Julian Fleming of Penn State showcased his clutch performance during critical moments against USC.

In the first half, the Nittany Lions’ offense struggled to score, failing to secure a touchdown. Their defense also faced challenges, conceding a 75-yard touchdown on USC’s second drive and remaining under pressure for most of the game. Quarterback Drew Allar threw three interceptions, including one on a last-ditch Hail Mary. Additionally, Penn State’s highly regarded running game managed only 3.8 yards per carry.

In every aspect, Penn State rose to the occasion when it counted the most. The offense kicked off the second half with a touchdown and managed to keep up with the Trojans, while the defense limited USC to just six points from Drew Allar’s interceptions.

Julian Fleming epitomized resilience on Saturday. His day began poorly with an offensive pass interference penalty in the end zone during Penn State’s first drive, nullifying a touchdown by Tyler Warren. Despite the defender making initial contact at the goal line, Fleming continued his route to create space for Warren to catch and score. Although the penalty was controversial, it reduced an impressive 14-play opening drive to just three points.

With just under six minutes left in the first half, Fleming found himself wide open on a hitch route near the sideline. Allar delivered a perfect pass, but Fleming, seemingly trying to brace for contact and run before securing the catch, ended up dropping the ball.

Reflecting on his earlier penalty, Fleming said, “It’s a play we’ve practiced a lot. I should have adjusted my route and continued. Whether it was the ref’s mistake or mine, it’s something we have to move past. It was part of the game, and it was tough for us, but we had to push through.”

Over 30 minutes later, with Penn State in a critical situation, Fleming had his moment of redemption. The Lions were down by seven and faced a fourth-and-7 with 4.5 minutes remaining. Coach Franklin made a bold decision to keep the offense on the field, despite having three timeouts.

Allar scanned the field from right to left and spotted Fleming in single coverage beyond the first-down marker. Fleming made a spectacular 17-yard catch with his arms fully extended, despite contact, marking one of the most clutch plays of his career and the season’s biggest for Penn State.

“My primary goal, seeing what looked like a Cover 2 defense, was to create some separation and hopefully make a play,” Fleming explained.

Just three plays later, Allar and the offense faced another crucial fourth down, this time from 10 yards out. With pressure coming through the middle of the offensive line, Allar was forced off his spot but managed to throw a wobbly pass to Fleming on the run. The fifth-year senior made another significant play, fighting back to the ball for a 16-yard catch, which set up Nicholas Singleton’s game-tying touchdown later in the drive.

“I was a bit confused about the call coming out of the huddle,” Fleming admitted. “Liam [Clifford] helped me get lined up correctly. I faced press coverage, slid my defender slightly to the outside, slipped inside, and the ball was right there as I came out of the break. I knew I had to secure it and get down because I had the first down.”

Fleming acknowledged that the earlier drop affected him, as he stood in the L.A. Memorial Coliseum tunnel. He compared it to a practice session during UCLA preparations where he struggled and didn’t recover as he had hoped. In the UCLA game, he and Allar also missed opportunities to connect on deep passes early on—one was underthrown, and the other seemed to result from a route miscommunication.

Any doubts were quickly dispelled when Allar showed confidence in Fleming during the game’s critical moments, and Fleming delivered.

“That was something I was really trying to improve on, being able to bounce back and having a six-second mentality,” Fleming said. “I think that really helped me a lot… Everyone wants to get down on themselves, but it’s about what you do next.”

Fleming, a former five-star recruit and the top player in Pennsylvania who initially chose Ohio State, hadn’t yet made the standout plays Penn State fans anticipated after his transfer. Before the game in L.A., he had only seven catches for 99 yards this season.

However, Penn State wouldn’t have forced overtime against USC, let alone won, without Fleming’s clutch performance.

“I think it shows the type of player and person he is to keep battling back,” Allar said. “Those two fourth-down plays were huge for us in tying the game, but they were also two of the most impressive catches I’ve seen. Contested catches, with the ball out in front and the defensive back all over him”.

“I couldn’t be prouder of him. He’s an amazing teammate for me and the entire team. I’m just thrilled he made those two catches.”

Fleming chose to skip the NFL draft and return home for a fifth college season to prove his abilities on the field. Despite the box score showing only two catches for 33 yards and a drop, he delivered the kind of performance everyone had been waiting for.