Foutrth-ranked USC overcomes injuries, outlasts Texas in 2 OT

LOS ANGELES – Deep into the fourth quarter, No. 5 Southern California and Texas played a defense-dominated, turnover-plagued game Saturday night.

Then the offenses finally found their stride.

Texas' freshman quarterback led a gutsy 91-yard touchdown march in the final minutes of regulation. USC answered with a desperate drive to force overtime.

By the time walk-on Chase McGrath hit a walk-off field goal, this famed matchup definitely had its mojo back.

Sam Darnold passed for 397 yards and three touchdowns, and USC's freshman kicker hit a 43-yard field goal to end the No. 4 Trojans' thrilling 27-24 victory over the Longhorns on Saturday night.

Vince Young and Matt Leinart were the quarterbacks for Texas' 41-38 victory in that famous Rose Bowl matchup 12 seasons ago, and they watched every twist in this sequel from the Coliseum stands.

Darnold and his Trojans (3-0) earned their own memorable win by outlasting a Texas offense led by Sam Ehlinger, a freshman from Austin who nearly engineered a huge win early in coach Tom Herman's debut season with Texas (1-2).

Christian Rector made the biggest defensive play in a game full of them, forcing a goal-line fumble by stripping the ball from Ehlinger in the second OT. McGrath then coolly ended it with the second field goal of his college career.

USC has won 12 consecutive games and 12 straight at home.

"We had to finish strong, and that's what we did," said USC receiver Deontay Burnett, who caught eight passes for 123 yards and two touchdowns.

Ehlinger passed for 298 yards for the Longhorns in a sold-out Coliseum.

USC needed unlikely contributions to overcome a barrage of injuries. Starting inside linebacker John Houston Jr. didn't play because of a stinger. Defensive end Rasheem Green was knocked out of the game with a left ankle injury. Linebacker Cam Smith was in and out of the lineup after dislocating a finger.