The USC Trojans went into Corvallis on Friday night and picked up a crucial conference win over the Oregon State Beavers, 31-14. USC picked up bowl eligibility with the win and now hold a 3-2 record against Pac-12 foes.
USC vs. Oregon State final score: Trojans knock off Beavers, 31-14
The Trojans picked up their first win in Corvallis since 2004 with an impressive showing on Friday night.
Steve Dykes
The Trojans came out firing in the first quarter. Cody Kessler connected with Marqise Lee on a 71-yard touchdown strike on their opening possession of the game. Javorius Allen then capped off a nine-play, 72-yard touchdown drive with a 9-yard touchdown run to push Southern Cal's lead to 14-0.
The Beavers would strike right back, though, with two touchdowns in the span of about 15 seconds. Sean Mannion hit Brandin Cooks from 27 yards out to cut the deficit in half, and then a pick-six from Ryan Murphy tied everything up.
USC answered with another Allen touchdown rush before the half, taking a 21-14 lead into the break.
The second half belonged to Ed Orgeron's bunch. Andre Heidari drilled a 34-yard field goal, and then Allen ran into the end zone once again to push the lead to 31-14. Just as the Beavers looked to be putting together one final push, a costly throw from Mannion was intercepted around the goal line to just about wrap things up.
Box Score Heros/Zeros:
Cody Kessler: 17/21, 247 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
Javorius Allen: 16 carries, 133 yards, 3 TD
Silas Redd: 22 carries, 140 yards
Marqise Lee: 5 receptions, 105 yards, 1 TD
Sean Mannion: 26/45, 277 yards, 1 TD, 3 INT
Rankings Ramifications: Neither team came in ranked, though the Beavers did receive a handful of votes in the AP and Coaches Polls. With the win, USC could inch closer toward the top-25, but it seems unlikely they’ll re-enter the rankings again this season unless they win out. What this game really does is keep the Trojans in the hunt for the Pac-12 South title, which is still wide open.
But Did They Cover? Oregon State opened as a two-point favorite, but most lines had moved to five or six points by kickoff. They obviously failed to cover the spread. The over-under was right around 52 points points, so those who bet low came out on top.
For More On This Game: For more on OSU football, visit Building the Dam. For more on Trojans football, visit USC community Conquest Chronicles, plus Pac-12 community Pacific Takes.
Next Week’s Schedule:
Oregon State: 11/16, @ Arizona State, Time TBD
USC: 11/9, @ California, 3 p.m. ET
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