USC was teetering on the edge until Caleb Bullock jumped in front of a pass from Utah quarterback Bryson Barnes and took it back to the house.

The Trojans trailed 28-17 at home heading into the fourth quarter. USC kicker Denis Lynch banged home a 44-yard field goal as the clock expired on the third quarter to score points off of a drive that had stalled.

Some questioned the decision from Lincoln Riley to kick on fourth down from the Utah 27 given the two-score deficit, but Riley was off the hook just a few minutes into the fourth quarter. On third-and-11 for Utah on the ensuing drive to begin the fourth, Barnes was almost immediately pressured and threw an errant pass right into the arms of Bullock.

USC needed the play in the worst way.

The offense scored touchdowns on its first two drives of the game. Then USC punted on four straight possessions. The drive before Lynch’s field goal ended with a fumble.

A week ago in the loss to Notre Dame, USC’s defense wasn’t the issue. Instead, it was a nightmarish game from quarterback Caleb Williams. With the offense again sputtering, the defense stepped up.