USC played badly enough to fall into a 17-point second-half hole against Texas A&M. Then it played well enough to overcome it all.

USC closed its season on Friday with a dramatic 35-31 win over Texas A&M in the Las Vegas Bowl. The Trojans trailed by as many as 17 points midway through the third quarter and took the lead back for good with eight seconds remaining when quarterback Jayden Maiava found Kyle Ford for a seven-yard touchdown.

Workers at the Virgin Hotels Las Vegas have been on strike since November. USC released a statement on Friday morning saying the university was “disappointed” in the bowl organizers’ inability to