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USC Trojans @ Minnesota Golden Gophers Football Recap

USC 32, Minnesota 21

USC wasn’t expecting much of a test from its similarly-colored counterpart.

The Trojans needed a handful of big plays to break away from Minnesota and secure a 32-21 win at TCF Bank Stadium on Saturday in Minneapolis.

Freshman wide receiver Robert Woods returned a kickoff 97 yards to revive the Trojans after USC had gone down 14-13 in the second quarter. Minnesota had taken over the lead when Da’Jon McKnight reeled in a pass near the sideline and ran into the end zone. But the slight advantage was short lived.

David Ausberry caught a 21-yard touchdown strike from Matt Barkley to put Minnesota in a deep hole at 26-14. Allen Bradford’s untouched 56-yard scamper to the end zone put the game out of reach, giving the Trojans a 32-14 lead.

The game marked resurgence for Bradford, who finished with 131 yards on 12 carries. The performance prompted questions of whether Coach Lane Kiffin might make a change at running back. Marc Tyler had 9 carries for 33 yards and a touchdown for USC as well.

The Golden Gophers struggled to establish their running game, especially when facing a large second-half deficit. Duane Bennett could only manage 7 yards on 6 carries. The team as a whole ran 37 times for 83 yards.

Minnesota moved the ball comfortably in the first half, though. DeLeon Eskeridge scored the game’s first points by pushing the pile from 1 yard out.

After curbing talk of his team’s penalty problems all week, Kiffin still had to endure seven USC penalties for 72 yards. The total, though, was USC’s lowest of the season so far.

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However, other offensive mistakes plagued the Trojans throughout the afternoon. Barkley threw his first two interceptions of the season. USC also lost one fumble and recovered several of its own.

A USC defense that had struggled to generate turnovers managed to create three on the day. Chris Galippo and Jawanza Starling each had an interception and Michael Morgan recovered a fumble after the ball inadvertently touched a Minnesota player’s heel on a punt.

Minnesota quarterback Adam Weber found MarQuies Gray for a 22-yard touchdown pass in garbage time, rounding out the scoring on a sunny afternoon in the North.

USC travels to Washington State next to end its September slate of forgettable opponents. The Trojans will once again be facing a coach on the hot seat in Paul Wulff. The Cougars’ win is a lone 23-22 victory against FCS program Montana State. In their last two games, the Trojans have outscored Washington State, 96-6.

By Mike Schwartz
DFN Sports Staff Writer