It was looking all too similar to USC's last three lopsided losses. The Trojans were trailing by more than 20 points entering the fourth quarter, they had squandered several opportunities and had struggled defensively all night.
And yet, this time, USC would respond.
Keaontay Ingram punched in a 4-yard touchdown run in the opening moments of the fourth quarter for USC's first TD of the game, Chris Steele picked a huge moment for his first interception of the season making a great play on the ball downfield, and the Trojans followed with another long drive of 8 plays and 86 yards — including a 44-yard completion from Kedon Slovis to Drake London — to score again on a 3-yard Darwin Barlow TD.
Suddenly it was an 8-point game after a missed extra point. Suddenly there was suspense and drama in this much-anticipated rivalry game.
But only briefly.
Notre Dame again marched down the field on the ensuing possession, line it had most of the night, getting help from a pass interference penalty on Steele and ultimately scoring on a 3-yard TD run by QB Tyler Buchner with 4:52 to play.
That gave the Irish a 31-16 lead they wouldn’t relinquish while putting the focus back on all the missed opportunities and struggles that had doomed the Trojans earlier in the game.
Largely, USC’s struggles again at the end of the second quarter and start of the third, where bad clock management cost them a shot a field goal before halftime, and a dropped pass near the goal line by Malcolm Epps on the opening possession of the third quarter led to an eventual missed field goal.
