In the waning seconds of USC’s 21-17 win over Colorado earlier this season, receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster made a crucial third-down reception and had nothing ahead of him but the end zone. He could’ve walked in for the score. Instead, he took a knee at the 14-yard line.
It was the right decision, effectively ending the game. Afterward Coach Clay Helton gushed, “To get that first down, understand where the game was and to get down to end it I thought was tremendous.”
It also might end up hurting USC’s Rose Bowl chances, if the College Football Playoff committee decides to look at margin of victory.