Los Angeles, CA – The eyes of the Los Angeles hoops scene went from the Crypto.com Arena a few nights ago to the Galen Center where USC upset crosstown rival #8 UCLA 77-64.
UCLA controlled the game early as the Tyger Campbell and the Bruins looked like the better team on both sides of the floor.
Photo by Chanel Foster / fi360 News
The Bruins went into half with a 37-25 lead with Campbell leading the team in scoring with ten points to go along with three assists and two steals. David Singleton knocked down three 3s early to help.
The Trojans missed open shots and left defenders open. It looked like the rout was on for UCLA.
But like the game easier in the year at Pauley Pavilion, the second half was an entirely different story as the Trojans dominated the team from Westwood.
In that game, USC nearly came back from an 18-point deficit before falling short, 60-58.
This time around the team got a special performance from a special player to make sure the come back was complete.
Guard Boogie Ellis like the rest of his team started slow with four points in the first half but finished the game with a career-high 31 points to go with six assists and four rebounds.
Photo by Chanel Foster / fi360 News
“I felt like the UCLA game, that definitely was on me,” said Ellis of the team’s early season loss against their rival. “But, it’s basketball. You will have your highs and lows, but you always gotta stay right in the middle. So I’m blessed and I’m glad that I was able to help get this one for my team.”
Ellis’ 27 second half points matched the total scored by the Bruins. Another impressive feat Ellis achieved was having zero turnovers on his career night.
USC won the second half by nearly 30 points outscoring the eighth-ranked team in America, 51-27.
The Trojan guard wasn’t alone in his efforts as teammate Drew Peterson chipped in with 16 points.
Defensive adjustments made in the second half also played a huge part in the win for USC.
Photo by Chanel Foster / fi360 News
“We really started to hard hedge the ball screens, tried to put pressure on their guards, so (Tyger) Campbell couldn’t get in the lane and the other guys,” said Trojans coach Andy Enfield. Our big players, our centers Josh (Morgan) and Vince (Iwuchukwu) did a really good job of getting out on the ball screens and getting back before they could reverse the ball or throw it into their bigs at the rim.”
Campbell finished the game with 14 points and Singleton only made one three-point field goal after halftime.
Photo by Chanel Foster / fi360 News
“We just didn’t get the job done. They turned up the heat, they created deflections. We didn’t handle it. Then they got going. Once they got going, the crowd got behind them. They made some un-guardable shots” said UCLA coach Mick Cronin.
But the star of the night was Ellis who boogied all over the floor and led his team to a resume building win.
Photo by Chanel Foster / fi360 News
“We were supposed to be more aggressive on him. We played him soft and he made his play. And that’s what he does when you are playing soft” coach Cronin said.
Now both teams will look to finish strong to compete for the regular season Pac-12 title.
Seattle, WA – Coming into tonight’s contest, the Seattle Kraken had never beaten their rivals to the North, the Vancouver Canucks, through six meetings in Seattle’s existence. A team that has seen vast change in numerous ways, the Kraken put their foot (or tentacle) down and annihilated the Canucks in a six goals to one performance. Seattle jumped out to a two-goal lead throughout the first frame, dominating possession and pinning Vancouver deep in their own zone. Seattle tacked on three more goals in period two, effectively putting the game to bed with 20 minutes still to play.
Oliver Bjorkstrand has had the “snake bitten” label all over him for the entirety of the 2022-23 season with Seattle, having near miss after near miss plague him. Underlying numbers have shown that the former Columbus Blue Jacket has still performed well for the Kraken, but he just might be turning a corner. Bjorkstrand was feeling his game early, scoring the first goal of the night on a juicy rebound thanks to a shot by Adam Larsson. Bjorkstrand, while falling backwards, fired away instantly and beat a sprawled-out Spencer Martin top shelf. Bjorkstrand spoke postgame about his performance tonight.
“It feels good, I feel better. I feel like I’m creating more, just as a line we’re playing really well together. With Tolvy and Gourdy. It’s definitely nice to see it go in,” Bjorkstrand said.
The Kraken imposed their will against Vancouver, showering the Canucks with waves of goals, courtesy of their depth. Five Seattle skaters scored goals and ten of them recorded a point in a complete all-around effort. Not only did nearly half the team have a hand in scoring, but the collective group did an excellent job of blocking shots, keeping Vancouver out of prime passing lanes, and playing selfless hockey. Although it came against a struggling Canucks team, Seattle’s well-rounded performance is a prime example of what this group can accomplish when they play their game for the entirety of 60 minutes. Kraken head coach Dave Hakstol reflected on his team’s performance, postgame.
“We played 60 minutes, made it hard right from the start. We played a real direct game, did everything pretty quick, and we sustained that through the first 40 minutes and for the majority of 60 minutes. We didn’t give up very much because of that,” Hakstol stated.
The Kraken will get a team day off following tonight’s beatdown of the Canucks, a well-earned one at that. The rest is a short one, though, as Seattle picks things up on Friday, January 27th against the Calgary Flames in the first game of a back-to-back. Puck drop for another divisional rivalry game is at 7PM PST, as the Flames will look to disrupt Seattle’s positive play heading into the All-Star break.
Seattle, WA – The expression that a sport is a game of inches can be played out, but it rang especially true in the Saturday showdown of the Colorado Avalanche and the Seattle Kraken. The Avalanche bested the Kraken in an overtime shootout, as both teams traded near misses throughout the first three periods and overtime. Ultimately, Seattle’s inability to finish on one on one with the goaltender did them in as Colorado goaltender Pavel Francouz’s perfect save percentage in shootouts remained squeaky clean. Despite recording a point in the loss, the Kraken fell to second in the division as Las Vegas won their game tonight.
Mere inches decided this contest between the defending Stanley Cup champion Avalanche and upstart Kraken, as both teams peppered each other’s goaltenders with chances in the high danger area. Several Kraken skaters made incredibly critical plays to keep the Avalanche off the board, cleaning up their own messes. A major example of this was defenseman Adam Larsson, who flung the puck back up the ice after it was slowly inching towards the goal line. Larsson’s heads up play wiped a goal off the board and kept his team in it. Unfortunately, Colorado was able to get the fortunate bounces necessary in the shootout as Seattle failed to score any of their three opportunities and the Avalanche converted twice. Adam Larsson discussed what it was like defending against the reigning champs with the media, postgame.
“You need the whole team to defend against a line like that. I thought we did a pretty solid job, didn’t give them too much. Obviously, we two can clean up some stuff, but we got one point out of this… It’s fun to play in a game like this, you’re playing last year’s champs, everybody was excited for this one. Obviously, we aren’t happy with the end result, but some good effort out there,” Larsson stated.
This Kraken team may be coming back down to Earth a bit following their eight-game winning streak, but this loss against the Avalanche is one that I’d consider to be constructive. Seattle has obvious areas from this loss that need to be improved upon, some with higher priority than others. The Kraken have not been relatively good at all when it comes to finishing in one-on-one situations against opposing goaltenders, and that must improve especially when it comes to breakaways and shootouts. Seattle looked like they had overcomplicated their shootout opportunities. Another one of those addressable areas is the ability to get greasy goals, something the Kraken failed to do in this game as well. Seattle head coach Dave Hakstol discussed how he felt about his teams effort, postgame.
“That was a battle, we were in the battle for 65+ minutes with the shootout. Obviously, it’s disappointing when you don’t win in the shootout and get the extra point. In terms of our effort, work level and battle, it was good throughout the hockey game. You’d like to be able to execute better in a couple situations, but it was that type of hockey game all the way through. Really proud of the guys for their effort and consistency throughout the game, we were in the fight,” Hakstol stated.
The Kraken will get three scheduled days off following the loss, but the reality of it is that two of those days will include activities. Seattle is hosting it’s “Skills showcase,” an event geared toward the fanbase at Climate Pledge Arena where the roster displays skills in several different competitions such as hardest shot, a relay race, and many more. Following the short-term break, the Kraken get back to the gauntlet of their January schedule when they host the pesky Vancouver Canucks. The two Pacific Northwest rivals will meet on Wednesday, January 25th with a puck drop of 7PM PST as Seattle still is searching for their first ever win over the Canucks.
Seattle, WA – A battle between two teams that have impressed this season, and both named after cryptids, it was the Seattle Kraken that emerged victorious once the ice had settled. Seattle opened the game with an energized effort, as Ryan Donato led the way with two goals in the first two frames. New Jersey lurked around though, as goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood made numerous remarkable saves to keep the Devils within striking distance. A shorthanded goal and score with their own net empty meant that the Kraken had demons to exercise in overtime. Andre Burakovsky broke out of his slump, slamming home the game winner.
Tonight’s driving force out of the gate was winger Ryan Donato, who flirted with a hat trick as he scored two goals in the first two periods. The Massachusetts born man was on a mission against New Jersey, firing off a career high seven shots on the night. The veteran wings goals were stellar, first a laser beam from the faceoff circle and then a missile on a two on one from the faceoff circle. Donato’s excellent night was yet another example of Seattle’s depth, a key component to their success this season. Kraken head coach Dave Hakstol discussed his team’s depth, postgame.
“Donny, those two goals… that’s the story of our year, right? The story of our team, somebody stepping up and scoring goals at the right time. We had a ton of good opportunities at that point in time, both in tight and some different looks. That first goal was a big one in the hockey game in order to break through, it was a hell of a shot,” Hakstol stated.
A common theme for this years Kraken squad has been that they are overall solid defensively, but their key mistakes here and there allow their opponents back into games. Tonight, Seattle’s mistake was not being careful with the puck in the neutral zone. New Jersey’s first goal came as Yanni Gourde failed to get a pass up ice, and Devils defensemen Damon Severson took advantage of tired legs, beating Martin Jones top shelf. The second Devils goal was shorthanded, as Andre Burakovsky tried to get a pass back to Vince Dunn, but Dunn never collected the puck. New Jersey’s Erik Haula took it the other way for an easy breakaway, beating Martin Jones at point blank range. Despite making those mistakes, the Kraken were able to remain resilient and battle back. Seattle head coach Dave Hakstol discussed his team’s character, postgame.
“That’s credit to these guys, the next group up has to go out and push back. To realize the moment of the game, and to be able to push back. We did that, when we gave up the shorthanded goal. In overtime, we had a little bit of patience. We got a good opportunity,” Hakstol remarked.
Seattle will get a day off prior to a Saturday, January 21st meeting with the Colorado Avalanche. The Kraken will host the Avalanche for the first time this season, having previously beaten the team in Colorado when the teams met back in October. Puck drop for this contest is at 7PM PST, as the defending Stanley Cup champions continue their pursuit to regain last season’s form, while Seattle looks to take sole possession of first place in the Pacific Division.
Seattle, WA – On Martin Luther King Jr Day 2023, the Seattle Kraken saw their historic winning streak end at eight games as the Tampa Bay Lightning spoiled the short homecoming. Following seven games over the course of 13 days and the pedigree of the opposition, Seattle was visibly slower and less explosive compared to the juggernaut we saw on the road trip. All things considered, the Kraken put up a solid fight against a Tampa Bay team that has won two of the last three Stanley Cups, but it was ultimately critical defensive issues that nailed Seattle’s coffin shut. One thing remains apparent for a Kraken team gunning to make a playoff appearance in the second year of their existence: they must find consistency defensively if they want to take things to another level.
Following an eight-game streak that saw Seattle’s attack score four or more goals every outing but one, and eight goals twice, the Kraken simply looked like they ran out of juice against Tampa Bay. Seattle was held to 23 shots today, 11 of those coming in the final period when the Kraken were just trying to fling pucks on net. While playing against Vezina trophy winning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy certainly didn’t help, the Kraken had trouble breaking into Tampa Bay’s offensive zone and could not generate clean looks. The only score of the day for Seattle came off a bomb of a shot from the blue line that deflected off a Lightning defenseman. The scorer of that goal, Vince Dunn, discussed his team’s offensive effort postgame.
“I think we could have been better with our execution out of our zone… I don’t think that there’s any excuse to be honest, we had the whole day yesterday off and this morning… we just came out flat. We can always have more traffic net front, I think that our forwards were doing a good job… when you play good teams like that, you have to find a way to score dirty goals,” Dunn stated.
For most of this contest, the Kraken were able to make up for the occasional error that they made defensively, with effort and active sticks. But two key and untimely mistakes ended up dooming Seattle, as the other two Tampa Bay goals were empty netters with time ticking down. The first notable mistake was by Jamie Oleksiak, who was caught out in no-man’s land as two Lightning skaters had free real estate in the Kraken high danger area. An Ian Cole puck from the blue line in period one was tipped in easily by Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, who was left wide open as Oleksiak seemed to have forgotten his assignment. The second came a little under seven minutes into the third period, as Vince Dunn turned the puck over to Nicholas Paul right next to the Kraken goal, and Dunn even screened his own goaltender as Paul slotted the puck home. Kraken head coach Dave Hakstol discussed his team’s areas to improve.
“We knew it was gonna be a tight hockey game, first period we didn’t do a good job coming out of the zone… tough puck play in the neutral zone, but we cleaned that up a little bit in the second. We were able to generate a little more offensively in the third. It was a tight hockey game, we’re disappointed in the result and outcome, but it was still a tight hockey game,” Hakstol stated.
Immediately following the loss to the Lightning, the Kraken had to get back on the road as they will play the second game of a home-away back-to-back. Seattle heads to Edmonton for a divisional battle against the Oilers at Rogers Place with a puck drop of 6PM PST. The Kraken will look to get back to their winning ways in another difficult contest, facing off against Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.
Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett had an important decision to make last year. Ride off into the sunset and be the legendary quarterback who won a National championship or come back for one more season.
Bennett told head coach Kirbay Smart, “that’s not just who I am. Why should I do that when I have an opportunity to play again? Why don’t we go win it again?” Bennett came back and scored six total touchdowns in a dominating 65-7 win over TCU in the College Football National Championship on Monday at SoFi Stadium.
Georgia won back-to-back College Football Playoff titles and finished the season 15-0, joining Clemson (2018) and LSU (2019) as the only 15-win teams since the late 1800s. Bennett is the first player in the CFP championship game to earn Offensive Player of the Game honors twice.
“Stetson speaks for himself, the way he leads and prepares,” Smart said. “His mental makeup is such of a quarterback that believes he can make every throw and what he did tonight was truly amazing. Probably had his best game of his career, in my opinion, with some of the checks he made, some of the decisions he made, just really elite.”
The Bulldogs took a 7-0 lead in the first quarter when Bennett scrambled into the end zone for a 21-yard touchdown on their opening drive.
On the ensuing drive, TCU wide receiver Derius Davis was stripped on the jet sweep and Georgia recovered the fumble. TCU held the Bulldogs to a 24-yard field goal and trailed 10-0.
TCU cut the Georgia lead 10-7 on quarterback Max Duggan’s 2-yard touchdown run. The score was set up by a 60- yard reception from Davis. Georgia came right back with a 37-yard touchdown pass from Bennett to Ladd McConkey. The Bulldogs took a 17-7 lead with 2:43 left in the first quarter.
Bennett scored his second rushing touchdown of the first half, this time from six yards out and the Bulldogs extended their lead 24-7. After Duggan was intercepted by Jevon Bullard, running back Kendall Milton scored from a yard out to give Georgia a 31-7 lead with just over a minute left in the second quarter.
Duggan threw his second interception of the first half, which led to a 22-yard touchdown pass from Bennett to Adonai Mitchell and a 38-7 halftime lead.
On the opening drive of the third quarter, Bennett hit tight end Brock Bowers for a 22-yard touchdown and a 45-7 lead. Bowers finished with seven receptions for 152 and a touchdown.
Georgia took a commanding 52-7 lead on Bennett’s 14-yard touchdown pass to McConkey. This was Bennett’s sixth total touchdown of the game.
Branson Robinson added two rushing touchdowns in the fourth quarter to put the game out of reach. The Bulldogs defense held TCU scoreless for the final three quarters and limited the Horn Frogs to 188 yards on 51 plays.
Los Angeles, CA – Fans and members of both teams were excited for the College Football Playoffs experience here in the City of Angels.
The LA Convention Center was the home for two of the biggest events of the weekend, the Playoff Fan Central and Media Day.
Full Image 360
The Fan Central event was filled with interactive games, special guest appearances and multiple exhibits to celebrate college football.
Fans could play flag football, run the 40 and even take pictures with the most prestigious trophies college football has to offer.
The players had their time to shine as well with Media Day that took place on Saturday morning.
Full Image 360
Both TCU and Georgia enjoyed their time in the spotlight as Media Day gave players and coaches the opportunity to talk to media members from all across the country as they prepared for the championship game.
This is LA, so you know there was going to be top-notch entertainment available for fans to attend as well. Banc of California Stadium housed two free sold out concerts over the weekend. Headlined by bill-topping sets from the Jonas Brothers, Saweetie, Pitbull and more.
Fans and both teams will have to wait for tonight for the football action — but they certainly scored with this entertaining jam packed weekend.
Westwood, CA – Protecting your home court is always a battle cry during the crosstown rivalry game. UCLA was able to creep back for a 61-60 women’s basketball victory of USC Women of Troy basketball team at Pauley Pavilion on Sunday afternoon.
UCLA was trailing by 4 points with 4:18 left on the game clock, when Charisma Osborne (20) kicks ball out to 6’4 forward Emily Bessoir (11) who drains a three pointer over the USC defense. This was a key basket on the Women’s Bruins fall back into the lead 55-54 after a steal and basket by Osborne.
UCLA guard Londynn Jones (3) lead the Bruins with 22 points in 26 minutes. Bessoir grabbed 5 rebounds while scoring double digits with 11 points.
Osborne bring the ball up the court. Photo by Chanel Foster / fi360 News
“Being together I feel like is the biggest thing,” Jones said. “Knowing that we all have each other’s back through the highs and through the lows… that’s what sets us apart.”
Osborne was really active all game on both sides of the ball. She lead the team with 7 rebounds and dished out 4 assist, 9 points. Osborne digging deep late in the game after playing 37 minutes.
Kiki Rice reads the defense. Photo by Chanel Foster / fi360 News
Bruins Coach Cori Close dialed up a great gameplan to move the Lady Bruins to 14-2 overall record and 3-1 in conference.
“Obviously a lot of really difficult moments,” Close said. “But when you have a selfless team and a neutral team, … we get ready for big moments when we need it. Londynn Jones was ready for that big moment.”
The Women of Troy were led by forward Rayah Marshall (13) who scored a shared team high 15 points, and 8 rebounds. Guard Kayla Williams (4) also scored 15 points that was almost enough to get the victory.
Gina Conti spots up for a shot. Photo by Chanel Foster / fi360 News
Okako Adika (24) played 39 minutes the most for both teams in this slug fest where she dropped 11 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists.
Now the Trojans move to 11-4 record and 1-3 in the PAC-12 games.
They will face the foes from the Bay area this up coming week a hard task to face No 2 Stanford and Cal. These next few weeks will be important for both teams as want a good seed in the PAC-12 tournament at the end of the season.
PASADENA, CA - JANUARY 02: Penn State Nittany Lions running back Nicholas Singleton (10) runs the ball for a gain during the Rose Bowl game between the Penn State Nittany Lions and the Utah Utes on January 2, 2023 at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, CA. (Photo by Jordon Kelly/fi360 News)
Pasadena, CA- No. 11 Penn State used big plays and a stout defense to defeat No. 8 Utah 35-21 in the 109th edition of the Rose Bowl on Monday in Pasadena.
Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford passed for 279 yards and two touchdowns while running back Nicholas Singleton rushed for 120 yards and two touchdowns to help the Nittany Lions become the 2023 Rose Bowl champions.
PASADENA, CA – JANUARY 02: Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Sean Clifford (14) during the Rose Bowl game between the Penn State Nittany Lions and the Utah Utes on January 2, 2023 at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, CA. (Photo by Jordon Kelly/fi360 News)
“I’m just happy for our guys,” Penn State head coach James Franklin said. “To come out here and play that team, got so much respect for Utah and Coach Whittingham out here on the road, it’s basically a home game for them, and our guys played their tails off. I’m just so proud of them, offense, defense and special teams.”
After an interception by Kalen King, Penn State capped an 11-play, 82-yard drive with Singleton’s 5-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. Utah answered with Cameron Rising’s 1- yard touchdown pass to Yasmin Thomas in the second quarter.
PASADENA, CA – JANUARY 02: Penn State Nittany Lions wide receiver Mitchell Tinsley (5) runs the ball for a gain during the Rose Bowl game between the Penn State Nittany Lions and the Utah Utes on January 2, 2023 at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, CA. (Photo by Jordon Kelly/fi360 News)
Penn State came right back when Clifford found Mitchell Tinsley in the end zone for a 10-yard touchdown and a 14-7 lead with 4:47 left in the second quarter. Utah evened the score 14-14 on a 19-yard touchdown run by running back Ja’Quinden Jackson with 2:38 remaining in the first half.
In the third quarter, Jackson turned on the wheels and raced 87 yards for the score and a 21-14 lead. Penn State opened the fourth quarter with a 88-yard touchdown pass from Clifford to a wide open KeAndre Lambert-Smith.
PASADENA, CA – JANUARY 02: Utah Utes quarterback Cameron Rising (7) gets hit during the Rose Bowl game between the Penn State Nittany Lions and the Utah Utes on January 2, 2023 at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, CA. (Photo by Jordon Kelly/fi360 News)
“Our guys just stuck together, made some big plays when we needed to, and we found a way to get a win against a really, really good Utah team,” Franklin said. “I do want to take a moment and just make sure that we show enough respect and appreciation for the University of Utah. I’ve got so much respect for the university as a whole, for Coach Whittingham and what he’s done across his entire career. Watching them on tape, for people that know and love football, that’s a really good football team.”
Rising injured his knee in the third quarter and did not return to the game. Bryson Barnes came into the game and finished with 112 yards and one touchdown. Barnes was intercepted on his first drive.
PASADENA, CA – JANUARY 02: Utah Utes quarterback Cameron Rising (7) during the Rose Bowl game between the Penn State Nittany Lions and the Utah Utes on January 2, 2023 at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, CA. (Photo by Jordon Kelly/fi360 News)
Penn State scored its second touchdown of the fourth quarter on a 1-yard run by Kaytron Allen and the Nittany Lions took a 35-14 lead. Utah added a late touchdown with 25 seconds remaining in the game.
ARLINGTON, TX - JANUARY 2: Tulane Green Wave quarterback Michael Pratt stiff arms USC Trojans defensive lineman Nick Figueroa (99) to avoid a tackle on a run during the fourth quarter of the Cotton Bowl between the USC Trojans and the Tulane Wave on January 2, 2022 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas (Photo by Jeff Dahlia/fi360 News)
ARLINGTON, TX – USC and Tulane have similar stories of turning their programs around. USC finished 2021 4-8, while Tulane’s season went 2-10. At the end of the day, Monday’s Cotton Bowl featured two teams with programs heading in the right direction, which is critical considering a College Football expansion in the future. “We’ve learned a lot of things [and] we’ve grown in a lot of ways, and that’s why we’re at this game,” USC Head coach Lincoln Riley said. “There’s still so much to go to be in that position where we got on a conference championship game, or you win a big bowl game like this or a win a semifinal or win a national championship game.”
ARLINGTON, TX – JANUARY 2: Tulane Green Wave Head Coach Willie Fritz celebrates with defensive MVP Dorian Williams (2) after being named Cotton Bowl Champions at the conclusion of the Cotton Bowl between the USC Trojans and the Tulane Wave on January 2, 2022 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas (Photo by Jeff Dahlia/fi360 News)
“I know we all believe 2-10 that wasn’t our best foot forward. We all knew we were a better team than we showed. Coach came in and installed a different mindset in the team,” Linebacker Dorian Williams said. It was the first meeting between these schools since 1946, and Monday’s Cotton Bowl felt like it took 77 years off the crowd in the stands. It was about two teams proving to themselves, their fan bases, the country, and the college football world that they belong in the expanded playoffs, and it turned out to be a thriller.
USC was methodical on their opening possession. The Trojans went 3 for 4 on third down conversions, converted a fourth down, took nine minutes off the clock on a seventeen-play, and seventy-five-yard opening touchdown capped off with Caleb Williams’ three-yard touchdown pass to Michael Jackson III. After Tulane punted while picking up one first down, the Trojans went back to work offensively. Their next scoring drive went ninety-five yards on twelve plays finishing with Williams’ throw to Terrell Bynum for three yards. Seventeen and a half minutes into Monday’s game, USC outgained Tulane 185-21, converting seven of their eight third-down conversions. The lone third down conversion USC didn’t convert resulted in a fourth down conversion to extend their opening drive. “It was tough in the first half,” Williams said. “Seeing [Caleb Williams] on film and playing against it is two different things.”
ARLINGTON, TX – JANUARY 2: Tulane Green Wave receiver Duece Watts (2) races up field after catching a pass from quarterback Michael Pratt (not shown) during the fourth quarter of the Cotton Bowl between the USC Trojans and the Tulane Wave on January 2, 2022 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas (Photo by Jeff Dahlia/fi360 News)
Tulane shifted some momentum back to their side after the second USC touchdown. It was a forty-yard scramble for Tulane quarterback Michael Pratt that set up Tulane into scoring position. Finally, the Green Wave scored on Tyjae Spears’ three-yard touchdown run. He threw down a defender to pick up fourteen on his last touch. USC threatened back into Tulane territory, but Williams threw an interception straight to Jarius Monroe inside the Green Wave ten-yard line, nullifying a USC chance to keep the momentum going. On the second play after the turnover, Pratt threw a deep shot to Jha’Quan Jackson for an eighty-seven-yard touchdown, tying a Cotton Bowl record for the longest TD pass (1960 Syracuse’s Gerhard Schwedes threw an eighty-seven-yarder to Ernie Davis against Texas). Tulane suddenly evened the game up at fourteen with five minutes remaining in the half.
ARLINGTON, TX – JANUARY 2: USC Trojans receiver Brendan Rice (2) hauls in a pass from quarterback Caleb Williams (not shown) during the third quarter of the Cotton Bowl between the USC Trojans and the Tulane Wave on January 2, 2022 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas (Photo by Jeff Dahlia/fi360 news)
USC took over the final minutes of the first half. On back-to-back carries, Raleek Brown picked up fifty-three yards darting past the Tulane secondary to put the Trojans back in front. Then, Caleb Williams’ arm produced fifty-nine yards on three completions to set USC up inside the Tulane ten. With twenty seconds left, USC finished the half with Brenden Rice’s four-yard touchdown completion from Williams, putting the Trojans up 28-14 at halftime. [USC quote]
The third quarter was a track meet for both sides. USC used Caleb Williams and the aerial attack, while Tulane used the ground game, equating to 326 total yards between the two teams in the third frame. The quarter started with Spears with four carries and sixty yards, finishing with a seven-yard score to put Tulane back to within seven. USC moved the football and converted another fourth down, but the drive stalled at the Tulane thirty-five as Denis Lynch attempted a fifty-two-yard field goal (which would have been a season-long).
ARLINGTON, TX – JANUARY 2: USC wide receiver Brenden Rice (2) fights through multiple Tulane Green Wave defenders during the second quarter of the Cotton Bowl between the USC Trojans and the Tulane Wave on January 2, 2022 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas (Photo by Jeff Dahlia/fi360 News)
However, the kick fell short, and Tulane gained excellent field position where their drive stalled at the USC twenty-five. Valentino Ambrosio connected on a forty-two-yard field goal to cut the Trojans’ lead to 28-24. USC turned and connected to Brenden Rice twice (one for seventy-four yards) and the second completion for nineteen yards. The call initially was short of the goal line, but Rice navigated his feet past the pylon, where replay called it a touchdown, extending USC’s lead to 35-24. Tyjae Spears took over the next drive on two rushes for sixty-five yards, with the three-yard carry for the touchdown. Tulane couldn’t convert the two-point conversion, and the deficit for the Green Wave cut to 35-30. [
After the score, Tulane attempted an onside kick which didn’t pan out for the Green Wave, giving USC plus field position, and took advantage with another quality drive (three plus minutes). Williams threw a four-yard touchdown pass to Kyron Hudson to extend the Trojans’ lead back to double digits and a twelve-point fourth-quarter advantage (42-30). After Tyjae Spears fumbled, USC marched for a six-minute drive ending in Denis Lynch’s 43-yard field goal, capping the largest lead of the game for USC at 45-30. “It was going to be like whatever it took, whatever it took, whatever. However, it looks like we are going to get it done. We never lost faith. I’ve been telling guys the whole time we are going to win this game,” running back Tyjae Spears said after the game when Tulane fell down by fifteen in the fourth.”
ARLINGTON, TX – JANUARY 2: Tulane Green Wave placekicker Valentino Ambrosia (43) watches as his game winning extra point is good during the fourth quarter of the Cotton Bowl between the USC Trojans and the Tulane Wave on January 2, 2022 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas (Photo by Jeff Dahlia/fi360 News)
Tulane needed to move quickly, and they did. On the following Green Wave drive, it took two plays when Pratt found Deuce Watts for fifty-nine yards, and Spears ran it in from four yards to bring the game back to a one-possession contest (45-37). However, the wheels fell off for USC after that. Mario Williams fumbled the football on the ensuing kickoff, and the ball rolled out of bounds at the Trojans’ one-yard line. Two plays later, the Tulane defense penetrated and tackled Austin Jones in the end zone for a safety, cutting the deficit to six. More importantly, they got the football back immediately with only one timeout.
On the last possession for Tulane, they converted two fourth downs and got a gift drop in bounds by tight end Alex Bauman where if he was tackled, the Green Wave might have one play, at best, to snap. “It was a blessing in disguise,” Bauman smiled when he talked about the dropped pass inbounds. “I’m trying to catch the ball, every ball is thrown at me, but it happened that way.” On the next play, Pratt found Bauman in the end zone, originally ruled incomplete. However, replay overturned the call, and it was a game-winning touchdown, providing Tulane with their only lead of the game, and the only lead that mattered. “I’m trying to soak it in right now. It’s an outstanding job. “We do a drill called fastball where we go as fast as we can. Have a lot of music on and had a lot of chaos, and the guys executed each play and the way they needed to execute,” Tulane head coach Willie Fritz said.
ARLINGTON, TX – JANUARY 2: Tulane Wave wide receiver Jha’Quan Jackson (4) celebrates in the end zone after scoring on a 87-yard touchdown pass from Michael Pratt (not shown) during the second quarter of the Cotton Bowl between the USC Trojans and the Tulane Wave on January 2, 2022 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas (Photo by Jeff Dahlia/fi360 News)
Tulane’s Tyjay Spears ran for 205 yards and four touchdowns on Monday, putting Tulane over 300 rushing yards against USC’s 62nd-ranked rush defense in college football. Michael Pratt threw eight completions but averaged 29 yards per pass completion (234 yards).
For USC, Heisman winner Caleb Williams set a Cotton Bowl record for five touchdown passes and threw for 462 yards and Brenden Rice caught six passes for 174 yards where his previous season high was 72 yards on October 1st against Arizona State. “Losses like this are tough to digest,” USC Head Coach Lincoln Riley said. “I thought our guys laid it on the line and played hard, prepared hard, and we put ourselves in phenomenal position to get it done. But all three sides right there at the end contributed to [the loss]. Now that the season is over, I’ve rarely, at the end of the year, felt so conflicted.” “It’s a huge win for the program, the university, and the city. We represent New Orleans. We represent Tulane University, [and] represent our football program.”
