Losing the Cotton Bowl was a lowlight for USC; for Americans, the game was full of highlights
We knew we were going to see points, touchdowns, long gainers, and plenty of highlight-reel plays in the 2023 Cotton Bowl between USC and Tulane.
The game lived up to the billing when viewed solely through the prism of exciting plays and lots of offense. Naturally, USC will be hugely disappointed with yet another bad showing on defense, but purely in terms of entertainment — especially for neutral fans just wanting a ballgame to watch on the holiday — this game came through.
It exceeded America’s expectations, that’s for sure.
Tulane looked dead in the water (which is ironic, given that the team’s nickname is the Green Wave), but it poured on a tsunami of points late in regulation to steal this one from USC, 46-45.
For USC, the plays Tulane made were lowlights. For America, they were amazing highlights, and rightly so. It was a supremely fun game if you were a neutral party. No one can deny the national view.
The view for USC? Anything but fun.
Here are the many highlights created by USC … but not enough to win, as it turned out. Tulane’s winning score has to be included in this USC highlight reel, because that was the ultimate story: The Green Wave did more in the end.
STARTING OFF RIGHT
#USC strikes first in the Cotton Bowl: Nine-yard touchdown from Caleb Williams to Michael Jackson III pic.twitter.com/UHpE9iWpBX
— Trevor Booth (@TrevorMBooth) January 2, 2023
FUN
What a throw from Caleb Williams and catch from Tahj Washington. 59 yards for #USC pic.twitter.com/xus0ITt83f
— Trevor Booth (@TrevorMBooth) January 2, 2023
GREAT CATCH
Caleb Williams magic, and a hell of a catch from Brenden Rice #USC pic.twitter.com/Aio1jhHQop
— Trevor Booth (@TrevorMBooth) January 2, 2023
JOINING THE PARADE
Touchdown. Caleb Williams to Terrell Bynum for three yards. Bynum's first touchdown of the season #USC pic.twitter.com/pXM3eRDm5c
— Trevor Booth (@TrevorMBooth) January 2, 2023
RALEEK ON A STREAK
USC answers right back. Nice run by Raleek Brown.
— Brendan Moore (@bmoorecfb) January 2, 2023
DIDN'T LEAD TO POINTS, BUT STILL IMPRESSIVE
#USC converts on fourth-and-7. Sliding catch from Mario Williams pic.twitter.com/Sm8vAQbwV9
— Trevor Booth (@TrevorMBooth) January 2, 2023
THIS ONE SCORED POINTS
Brenden Rice playing like his old man today. Had a 74-yard grab this drive and then a 19-yard touchdown here.
Has six catches for 174 yards and two touchdowns. Oh, and this is a pretty special play from Caleb Williams. #USC pic.twitter.com/RGZA7Iytd0
— Trevor Booth (@TrevorMBooth) January 2, 2023
74 YARDS
74-yard catch and run by Brenden Rice. Got caught from behind but he is having a career day. He just made the TD catch of his life. 35-24. 5-play 97-yard 2:30. Y’all be the judge & watch this @BrendenRice TD. 6-174-2tds for the son of @JerryRice #likenoother #goodyearcottonbowl pic.twitter.com/fwP81P8QOK
— Kenneth Berry Covers the 87th Goodyear Cotton Bowl (@OzoGrande) January 2, 2023
THE D ACTUALLY DID SOMETHING
Fumble! Mekhi Blackmon forces it, Solomon Byrd recovers. Big play for #USC's defense, which has struggled but now may have given its offense a chance to put the game away pic.twitter.com/Pf2PVl2iHr
— Trevor Booth (@TrevorMBooth) January 2, 2023
BUT AS IT TURNED OUT, THE D DIDN'T DO ENOUGH
Tulane comes back against USC to win the Cotton Bowl, 46-45.
Lincoln Riley has now lost 6 games when holding a lead of at least 14 points since becoming a head coach in 2017, the most in the FBS in that span. pic.twitter.com/hNNgiqG9wq
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) January 2, 2023
THE WINNING SCORE
Tulane takes down USC in the Cotton Bowl in a thriller 😱
The game-winning touchdown pass from Michael Pratt to Alex Bauman was originally ruled incomplete before being overturned after review.pic.twitter.com/7ywXHdcTXy
— 247Sports (@247Sports) January 2, 2023
