SAN DIEGO – Adoree’ Jackson made sure the world knew that the Trojans have a bright future ahead of them. The freshman all-purpose player had over 200 total yards and two touchdowns as the USC Trojans escaped the Nebraska Cornhuskers 45-42 in a wild game for the ages.
Nelson Agholor knocked down a last ditch Hail Mary from Tommy Armstrong Jr. as time expired and it would not be déjà vu for the Trojans who lost earlier this season to Arizona State on a similar play.
“We’ve been through a lot this year,” said Trojans first year head coach Steve Sarkisian. “These guys could probably tell you eve more so, but we’ve been through a lot and we’ve had a couple of just excruciating losses, and to come out tonight and win at the very end, the way we always try to make it exciting! We make it entertaining for everybody. I’m happy for these guys.”
Jackson returned a first quarter kickoff 98 yards for the longest kick-off return in Holiday Bowl history. He capped it off with a front flip into the end zone that even the Russian judge would have given a 10.0.
“My Dad called me before the game and told me to do something for him, because he wasn’t able to make the game,” said Jackson during the post game press conference. “That’s what was going through my mind, give him something.”
Junior quarterback Cody Kessler completed 23 of 39 passes for 321 yards and three touchdowns and was named the Offensive Player of the Game. His final touchdown, a 20-yard strike to Bryce Dixon at the end of the third quarter was his 39th of the season, tying him for the all-time USC single season record with Matt Barkley who set the mark in 2011. The extremely humble Kessler was not even aware of the record.
“What record?” said Kessler when asked he how felt to be the all-time Trojans leader in touchdowns. “I said it all year and I hope people believe it, and my teammates know that all those stats and records is completely irrelevant to me. I’m not just saying that that, I really do mean it.”
Kessler sent the media into celebration when he announced that he would be returning to USC for his senior season.
“I’m absolutely coming back. I told Sark, and I told some of the guys, and my family knew. My main thing was I didn’t want to take away from the bowl game,” he said.
Cornhuskers quarterback Tommy Armstrong Jr. completed 32 of 51 passes for 381 yards and three touchdowns. His team was down 45-27 at one point in the third quarter and Armstrong led the Huskers all the way back before eventually falling short 45-42.
“In a close game, you have to respond and show up and do things the right way. I think that’s what I did after the second quarter,” Armstrong said after the game.
Adoree Jackson continued his human highlight reel to start off the third quarter with a 71-yard touchdown. The play was an exhibition of speed and finesse as Jackson burst past the Cornhuskers linebackers, cut across the middle of the field and turned on the jets to outrun the entire Nebraska secondary. The remarkable catch and run gave the Trojans a 31-17 lead to open the second half.
Javorius “Buck” Allen had 152 yards and two touchdowns including a 44-yard touchdown run in the third quarter that was reminiscent of former SC running backs, Marcus Allen, Charles White or O.J. Simpson.
USC special teams punt coverage was a disaster as the Cornhuskers blocked not one but two punts that Nebraska converted into 10 points off turnovers. Interim head coach Barney Cotton did an admirable job taking over for fired head coach Bo Pelini. The program now falls in the hands of former Oregon State coach Mike Riley who watched the game from the press box.
“They were everything we thought they would be,” said coach Cotton after the game. “They were physical, they were skilled. They have a big play offense. I thought it was a good battle out there. It could’ve gone either way at the end.”
The Trojans (9-4) finished the season on high as Holiday Bowl champions. With Kessler returning the program awaits the decisions of a few other players including Williams and Agholor who could declare themselves eligible for the NFL draft soon as next week. But with players like Jackson and Buck Allen waiting in the wings, the University is definitely headed in the right direction.
“First of all, it (the season) was a total success. We won nine games, we are the Holiday Bowl Champions,” said Sarkisian looking back on his first year as coach. “Every day I wake up and I drive down the 110 freeway to come to work and I embrace the opportunity to be the head football coach at USC.”
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