Looking back at the best Pac-12 games between USC and Colorado

With USC and UCLA playing their final season in the Pac-12, The Times is revisiting the top games in the history of each series. This week: USC versus Colorado, a series USC leads 12-0 in the Pac-12 and 16-0 all time.

USC quarterback Cody Kessler throws a seven-yard touchdown pass to JuJu Smith-Schuster against Colorado on Oct. 18, 2014.

(Stephen Dunn / Getty Images)

Cody Kessler threw a school-record seven touchdowns, surpassing Matt Barkley‘s mark of six, which he accomplished against the Buffaloes in 2011 and 2013. With four touchdown passes in the first quarter, USC raced to a 28-0 lead. Kessler claimed the record with a 24-yard pass to Steve Mitchell in the third quarter.

USC Sports

USC’s Lincoln Riley and Colorado’s Deion Sanders dole out flowers instead of barbs

Lincoln Riley and Deion Sanders avoided trash talk and instead complimented each other’s roster transformations at USC and Colorado.

Sept. 26, 2023

USC defensive back Adoree’ Jackson, here during a 2016 game against Utah State, made a key play in the Trojans’ comeback against Colorado in 2015.

(Jae C. Hong / Associated Press)

After getting blown out for their first four years in the Pac-12, Colorado finally showed signs of life against its new conference foe in 2015 by building a 14-point first-half lead on the 16-point favorites. It was the first time Colorado had led the Trojans since Nov. 4, 2011. USC answered back with 24 consecutive points, a blocked field-goal attempt from Adoree’ Jackson early in the fourth quarter and a late defensive stand to keep its undefeated record against the Buffaloes.

USC quarterback Sam Darnold warms up before a 2016 game against Arizona State.

(Ryan Kang / Associated Press)

Sam Darnold played spoiler in Colorado’s one Pac-12 loss during its charmed 2016 season. The Buffaloes were playing their first game as a ranked team since Nov. 7, 2005, and lived up to their ranking on defense with four takeaways, but Darnold overcame two fumbles and one interception with three touchdown passes. It was Colorado’s only conference loss in its best Pac-12 season that ended with a South Division title. USC, which lost to Stanford and Utah earlier in the season, finished second in the division standings, but got the last laugh with a thrilling Rose Bowl victory over Penn State.

USC coach Clay Helton and Colorado coach Mel Tucker meet on the field after the Trojans’ 35-31 win over the Buffaloes in 2019.

(Dustin Bradford / Getty Images)

Colorado was 15 minutes away from its first win in the series, but two touchdown passes from Kedon Slovis to Michael Pittman Jr. helped USC overcome a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit. Slovis, then a freshman, fired the game-winning pass to Pittman with 2:15 remaining and finished with four touchdowns and 406 yards.