CORVALLIS, Ore. — — Caleb Williams discovered his favourite goal when it mattered most.

Jordan Addison caught Williams’ go-ahead 21-yard landing cross with 1:13 left and No. 7 USC overcame a shaky efficiency for a 17-14 victory towards Oregon State on Saturday night time.

The Beavers, vying to start out 4-0 for the primary time since 2012, took the lead on Jam Griffin’s 18-yard landing run with 4:41 remaining.

However Williams led an 11-play, 84-yard drive — and even scrambled on a fourth down that preserved it. He linked with Addison for his or her sixth landing of the season.

The Trojans (4-0, 2-0 Pac-12) didn’t appear like the staff that dominated its first three opponents with 40 or extra factors per sport. Williams threw for a season-low 180 yards. Addison, the 2021 Biletnikoff Award winner who transferred from Pitt, caught three passes for 42 yards.

Travis Dye, a switch from Oregon, caught 19 passes for 136 yards and a rating for the Trojans. He by no means doubted Williams on the ultimate scoring drive.

“He was tremendous composed. He was able to go after it,” Dye mentioned. “He knew that he was going to get it accomplished.”

However the Trojans relied on protection a lot of the night time, intercepting Beavers quarterback Likelihood Nolan 4 instances.

“We put ourselves in some actually good spots, and we shot ourselves within the foot,” Oregon State offensive lineman Brandon Kipper mentioned. “Towards good groups, you are not at all times going to return again from that.”

The Trojans had been uncharacteristically sluggish from the beginning. Oregon State (3-1, 0-1) stopped USC on downs on its opening collection. On the second drive, Denis Lynch’s 36-yard discipline objective try went extensive left.

Deshaun Fenwick’s 4-yard landing run put the Beavers up 7-0 early within the second quarter. It was his fourth TD of the season.

Oregon State appeared headed again to the tip zone however Nolan was intercepted by Erik Gentry. The Trojans capitalized, going 41 yards on seven performs and ending with Lynch’s 42-yard discipline objective to slim it to 7-3 at halftime.

Kitan Oladapo sacked Williams on third down for a lack of 11 yards, stalling a USC drive on the Oregon State 45 and forcing a punt.

However USC answered. Nolan was intercepted by Ceyair Wright, who ran it again to the Oregon State 26. The Trojans completed the drive with Dye’s 7-yard scoring run to place USC in entrance 10-7.

Oregon State was known as for a pair of penalties on the following drive and Everett Hayes’ 46-yard discipline objective try to tie it with 8:34 to go went proper.

Oregon State benefited with good discipline place from USC’s punt out of the tip zone, and Griffin rushed 18 yards for a landing that gave the Beavers again the lead with 4:41 to go.

After Addison’s landing catch, Oregon State’s closing drive ended with one other USC interception.

“I’m most likely extra happy with this win then the earlier three,” Trojans coach Lincoln Riley mentioned. “We needed to discover alternative ways to win tonight. We received in a slugfest.”

THE TAKEAWAY

USC: The Trojans had scored on their opening drive within the earlier three video games this season. They’d not trailed till Saturday. … USC’s second-half kickoff went out of bounds.

Oregon State: The Beavers had been with out tight finish Luke Musgrave, who led the staff with 169 yards receiving by means of the primary two video games, due to an unspecified damage. There isn’t a timetable for his return. … Oregon State went to the Coliseum final yr and beat the Trojans 45-27. It was the Beavers’ first victory at USC in additional than 60 years.

TAKEAWAYS

With the 4 interceptions, USC now has 11 on the season.

“Every sport is its personal factor. The earlier sport doesn’t know should you received turnovers or not. It’s simply concerning the subsequent alternative,” Riley mentioned. “Proper now we’re benefiting from it. We’re taking part in actually onerous. We’re lively. We’re getting balls tipped up within the air. We’re ending a few of these performs.”

UP NEXT

USC: The Trojans host Arizona State subsequent Saturday night time.

Oregon State: The Beavers go to No. 13 Utah subsequent Saturday.

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