November 19, 2022 9: 07 pm PT
You cannot possibly make this stuff up.
No, please. You did not think this was possible. I didn’t think it was possible. None of us thought this was possible. Not in our wildest dreams, not in a million years.
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No, USC beating UCLA was entirely realistic. That wasn’t remarkably surprising.
The surprise is is that of all people to make the game-sealing play in the USC-UCLA game on Saturday night in Pasadena, it was:
- A USC defensive player, not an offensive player
- It was not Tuli Tuipulotu or Mekhi Blackmon or Calen Bullock or Shane Lee or Ralen Goforth — those five guys might have been reasonable selections to make a huge play, but it wasn’t any of them (we could also include Max Williams, maybe also Tyrone Taleni)
- Korey Foreman made the play
Korey Foreman. You know, the highly-rated recruit who barely got on the field, who was injured a lot, who didn’t log a ton of practice time, who was behind schedule nearly the whole 2022 season after his washout 2021 under Donte Williams and Todd Orlando.
That guy.
That’s the guy who won this game for USC.
We have reactions to USC’s defensive struggles and takeaways versus UCLA, and the Foreman pick which won the game, sending the Trojans to the Pac-12 Championship Game in Las Vegas on Dec. 2.
GOOD START
Great job by Shane Lee holding up fine in coverage on a deep wheel route. Bruins will punt.
— R.J. Abeytia (@RJ_Abeytia) November 20, 2022
THIS IS EXPECTED
Tuli is making his presence felt on defense already. Great to see.
— RichSC (@OriginalRichSC) November 20, 2022
CAUGHT OFF GUARD
Uptempo working for UCLA this drive.
— Keely Eure (@keelyismyname) November 20, 2022
CENTRAL TRUTH
USC’s defense was always going to give. The issue here is USC’s offense literally shooting themselves in the foot instead of going up 14-0.
— Alicia de Artola Castillo (@PenguinOfTroy) November 20, 2022
BIG PROBLEM
Charbonnet gets like 4 extra yards on every carry.
— Michael Castillo (@MichaelCastFS) November 20, 2022
HANGING IN
Shane Lee all over Zach Charbonnet in those back-to-back run stops.
— Austin Green (@AustinGreen44) November 20, 2022
WHAT?!
#USC tries a short kickoff and it doesn’t work. #UCLA with great field position.
— Ryan Abraham (@insidetroy) November 20, 2022
SLOPPY
Thompson-Robinson completes a pass to Kam Brown for 15 yards but another 15 yards is tacked on for a face mask penalty on Mekhi Blackmon. UCLA gets to the USC 15-yard line with the play.
— Annenberg Media Sports (@ANNMediaSports) November 20, 2022
INEXPLICABLE
USC had some momentum when they closed it to 14-10 but then pooch-kicked the kickoff and handed the Bruins great field position to start their next drive. If we had a Special Teams coach, I’d fire him.
— RichSC (@OriginalRichSC) November 20, 2022
PLOT TWIST
#USC comes up with the turnover. Mekhi Blackmon with the pick.
— Antonio Morales (@AntonioCMorales) November 20, 2022
LUCKY BREAK
UCLA receiver slips, Mekhi Blackmon picks off DTR and suddenly USC has the chance the take the lead going into halftime. What a swing in momentum.
— Adam Grosbard (@AdamGrosbard) November 20, 2022
CRAZY
And there’s Shane Lee leaping up for the pick across the middle of the field. USC has the ball at the UCLA 48, one timeout and 14 seconds le