Last-minute TD pushes USC to wild win over LSU at Allegiant Stadium

Miller Moss felt Southern California’s offense wasn’t doing its part in the second half.

He made sure it came through with the game on the line.

The junior quarterback, in his second collegiate start, orchestrated an eight-play, 75-yard touchdown drive with less than two minutes remaining to give No. 23 USC a 27-20 win over No. 13 Louisiana State at the Vegas Kickoff Classic at Allegiant Stadium on Sunday. Senior running back Woody Marks got the go-ahead, game-winning 13-yard score with eight seconds left.

“I think the biggest thing is excitement for our team,” Moss said. “We worked really hard throughout the offseason to build an identity of a tough team that really cares about each other.”

Moss, who replaced 2022 Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams as USC’s quarterback, threw for 378 yards and a touchdown.

His final throw was a 20-yard completion to wide receiver Kyron Hudson, which brought the Trojans to LSU’s 27-yard line with 18 seconds left. Tigers safety Jardin Gilbert was called for targeting on the play, moving the ball to the 13. Marks scored his second touchdown the next play.

Moss outdueled LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, who was making his second collegiate start as well. Nussmeier, a junior tasked with replacing 2023 Heisman winner Jayden Daniels, completed 29 of his 38 passes for 304 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.

Tigers coach Brian Kelly was irate after the game. He said he left the field angry at his team for the first time since being hired at LSU in 2021.

“We had a bunch of guys who played their butts off, and we’re sitting here again talking about the same things,” Kelly said as he slammed a table during his postgame news conference. “About not finishing when you have an opponent in a position to put them away. But what we’re doing on the sideline is feeling like the game is over. And I’m so angry about that. We have to do something about it. I’m not doing a good enough job as a coach.

“It’s unacceptable for us not to have found a way to win this football game. It’s ridiculous and crazy.”

Kelly was also frustrated by two targeting penalties that led to points for USC. The Tigers had 10 penalties for 99 yards.

“That is the thing that is most concerning to me,” Kelly said. “The penalties that are selfish. Both led to scores, and they’re undisciplined penalties. The fact is they fall back on me. We take pride in running a disciplined program, but we clearly have not done a good enough job there because it impacted the game.”

LSU’s defense gave the team a chance in the second half.

The Tigers led 17-13 going into the fourth quarter because they made the Trojans one-dimensional. USC had 64 total yards in the third quarter, and just 8 of them came on the ground. USC finished with 69 rushing yards.

LSU stopped the Trojans on a fourth-and-9 with 8:38 remaining. Its offense didn’t take advantage, punting the ball back after going three-and-out.

USC took the lead in three plays, the final one being a 28-yard touchdown pass from Moss to sophomore wide receiver Ja’Kobi Lane with 5:44 left in the fourth quarter.

The Tigers responded their next possession and tied the game 20-20 with 1:47 remaining after a 27-yard field goal from Damian Ramos.

Moss completed five of his six passes on the Trojans’ final drive to lead his team to the win.

“(Moss is) a tough competitor,” USC coach Lincoln Riley said. “He’s a great leader for this team. You have guys like that, you tend to have moments like this.”

Here are three takeaways from the game:

1. Hudson’s highlight

Allegiant Stadium has hosted plenty of football games in its brief history. None featured a catch like the one-handed grab by Hudson in the second quarter.

The 6-foot-1-inch junior extended his right arm with LSU defensive back Major Burns all over him and came down with the ball. Hudson’s 24-yard reception was the highlight of USC’s first touchdown drive, which put it up 7-0 four minutes into the second quarter.

“It was a play we worked on during this week,” Hudson said. “Miller put it in a great spot, and I just had to make a play.”

2. Lacy’s response

LSU senior Kyren Lacy was not to be undone.

The Tigers answered the Trojans’ first touchdown drive by marching 75 yards for a score. Lacy capped things off by making a 19-yard touchdown catch with 7:04 left in the second quarter.

He caught the ball near the far left corner of the end zone and got both feet down.

Lacy, who finished with seven receptions for 94 yards and a touchdown, will need to step up this season after LSU had wide receivers Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. go in the first round of April’s NFL draft. Nabers was selected sixth overall by the New York Giants, and Thomas was taken 23rd overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars.

3. Building off bowls

Moss and Nussmeier each got their feet wet in bowl games last season.

Moss set a Holiday Bowl record by throwing six touchdown passes in a 42-28 win against Louisville on Dec. 27. Nussmeier threw for 395 yards in a 35-31 win over Wisconsin in the ReliaQuest Bowl on Jan. 1.

They carried those performances over into the following season.

Nussmeier didn’t turn the ball over until an interception on LSU’s final play of the game. Moss completed 75 percent of his passes without turning the ball over.

Contact Danny Webster at dwebster@reviewjournal.com. Follow @DannyWebster21 on X.