Recently, we wrote about how 2005 USC played in two of the best college football games of the 21st century. However, those are not the only instant classics the Trojans have played in.
The same story by The Athletic also ranked USC’s 2017 Rose Bowl victory over Penn State at No. 20 on the list. Here is what writer David Ubben had to say about the game:
“USC led by two touchdowns on three separate occasions in the first half. Then Penn State surged in the third quarter, leading by two touchdowns twice, highlighted by a 79-yard touchdown run from Saquon Barkley and a 72-yard tipped catch touchdown by Chris Godwin. Sam Darnold, Juju Smith-Schuster and the Trojans rallied, outscoring Penn State 17-0 in the fourth quarter, mounting touchdown drives of 83 and 80 yards. Leon McQuay III picked off Penn State QB Trace McSorley with 27 seconds left and returned it 32 yards to set up a game-winning 46-yard field goal from Matt Boermeester at the gun.”
The 52-49 thriller capped off a nine-game winning streak to end the season for the Trojans, and is arguably the program’s high point of the post-Pete Carroll era to date. After playing in Pasadena five times in six years between 2004 and 2009, to date this is USC’s only appearance in the Grandaddy of Them All since. Lincoln Riley is currently looking to return the Trojans to national prominence and have them playing in games like this on a regular basis.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: 2017 USC-Penn State Rose Bowl is one of best games of 21st century
Reporting by Adam Bradford, Trojans Wire / Trojans Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
