Trailing 34-14 at halftime against No. 8 USC, the Buffs were in desperate need of a spark. An injection of life. Someone to make a big play to kickstart a rally.

While the first half offensively was an improvement on the disaster that was last weekend, it was still tough sledding for CU. The Buffs (3-2, 0-2 Pac-12) had improved on the ground, found some success with quarterback Shedeur Sanders scrambling, but still were struggling to find the big plays downfield that defined their season-opening victory over TCU. On the other end, Caleb Williams was rolling, with four first half touchdowns for the Trojans.

Enter true freshman wideout Omarion Miller, a four-star recruit out of Vivian, Louisiana. Miller hadn’t seen any action on offense yet this season, but with the Buffs playing without Travis Hunter and with a hobbled Xavier Weaver, they needed to dig deep to find a playmaker.

It’s safe to say Miller was there to answer the call.

The 6-foot-2 freshman reeled in seven catches for 196 yards and a touchdown, all in the second half. He got open with crisp route running, won contested catches down the field, and made plays after the catch, breaking the seal for an offense that desperately needed a downfield presence, someone to take the top off of the USC defense.