USC quarterback Miller Moss gets a pass off under pressure from Louisville's Trey Franklin in the second half.
The USC Trojans (8-5) reversed a late season trend by upending the ACC runner-up Louisville Cardinals (10-4) 42-28 in the 2023 DirecTV Holiday Bowl. Both teams started the season 6-0, and each experienced late season three-game losing streaks. Playing without 2022 Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams, sophomore quarterback Miller Moss completed 23-of-33 passes for 372 yards, six touchdowns and one interception en route to Holiday Bowl Offensive MVP honors.
“I feel like people are always trying to pit quarterbacks against each other, especially in the same room in college these days,” Moss said of his relationship with Williams. “But we’ve had a really, really positive experience working together. I’ll always appreciate Caleb for what he did, not only for me but for this program. He was a great leader for us and obviously a tremendous player. We’ll always be really, really great friends.”
Four different Trojans caught touchdown passes. Senior Tahj Washington (7 receptions, 99 yards, 2 TDs) led the way, but freshmen receivers Ja’Kobi Lane (3 receptions, 60 yards, 2 TDs), Duce Robinson and Kyron Hudson each caught touchdowns.
“They were great,” USC head coach Lincoln Riley said. “Guys made a lot of competitive plays. It was fun to see. Good combination of young guys step up and make some big-time plays, obviously there were several of those. And to see some of our kind of older veteran guys, Tahj, Kyron, some of those guys step up. It was huge. To see Tabo (TE Carson Tabaracci) step in for Lake (McRee) after Lake got injured was awesome.”
On the defensive side of the ball, co-interim defensive coordinators Brian Odom and Shaun Nua led a unit that struggled to stop Louisville running back Isaac Guerendo (23 carries, 161 yards, 3 TDs). However, the unit tackled with ferocity, registered three quarterback sacks and held Louisville senior signal-caller Jack Plummer to just 141 yards passing.
Trojans nickel back Jaylin Smith was all over the field and earned Holiday Bowl Defensive MVP honors (12 tackles). Smith played at a new position in the game and he caught the attention of Riley, among others.
“We had guys at different positions, Jaylin Smith played a position tonight he’s never played before,” Riley explained. “Max (Williams) has always played a million different positions, so that wasn’t much new to him. To see Prophet (Brown) step up, to see some of our young defensive players step up. Some guys that hadn’t played very many snaps for us all year. A week ago, we had to change the defensive game plan because of the players that were available and a few guys that decided not to be here. Our guys didn’t flinch.”
For a team that lost five of its last six games entering the bowl, the Trojans final game as a Pac-12 member left everyone satisfied. We go inside some of the images from last night’s contest.
USC wide receiver Zachariah Branch (No. 1 pictured) executes handshake with his brother, Zion (No. 8 pictured), prior to the game.
The Navy Seal Leap Frogs entered the stadium on parachutes prior to the 2023 Holiday Bowl.
Culinary Specialist 3rd Class Shereena Morrison sings the national anthem before the 2023 Holiday Bowl.
Louisville brought an all-out pressure as Trojans QB Miller Moss catches a high snap from Justin Dedich in the first quarter of the 2023 Holiday Bowl.
USC WR Zachariah Branch catches a low pass in the first quarter of the 2023 Holiday Bowl as Louisville cornerback Quincy Riley breaks on the ball.
USC quarterback Miller Moss throws a slant touchdown in-between four defenders during the second quarter of the 2023 Holiday Bowl.
USC wide receiver Kyron Hudson (No. 10 pictured) catches a touchdown in the second quarter of the 2023 Holiday Bowl.
USC's Tahj Washington finishes off Louisville safety Devin Neal (No. 27 pictured) on his way to the first of two touchdowns on the night. Washington concluded the night with seven catches for 99 yards and two touchdowns.
Guerendo (No. 23 pictured) ran behind offensive center Bryan Hudson (No. 61 pictured) as USC defensive tackle Stanley Ta'ufo'ou (No. 47 pictured) attempts to get off of a block.
Louisville quarterback Evan Conley runs a quarterback sweep behind left tackle Willie Tyler (No. 55 pictured) for a nine-yard score in the second quarter.
USC senior safety Bryson Shaw (No. 27 pictured) sets up to tackle Louisville's Isaac Guerendo. Shaw finished the contest with five tackles, a half-sack and half-tackle for loss.
USC safety Anthony Beavers, Jr. (No. 15 pictured) tackles Louisville kick returner Kevin Coleman, Jr. in the third quarter of the 2023 Holiday Bowl.
USC DE Romello Height smacks Louisville QB Evan Conley near the goal line in the 2023 Holiday Bowl.
USC QB Miller Moss finds tight end Carson Tabaracci open over the middle of the field in the third quarter of the 2023 Holiday Bowl.
USC wide receiver Tahj Washington (59 receptions, 1,062 yards, 8 TDs in '23) gets tackled by Louisville CB Jarvis Brownlee, Jr. in the third quarter of the 2023 Holiday Bowl.
2023 Holiday Bowl Defensive MVP Jaylin Smith (No. 19 pictured) comes up to make one of his 12 solo tackles versus Louisville RB Isaac Guerendo on the goal line.
Louisville running back Isaac Guerendo (seen scoring a TD in the fourth quarter) rushed for 161 yards and three touchdowns on 23 carries in the 2023 Holiday Bowl. He also caught five passes for 42 yards on the night.
USC's Tahj Washington gets knocked out of bounds by Louisville's Quincy Riley on the sidelines as USC head coach Lincoln Riley watches from the sideline.
USC quarterback Miller Moss gets a pass off under pressure from Louisville's Trey Franklin in the second half.
USC head coach Lincoln Riley disagrees with a call during the second half of the 2023 Holiday Bowl.
USC running back Austin Jones attempts to avoid Louisville linebacker T.J. Quinn (No. 34 pictured) in space.
USC's Austin Jones holds up the Directv Holiday Bowl trophy during the team's postgame as head coach Lincoln Riley gets interviewed.
USC quarterback Miller Moss completed 23-of-33 passes for 372 yards, six TDs and one interception en route to MVP honors in the 2023 Holiday Bowl.
USC head coach Lincoln Riley receives the Holiday Bowl trophy at the end of the game.
