USC blocks last goal attempt on the pitch to defeat Washington State and end two-game skid – Daily Breeze

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LOS ANGELES – Before his 39-36 victory over Washington State takes place late Friday, the USC season has begun a calamity.

Within two minutes of the end, the Cougars had walked 55 yards at the end of the game, just before the red zone, where they were ready to attempt a 38-yard shot. If that is good, it would erase the second-half thrust of the Trojans that had erased a 13-point deficit.

But Blake Mazza's kick hit Jay Tufele's right hand. He was stuck. Tufele took advantage of Christian Haangana, Washington's left-wing goalkeeper who had leapt forward, creating a strip of space in the area between him and the left tackle. Tufele dipped through, then jumped with outstretched arms. Once in the air, he felt good.

"I was like a match over," Tufele said. "Checkmate."

The call to the piece was known as "D-move," according to Tufele. USC coach Clay Helton said he was installed during the week by team coach John Baxter and revisited at the team's last meeting before the kickoff.

"The kids knew exactly what to do," said Helton.

In the seconds leading up to the break, linebacker Cameron Smith did it. Smith was set up just meters from the line of scrimmage, where he launched the call. Smith noticed that Haangana had also tilted forward during a goal attempt on the previous pitch.

"I knew that if we did it right, it would work perfectly," said Smith. "It was one of those things we practice and plan and it worked in our own way.

"I just got around the guard," said Tufele. "When he leans forward, I just pass him."

After the block, the players celebrated, spilled on the ground. The attack then resumed possession, iced the match and won a win early in the season.

The heroics of the last match allowed the Trojans to avoid a 1-3 start and gave the young team a moral boost in front of their home crowd after consecutive double digit defeats on Stanford and Texas. The win brought their home winning streak to 18 games under Helton, the second-longest winning streak of the country behind Alabama, ahead of 52,421 at the Coliseum.

"It was critical for our confidence and our psyche," Helton said.

The double digit consecutive losses have been a first for the program since 2000 and have developed a variety of difficulties. Against Stanford, the Trojans failed to score a touchdown. Against Texas, they ran for -5 yards, the lowest since 1999.

"After two losses, you have to win," said receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown. "It was a game to be won absolutely for us."

The Trojans, who rank 2-2 overall and 1-1 at the Pac-12 conference, held up better this time when they were forced to overcome a double-digit deficit.

The players thought they were tougher, citing more intense practices and a team meeting earlier in the week to justify their ability to recover.

"Sometimes we look frowned upon, as if we were waiting for someone to play the big game," receiver Michael Pittman added from outside the locker room after the win. "Today, we have won a team."

"We came last week with the right head," said St. Brown. "We practiced harder than ever, we knew what was at stake."

The losses stung.

"This has sparked more energy in our team," said St. Brown.

Rookie quarterback JT Daniels played an important role in the second half, scoring 241 yards and three touchdowns. It was the first multi-touchdown match of Daniels' college career. He completed 17 of 26 passes at a 65% clip.

"He continues to improve every game," said Helton.

In the first minute of the fourth quarter, Daniels launched a 30-yard touchdown pass to St. Brown – his former teammate of Mater Dei High, who made a superb pass to the shoulder – to give the Trojans a lead from a trailing point 30-17 in the third quarter. He also pitched touchdowns to Michael Pittman and Tyler Vaughns earlier in the game, establishing a better connection.

Trooper defense struggled to end the Washington air offensive for most of the night, while the Cougars (3-1, 0-1) were led by quarterback Gardner Minshew .

Washington State took the lead at 36-31 when Minshew threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Easop Winston with 10:15 in the fourth quarter. The Cougars had previously converted a fourth critic in the red zone on the disc.

"I thought (Washington State) had done a great job in third and fourth places tonight," said Helton.

The Cougars finished three for three in fourth place and the Trojans failed to stop them.

Like Daniels, Minshew made three assists in what turned into an offensive shootout, completing 37 of 52 attempts for 344 yards.

The Trojans struggled to put pressure on Minshew, firing him once when he was shot by linebacker Porter Gustin late in the game.

"This offensive line really works very well together," Gustin said. "They separate more than most teams. The quarterback is rid of the ball very quickly. And he had not fallen so far. So, a combination of talented offensive line players, broad divisions, it's hard to get a peak of speed. "

Gustin had to be away for the first half due to a targeting penalty resulting from the loss to Texas, but his presence clearly helped pass after halftime.

At one point, Washington State scored a touchdown or goal on the field in five consecutive races, en route to building its 30-17 lead. The Cougars led 24-17 at half-time and opened the second half with a 75-yard run from Max Borghi's 13-yard touchdown run.

After the Minshew touchdown in the fourth quarter, Washington State regained the upper hand, the Trojans bounced back thanks to a 2-yard attack by Vavae Malepeai and Daniels' 2-point conversion pass against a Vaughns leaping into the game. at the back of the end zone to take the lead.

The Trojans were more effective on the field after their difficulties, finishing with 113 yards on the ground. They were more eager to run it too, with 31 games running at 26 passing games.

"Balance helps us," said Helton, "that's who we are."

The skid was over.

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