SAN DIEGO — Despite no Caleb Williams, backup quarterback Miller Moss and the Southern California Trojans ended their frustrating 2023 campaign on a high note with a 42-28 win over the 16th-ranked Louisville Cardinals in the Holiday Bowl.
Talks swirled about who the Trojans would look to fill Williams' shoes for next season, with most thinking the team would look to the transfer portal.
But it seems as though Moss might have made a case for the starting job in 2024, completing 23 of 33 passes for 372 yards and a Holiday Bowl-record 6 touchdown passes to lead the USC offense. The prior touchdown record was four and had been held by four different players.
Williams, the former 2022 Heisman Trophy winner and possible high-first round draft pick, decided to opted out of the game and watched from the sidelines.
One of the key USC offensive weapons to play, redshirt senior receiver Tahj Washington, who caught two touchdown passes and was one of Moss' top targets all night.
Moss broke the record late in the third quarter when he lobbed a 12-yard pass to a leaping Ja'Kobi Lane in the back of the end zone. It was Lane's second touchdown catch of the night and it gave USC a 35-21 lead.
Moss added on to his new record with a 44-yard strike to Duce Robinson balloon the Trojans (8-5) lead to 42-28 with 10 minutes to go.
Afterward, coach Lincoln Riley got a cooler full of eggnog poured over his head.
“We could have come into this game not caring about it,” Riley said. "Honestly, all the years and wins and stuff, this was as fun a win as I can remember as a head coach. Just with all the changes, all the back and forth, six weeks, 20-plus guys that didn't play in this game for different reasons. ... That's a good football team that we just beat up on."
Louisville (10-4) running back Isaac Guerendo ran 23 times for 161 yards and three touchdowns to keep his team in the game. Jack Plummer threw for 141 yards with no touchdowns.
Plummer, making his 39th career start, dislocated his right pinky finger early in the second quarter and had it popped back in on the sidelines. He said it didn’t affect his throwing.
The Cardinals made this interesting in the third quarter. With USC leading 28-14 and driving, Moss was intercepted at the goal line by Quincy Riley, who returned it 61 yards to the USC 39.
Louisville cashed in five plays later, as Guerendo scored on a 1-yard run to pull the Cardinals within a score.
But Moss and Robinson hooked up on the ensuing possession to pad the Trojans lead back to 14 and finalize the score.
20 Oklahoma State 31, Texas A&M 23
HOUSTON — Oklahoma State wide receivers Brennan Presley and Rashod Owens both turned in spectacular performances to lead the Cowboys to a 31-23 win over the Texas A&M Aggies in the Texas Bowl on Wednesday night.
Owens finished with 10 catches for 164 yards and caught two touchdown passes, en route to being named the Texas Bowl MVP. Presley had 152 yards receiving yards on 16 receptions, which tied the school record for single game receptions.
The Cowboys took a comfortable 24-6 halftime lead behind quarterback Alan Bowman who hit Owens for a 13-yard touchdown pass and touchdown runs by
Bowman threw for 402 yards on the night — the most of his career.
The Aggies (7-6) came into the game down some 30 scholarship players and had an interim head coach in Elijah Robinson — who is Syracuse’s new defensive coordinator — and still managed to battle back in the second half.
Randy Bond connected on a 51-yard field goal to pull the Aggies within 31-23 with 5:07 remaining and the defense got a stop as the Cowboys missed a 47-yard field goal.
But Marcel Reed's Hail Mary attempt was intercepted by Kendal Daniels on the final play of the game to secure the win.
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