USC was riding high after last week's big upset of Pac-12 rival Stanford.
On Saturday however, the Trojans came crashing back to reality as they were run over -- literally -- by Boston College in a huge cross-country upset, 37-31.
Eagles quarterback Tyler Murphy was nothing to write home about as a passer -- 5-of-13 for 54 yards -- but gashed USC on the ground for 191 yards and a score. Boston College wound up with 452 yards on the ground as the Trojans defense simply couldn't stop them.
Offensive line woes plagued USC much of the night. The team only had 20 yards on the ground (on 29 attempts) and went just 5-of-16 on third down. Quarterback Cody Kessler threw four touchdowns and had solid numbers but was harassed all night long by an impressive front seven.
Potential top-10 draft pick Leonard Williams was quiet most of the night after earning Pac-12 Player of the Week honors following a terrific game against Stanford. USC was without the services of veteran linebacker Hayes Pullard for the first half after a helmet-to-helmet hit last week, but his return didn't seem to matter for the Trojans' defense.
The win is not only one of the biggest in Boston College history and of Steve Addazio's tenure at the program, but was made extra special as the team honored an alum who lost his life at the World Trade Center on 9/11. The team wore special uniforms featuring a red bandana pattern to honor the sacrifice and heroism of Welles Crowther, a former lacrosse player at the school who helped evacuate people from the towers.
It was a special night on Chestnut Hill for that reason alone. Thanks to the football team's victory, though, it was a night for the Eagles to remember for a long time.
You can follow Bryan Fischer on Twitter at @BryanDFischer.
