By Morris Phillips

SANTA CLARA, CA–Tense, close and littered with pivotal plays, the Pac-12 Championship Game was, for once, a whale of a ballgame.

USC kept Stanford from gaining its first lead with a fourth quarter, goal line stand and went on to capture the conference title, winning 31-28. The Trojans became Pac-12 Champs for the first time since 2008, ending a period lowlighted by NCAA sanctions, coaching changes and for their tastes, too many losses to Stanford.

“We knew it would be a fourth quarter game,” USC coach Clay Helton said. “It would be four quarters. Credit to these guys, you go all the way through the season, how they finish games is amazing to me. They’re the best finishing bunch I’ve been associated with in my 23 years of college coaching.”

The Trojans preserved their 24-21 lead with eight minutes remaining by stuffing Cameron Scarlett on consecutive plays at the goal line. But peril wasn’t far removed until quarterback Sam Darnold got USC moving with a 54-yard pass and run to Michael Pittman that got the Trojans off the goal line and into what would be their game-winning drive. Five times on the eight-play drive, back Ronald Jones II would handle the ball culminating with his eight-yard touchdown run with 4:22 remaining.

While Jones finished with 140 yards rushing on 30 carries, Stanford standout Bryce Love settled for 125 yards on 22 carries. The difference? Jones had something left in his tank off two weeks rest, and was around for the Trojans’ final scoring drive. Love, the Heisman candidate, was still hampered by his nagging, ankle injury only six days after a bruising game against Notre Dame. Consequently, when Stanford threatened to take the lead, Scarlett spelled Love and was stuffed twice at the goal line.

“We made enough plays to keep it close but not enough plays to win,” coach David Shaw explained. “The sequence of fourth-and-1 to take the lead in the Pac-12 championship game, there’s no hesitation at all. That’s what we’re going to do.”

Love was questioned later about the condition of his ankle, but said very little other than that it felt fine at the game’s beginning. Other areas of concern given injuries and players’ availability–along both Stanford’s offensive and defensive lines–were met with disdain by Coach Shaw. The Cardinal made no excuses regarding injuries–or their short week of preparation–given that some many reserves stepped up and played well.

“The word you’ll keep hearing me say which I said in our locker room is character,” Shaw said. “And Devery (Hamilton, Stanford’s starting offensive tackle) like a lot of guys late in the year, guys are banged up. He went out there, battled, got hurt. We take him back to re-evaluate him. We throw guys in there. And Brandon Fanaika plays well.”

If Stanford could have done anything differently, it may have been to turn quarterback K.J. Costello loose earlier. Heading into the final drive of the game, Costello had attempted just 15 passes, completing seven. But with Stanford trailing by 10 late, Costello completed three big passes, the last to Kaden Smith for a 28-yard touchdown with two mintes left.

Costello finished 10 of 22 for 192 yards and two touchdowns. Darnold was 17 of 24 for 325 yards and two scores. The Trojans racked up 501 yards in total offense and held a pair of 10-point leads. The game’s only turnover–a Stephen Carr fumble–was minimized when USC responded with their goal line stand.

USC became the first team from the Pac-12 South to win the championship game and will play in the Fiesta Bowl on New Year’s.