane again, just short of the goal line, but a delay of game put the Trojans back up seven with just 12 seconds left.

This time it was Kyle Ford who broke wide as Maiava fired an arrow to the go-ahead.

It was a great fourth-quarter drive for the Trojans, who seemed well on their way to putting the game away through the first three quarters. With five minutes left in the fourth quarter, USC trailed by 17, with three turnovers to its name. But the Trojans’ defense stood tall from there, stopping the Aggies on three consecutive drives and giving Maiava just enough time to guide USC back into the lead.

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Texas A&M wasted little time asserting its will early on, marching down the field with a methodical 16-play touchdown drive while USC struggled to move the ball. None of the Trojans’ first three drives managed to extend beyond six yards, while the Aggies totaled 134 in the first quarter alone.

Opportunities kept being handed to USC. A 46-yard return by Lemon set up USC at midfield, only for the drive to screech to a halt. A diving interception by Kamari Ramsey put the Trojans up in similar position on the next possession … with similarly disappointing results.

At any point, it looked like Texas A&M might break the game open. But a tipped Aggies pass in the end zone was picked off by Akili Arnold, giving the Trojans another chance to find their footing. This time they followed through as Maiava found Lane streaking wide open across the field to tie the score at 7-7.

The Aggies stalled after that, managing a paltry five yards in the second quarter. And yet, USC still couldn’t seize control. A drive ended with a woefully deep ball from Maiava that was picked off. Another was used to run down the clock just before halftime, only for USC to miss a 39-yard field goal.

Texas A&M did its best to make USC pay after that, scoring 17 straight points in the third quarter. But it wasn’t enough as Maiava led the Trojans back to end an up-and-down season on a high note right where it started.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.