PASADENA >> USC’s improbable in-season turnaround and return to the Rose Bowl ended in dramatic fashion.
Junior kicker Matt Boermeester hit a 46-yard field goal as time expired to lift the Trojans to a 52-49 victory over Penn State in the 103rd edition of the famed “Grandaddy of them All.”
Trailing 49-35 with nine minutes remaining, they scored 17 consecutive points to end the tight, back-and-forth contest.
To set up Boermeester’s game-winning kick, senior safety Leon McQuay III intercepted a pass by Penn State quarterback Trace McSorley, returning it to the Nittany Lions’ 33-yard line.
USC finished the season 10-3 overall, ending with nine consecutive wins.