Today in Sun Devil History: Iconic Play Wins Classic vs USC

Arizona State on SI revisits what happened on that incredible night below.

The Context

Arizona State entered the season ranked 19th in the nation - and won the first three games of the season convincingly.

However, star QB Taylor Kelly broke a bone in his foot in the week three victory over Colorado - forcing him out of the lineup for the week five game against UCLA out of a bye week.

The Sun Devils dropped backup quarterback Mike Bercovici's debut as a starter by a score of 62-27 - and faced a trip to 16th-ranked USC the following week.

The Game

USC started out with a 7-0 lead that extended into the second quarter - Arizona State responded with a quick touchdown drive that ended with a short Jaelen Strong touchdown catch, a dorced turnover on downs, and a 12-second drive that was finished by a 77-yard touchdown from strong.

A two-point conversion made a statement and gifted Arizona State a 15-7 lead. USC responded in their own right with a touchdown and field goal to take a 17-15 lead into halftime.

The third quarter featured a trade-off of field goals - the final 15 minutes is truly what contributed to making this game a classic.

The Trojans opened up the fourth quarter with a Cody Kessler rushing touchdown that built up the lead to 27-18 - and very nearly scored another touchdown before Arizona State safety Demarious Randall forced a fumble at the doorstep of the goal line.

Bercovici put together a 98-yard touchdown drive in under three minutes brought the game back within reach - a quick USC touchdown seemingly put the game back out of reach again before another one-play drive afforded Arizona State another chance.

Bercovici had 23 seconds to orchestrate a game-winning drive - finding Gary Chambers on a 26 yard play to give the team a one-play shot to win with seven seconds remaining.

Bercovici threw up a prayer on a wall of three USC defenders - Strong high-pointed the ball and scored with ease in one of the most shocking plays in recent college football memory. The rest was history and Arizona State enjoyed one of the high points of the program that night prior to the magical 2024 season.

Read more on major takeaways from Arizona State's clutch-time victory over TCU here, and more on why Arizona State fans should be feeling confident about the outlook of the season following the win here.