NCAA Game Summary - Fresno State vs. Southern California

Las Vegas, NV (SportsNetwork.com) - Clay Helton's reign as USC's head coach may be a brief one, but he was able to do what his two predecessors this season failed to accomplish -- win his final game.

With Cody Kessler tossing four first-half touchdown passes and the defense shutting down national passing leader Derek Carr for much of the day, the Trojans set a foundation for a promising new era with a dominating 45-20 victory over 21st-ranked Fresno State in the Las Vegas Bowl.

Kessler added a career-high 344 passing yards while hitting on 22-of-31 attempts to outshine the more-heralded Carr and end the Trojans' tumultuous season on a very high note. Marquis Lee and Nelson Agholor each hauled in two of the quarterback's scoring strikes, with Javorius Allen lending a pair of touchdowns on the ground in the rout.

USC (10-4) enters new head coach Steve Sarkisian's debut season having won seven of its final eight games and went 8-2 after Lane Kiffin's dismissal in late September. Much of that success came under Ed Orgeron, who left the program after being passed over for Sarkisian to elevate Helton from offensive coordinator for the bowl game.

Lee, playing in what's expected to be his final game before declaring for the NFL Draft, finished with 118 yards on seven catches.

Carr, meanwhile, managed just 217 yards and two touchdowns with an interception on 29-of-54 passing against the Trojans' airtight pass defense. The senior standout entered the matchup having put up 400 or more yards in four of his last five outings.

After making a case for a possible BCS bowl berth late in the season, Fresno State (11-2) dropped two of its last three games and was outclassed by the more athletic Trojans from virtually start-to-finish.