- Arizona came within inches of pulling off an upset win over No. 20 USC on Saturday.
- The Wildcats led 30-27 with just 90 seconds remaining needing one defensive stop to seal the game.
- Defensive back Christian Roland-Wallace nearley ended things with an interception in the final seconds, but had to watch as the ball sailed through his hands and into the waiting arms of a USC wide receiver.
- Three plays later, USC scored a touchdown to win the game.
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Arizona and USC had traded blows through the final minutes of the game, with the Wildcats driving the field for a touchdown to take a 30-27 lead with just 95 seconds remaining.
USC needed a field goal to tie and a touchdown to win, and immediately got to work marching into Arizona territory. After a series of quick passes got USC across midfield, the Trojans looked to pick up a chunk of yards with 40 seconds left.
Quarterback Kedon Slovis targeted wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown on the left sideline, but didn't account for Arizona defensive back Christian Roland-Wallace, who jumped to meet the ball in the air.
Roland-Wallace had the game-winning intecerption in his hands, but he couldn't hold on to the ball. St. Brown stayed with the play, made the catch, and got out of bounds.
Another camera angle showed just how close Roland-Wallace came to ending the game for good.
—YahooSports College Football (@YahooSportsCFB) November 15, 2020
Three plays later, the Trojans would punch the ball into the end zone to take the lead for good. Final score: USC 34, Arizona 30.
For USC, it was the second consecutive week that they needed a game-winning touchdown drive to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. For Arizona, the loss was a crushing example of the miniscule margins that can decide a football game.
It's a game of inches.