Miller Moss threw three touchdown passes and ran for a fourth as No. 13 Southern California stormed back from a 21-10 halftime deficit to record its first-ever Big Ten Conference win with a 38-21 decision over visiting Wisconsin on Saturday in Los Angeles.
USC (3-1, 1-1 Big Ten) trailed by two scores at intermission for the second time in as many weeks. Unlike its conference-opening loss at Michigan last Saturday, the Trojans successfully completed their second-half rally in the program’s first home Big Ten game.
Moss ignited the comeback in the third quarter with a 6-yard touchdown strike to Ja’Kobi Lane, the second scoring connection between the quarterback and receiver on the afternoon. They also hooked up less than three minutes into the game on a 32-yard pass play.
The Trojans took the lead later in the third when Moss hit Duce Robinson for an 8-yard score. Moss tacked on another score from 7 yards out on a 4th-and-1 play to give USC a 31-21 lead.
A dominant second half for the USC defense culminated when linebacker Mason Cobb put an exclamation point on the Trojans victory, returning an interception of Wisconsin quarterback Braedyn Locke’s pass 55 yards for a touchdown.
Locke was 13-of-26 for 180 yards with a touchdown and the interception in his first start. He was replacing Tyler Van Dyke, who sustained a torn ACL in Wisconsin’s Sept. 14 loss to Alabama.
Locke’s touchdown was a 63-yard play to Vinny Anthony II early in the first quarter. The Badgers (2-2, 0-1) added two more touchdowns in the first half on a pair of Tawee Walker runs, the first on an 18-yard carry after Wisconsin recovered a muffed punt deep in USC territory.
Walker scored again from 4 yards out to give the Badgers their two-score lead. Wisconsin had an opportunity to push the advantage to three scores before halftime when Austin Brown killed a Trojans drive with a sack of Moss, forcing a fumble.
The Badgers moved into USC territory with a little more than a minute to go before the break, but could not capitalize.
Walker finished with 55 yards rushing to lead Wisconsin. Woody Marks carried for 63 for USC.
Lane hauled in 10 passes for 105 yards. Moss went 30-of-45 for 308 yards.
–Field Level Media
