The Green Wave came back from a 15-point deficit in the fourth quarter to win the Cotton Bowl. There is a time and a place for it.
Alex Bauman caught a 6-yard touchdown pass with nine seconds left in the game to give the 16th-ranked Green Wave a 46-45 victory over USC in the Cotton Bowl.
Bauman's catch was initially ruled an incompletion but a replay showed the ball never touched the ground as the players rolled over in the end zone. The Green Wave scored 16 points in the last 7 seconds of the game after getting the ball back after a safety.
In the past five seasons, teams were only 1-2% when trailing by 15 or more points in the fourth quarter. In 2020, Texas came back against Texas Tech to win the game.
"I might have had a heart attack, Willie," he said after the game.
One month after USC's loss to Utah in the conference title game kept them from making the four-team College Football Playoff, Williams threw for a Cotton Bowl-record five touchdown passes.
Tyjae Spears ran for 205 yards, his career-best fourth touchdown, and the Green Wave won the American Athletic Conference title for the second year in a row with a 42-21 victory over SMU on Saturday. They were the top ranked team in the Group of 5.
The Green Wave played in the Sugar Bowl on New Year's Day in 1940 when they were still in the SEC and it was their biggest bowl win since 1935.
The Green Wave decided to kick deep after Spears' touchdown. Mario Williams fumbled the ball at the 1. The tackle smothered the running back for a safety after two plays.
"We debated whether or not to on kickside," said the seventh-year coach. The book said it was going to kick it deep. It was great that we were able to get the safety.
There were two completions on the final drive, one after the safety and the other after the rest of the game. Duece Watts held on despite a crushing hit from a defender that left both of them on the ground after a 24 yard gain to the 6 with 18 seconds left in the game.
Despite the coach's first loss in six games at AT&T Stadium, the USC (11-4) matched the biggest comeback in school history. Before Riley and Williams arrived on the West Coast, the record was 4-7.
Williams threw a pair of touchdown passes on the first two possessions of the game. His 9-yard touchdown to Michael Jackson III capped the game- opening drive that took nine minutes, the longest by time for USC this year.
The Green Wave tied the game at 14 on a touchdown reception by Jha'Quan Jackson. Raleek Brown's 39-yard run gave USC a 2-0 lead at the end of the first half.
Rice, the son of Jerry Rice, had career bests with six catches for 174 yards and two touchdown. Washington caught five passes for over 100 yards.
Williams was hurt on a 59-yard run in the conference title game but still threw for 363 yards and three touchdown.
The Utes beat USC with a 2-point conversion at home in October, which was USC's only loss this season.
Williams has thrown five touchdown passes in three games this season. His only mistake was setting up the long game-tying touchdown. On a scramble in front of him, Williams threw off his foot and was picked off by Monroe.
The AP contributed to the story.
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