USC Trojans

Pac-12
Commentary

McDonald finds redemption

Safety's two early interceptions give USC necessary cushion in victory

Updated: October 1, 2011, 10:27 PM ET
By Erik McKinney | We Are SC
LOS ANGELES -- USC and Arizona combined for 1,136 yards of offense, Matt Barkley set a USC single-game record with 468 passing yards and Robert Woods had a career-best 255 receiving yards.

But in a game that featured more passes than the Daytona 500, two first-quarter heaves by Arizona quarterback Nick Foles that found their way to USC safety T.J. McDonald might have had the biggest impact.

Foles was riding a streak of 210 consecutive pass attempts without an interception as he dropped back on third-and-13 from the USC 48-yard line, The Wildcats were looking to exploit a USC secondary known for allowing big third-down conversions. When McDonald went to the ground and came up with the overthrown pass, it marked only USC's second interception of the season.

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Erik McKinney | email

Reporter, RecruitingNation
  • Covers recruiting in the West
  • Joined ESPN in 2009

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