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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Utes turn away Trojans in final seconds

QB Travis Wilson celebrates with Utes fans after his game- winning touchdown pass with 8 seconds left beat the Trojans on Saturday. (Associated Press)

SALT LAKE CITY – Travis Wilson threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Kaelin Clay with 8 seconds left to give No. 19 Utah a 24-21 victory over No. 20 Southern California on Saturday night.

Wilson put the Utes in position for the winning score when he was flushed from the pocket and scrambled 19 yards, diving as he approached the goal line. The play was initially ruled a touchdown, but was overturned on review – giving Utah the ball a foot from the end zone.

Devontae Booker was stopped just short on the next play before Wilson’s touchdown pass on a sprint out to the right side.

After Adoree’ Jackson returned the kickoff to the USC 28, the Trojans’ last-gasp effort was snuffed when Cody Kessler was sacked by Nate Orchard and Hunter Dimick on the final play.

Wilson was 18-for-32 passing for 194 yards, and Booker ran for 102 yards.

Utah overcame two fumbles on the 1 to claim its biggest victory since joining the Pac-12 four years ago.

Kessler completed 24 of 32 attempts for 264 yards and Javorius Allen ran for 101 yards, but the Trojans couldn’t convert a late fourth down after opting not to kick a field goal with a 21-17 lead.

Utah forced the turnover on downs with 2:08 to play when Nelson Agholor stepped out of bounds a yard short of the first-down marker at the Utah 27.

Kessler capped a 12-play, 73-yard touchdown drive with a four-yard TD pass to Darreus Rogers to give USC a 21-17 lead with 10:18 left.

Utah linebacker Jason Fanaika intercepted a ball after it glanced off Agholor’s hands. Three plays later, Booker finally broke loose and ran 24 yards for a touchdown just before the end of the third quarter for a 17-14 Utah lead.

Clay took a punt 51 yards to the 16 after running into one of his own blockers. But three plays later, Jackson pried the ball loose from receiver Tim Patrick just shy of the goal line and recovered in the end zone to deny the Utes for the second time at the 1.

The game marked the first time two ranked teams met in Rice-Eccles Stadium since Utah lost to TCU 47-7 in 2010. Utah drew the largest home crowd in school history at 47,619.