Recalling USC’s 2012 trip to MetLife Stadium

On Sunday, the eyes of the sports world will be on MetLife Stadium in New Jersey for the World Cup Final. But did you know that USC football once played a game there?

In 2012, the Trojans faced Syracuse at MetLife. What seemed like a typical September nonconference matchup turned out to be one of the more bizarre contests in USC history.

Why, you ask? Well, the game had to be paused in the middle due to a weather delay. However, that did not seem to affect USC quarterback Matt Barkley, who had an impressive but unusual statline—six touchdown passes but only 187 yards. The Trojans‘ defense struggled at times, but they still won the game 42-29.

USC entered the game as the No. 2 team in the country. The following week, however, Trojans were upset by Stanford, marking the beginning of a fall that saw them finish the season 7-6 and unranked. To date, this is USC’s most recent victory as a top three team.

This was also the last time that the Trojans won east of Colorado until last year, when they defeated Purdue 33-17 in West Lafayette, Indiana. Ironically, that game also had a weather delay.

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This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Recalling USC’s 2012 trip to MetLife Stadium