"The Trojans concluded the 2024 season in the same place that they opened it, against an opponent from the same conference. Both times, they scored the game-winning touchdown with exactly 8 seconds left on the clock to prevail in thrilling fashion.

USC closed its season on Friday with a dramatic 35-31 win over Texas A&M in the Las Vegas Bowl. The Trojans trailed by as many as 17 points midway through the third quarter and took the lead back for good with eight seconds remaining when quarterback Jayden Maiava found Kyle Ford for a seven-yard touchdown.

USC played badly enough to fall into a 17-point second-half hole against Texas A&M. Then it played well enough to overcome it all.