College Football Playoffs First Round Preview: vs. USC Trojans
Record: 9-4, 7-2 Big Ten
Head Coach: Lincoln Riley
Offensive Scheme: Air Raid
Defensive Scheme: 4-2-5
Team Schedule
vs. LSU (8-4): L 30-17
vs. Utah State (3-9): W 49-17
at #4 Michigan (10-2): W 52-17
vs. Wisconsin (5-7): W 22-21
at Minnesota (6-6): W 26-21
vs. #10 Penn State (9-3): W 24-21
at Maryland (7-5): L 45-27
vs. Rutgers (6-6): W 28-21
at Washington (8-4): L 36-34
vs. Nebraska (6-6): W 24-13
at UCLA (6-6): W 38-33
vs. #6 Notre Dame (10-2): L 31-3
vs. #5 Oregon (12-1): W 45-44
‣ CFB 2024 College Football Playoff, First Round - Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida (9-4, 7-2 Big Ten) Southern California Trojans at #3 Miami Hurricanes (11-1, 7-1 ACC)USC | 10 | 14 | 0 | 6 | 30 MIA | 0 | 13 | 12 | 0 | 25
Hurricanes suffer a quick exit from the playoffs with 30-25 loss to the Trojans
With their late season loss to Notre Dame, USC was dead in the water and written off. Lambs, selected for slaughter as they headed to Indianapolis to get routed by top seeded Oregon, a mere stepping stone and warm up game for the Ducks.
The Trojans upset Mario Cristobal's former team to kick the door into the College Football Playoffs and in Miami Gardens, they were able to hold off Cristobal and Miami, intercepting Cam Ward to end the Hurricanes' comeback effort and win 30-25 to advance to the quarterfinals.
USC jumped out to an early 24-10 lead with three minutes remaining in the first half after DeCarlos Nicholson's pick six. Ward would lead the Hurricanes to a field goal drive to end the half and then opened the second half with back to back touchdown drives to take the 25-24 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
The Trojans leaned on their running game in the final quarter, led by Woody Marks who finished the game with 121 yards rushing. He carried the ball five times in USC's ten play scoring drive to open the fourth quarter, capping it off with a goal line touchdown to retake the lead with 6:50 remaining.
Ward and Miami got the ball to the USC 38-yard line after an eleven-yard run by Mark Fletcher Jr. on fourth-and-one with 3:25 remaining but Ward would be sacked on back to back plays, forcing a 3rd-and-20 where Ward would be intercepted by Kamari Ramsey on a desperate heave across the middle of the field. Jacolby George had came open just as Ward left the ball but he instead threw it to Sam Brown, who had his best day as a Hurricane with seven receptions for 121 yards, scoring on a 47-yard touchdown.
Ward sacked seven times by USC's defense as Miami's offensive line dealt with injuries that forced them to rotate seven different linemen throughout the game. Entering the game, Ward had only been sacked eighteen times in twelve games with the Hurricanes. Scoring Summary Quarter 1 Denis Lynch, 49 Yd FG (8:23) Kyle Ford 20 Yd pass from Miller Moss (4:24)
Quarter 2 Andres Borregales, 27 Yd FG (11:21) Samuel Brown 47 Yd pass from Cam Ward (10:01) Zacharian Branch 1 Yd pass from Miller Moss (8:47) DeCarlos Nicholson, returned interception 64 Yds (3:40) Andres Borregales, 21 Yd FG (0:13)
DT Bear Alexander (out)
Andres Borregales, 27 Yd FG (11:21)
