The lowdown: USC opened the game with a picturesque five-play, 75-yard touchdown drive highlighted by a handful of gashing runs. But as the Trojans are prone to do, they went away from it, leading to a rocky first half.
Washington State scored on five-straight drives to bookend the half and ultimately take a 30-17 lead early in the third quarter. Quarterback Gardner Minshew was carving the Trojans up with passes underneath and around defenders, as Clancy Pendergast seemingly had no answer. But USC would respond.
JT Daniels was 7-of-10 in the second half for 118 passing yards, including a pair of touchdown passes to Michael Pittman and Amon-Ra St.