SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – DECEMBER 27: Miller Moss #7 of the USC Trojans throws a pass in the second half during the DIRECTV Holiday Bowl game against the Louisville Cardinals at Petco Park on December 27, 2023 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images)
It was a Christmas to remember for Lincoln Riley and the USC Trojans.
Backup quarterback, Miller Moss, threw for 372 yards and six touchdowns and USC upset No. 15 Louisville in front of 35,317 fans at the DirectTV Holiday Bowl at Petco Park in San Diego on Wednesday night.
USC were 7-point underdogs entering the game.
2022 Heisman Trophy Award winner Caleb Williams chose to sit out the game, as did wide receiver Brendan Rice, and running back MarShawn Lloyd. All three players are expected to enter the 2024 NFL Draft at the end of April.
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Moss had big shoes to fill in his first collegiate start, but made the most of it, setting a new Holiday Bowl record with six touchdown passes. It was also the most touchdowns thrown by a Trojans' quarterback in their first career start.
Tahj Washington had seven catches for 99 yards and two touchdowns. Freshman receiver Ja'Kobi Lane also had a pair of scores. The Trojans improved to 8-5 on the season.
The Cardinals struck first on a two-yard touchdown run by Isaac Guerendo. Guerendo finished with 23 carries for 161 yards and three touchdowns, becoming the only running back in Louisville school history to rush for more than 150 yards and three touchdowns in a bowl game.
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The game was billed as a battle between Louisville's vaunted rushing attack and USC's high-octane air-raid offense.
Needless to say, it lived up to the billing.
The Cardinals rushed for 220 yards compared to just 71 for the Trojans. However, USC threw for 372 passing yards compared to just 141 for Louisville.
After Louisville's opening scoring drive, the Trojans ran off 21 unanswered points before the Cardinals scored again. They took a 28-14 lead into the half, and would never trail again.
Moss's historic performance wasn't without some growing pains. Early in the second half, just as USC was knocking on the door for a 21-point lead, Moss threw a costly interception in the end zone that was returned 61 yards by Quincy Riley.
Louisville capitalized off the turnover with a touchdown that cut the lead to 28-21.
But the Trojans responded with a scoring drive of their own, capped off by a 12-yard touchdown pass from Moss to Lane.
Moss did it again a few minutes later when he delivered a 44-yard dime to Duce Robinson that sealed the victory.
Entering the season the Trojans had College Football Playoff aspirations, and ran off six straight wins to start the season. But they buckled in the second half of their season as their schedule got tougher. USC lost five of their last six games, four of which were ranked opponent's.
In fact, USC's victory over No. 15 Louisville in the Holiday Bowl was their first victory over a ranked opponent (at the time) this season.
Moss was selected as the bowl game's MVP.
Louisville (10-4), exceeded expectations under first-year head coach, and former player Jeff Bohm. The Cardinals had impressive victories over No. 10 Notre Dame and No. 20 Duke during the season. They made it to the ACC Championship where they were on the precipice of defeating No. 5 Florida State, before ultimately losing late 16-6.
The game was played just 150 miles south of Los Angeles, and featured a predominantly pro-Trojans crowd.
