Once again, Brian Kelly outsmarts himself.
Even though USC scored that TD at the end, had he kicked that field goal on 4th and 3 early on in the game, instead of turning it over on downs, that would have made for a much different ending.
Having to drive the entire field 3 points behind, versus just being tied and only needing a FG to win is a much more stressful situation. USC had the luxury of playing relaxed, knowing that the worst thing they could do is settle for overtime.