<
        >

          Sports world reacts to USC defeating LSU in Las Vegas

          play
          Hudson's one-handed grab sets up USC's go-ahead TD in final seconds (1:19)

          After Kyron Hudson makes a sweet one-handed grab, Woody Marks scores from 13 yards out to give USC a 27-20 lead over LSU with just eight seconds remaining. (1:19)

          • ESPN
          Sep 2, 2024, 04:09 AM

          It came down to the wire, but the No. 23 USC Trojans played their cards just right in Las Vegas. They outlasted the No. 13 LSU Tigers 27-20 in the Vegas Kickoff Classic on Sunday night.

          In a low-scoring game between two programs that hired new defensive coordinators in the offseason, there were just 30 combined points scored through three quarters as LSU led 17-13 going into the final frame.

          USC went ahead with 5:44 remaining after Trojans quarterback Miller Moss found Ja'Kobi Lane for a 28-yard touchdown reception. The Tigers answered back with an 8-play, 61-yard drive capped by a 31-yard field goal to even the score with 1:47 left.

          The Trojans then marched down the field, taking advantage of a huge catch by Kyron Hudson to get in field goal range. A targeting penalty on the play brought USC closer to the end zone, and it made the most of it as Woody Marks ran for a 13-yard touchdown with 8 seconds left.

          It was USC's first win when it trailed entering the fourth quarter against an AP-ranked team since the 2017 Rose Bowl vs. the Penn State Nittany Lions, according to ESPN Stats & Information. It's also the Trojans' first season-opening win against an AP-ranked team since defeating the then-No. 6 Auburn Tigers in 2003.

          Moss threw for a career-high 378 passing yards plus a touchdown, while Marks ran for 68 yards and two scores. Tigers quarterback Garrett Nussmeier threw for 204 yards and two touchdowns.

          Here's how the sports world reacted to USC's last-second win.