Ex-Bishop Gorman football star dazzles in debut for USC

LOS ANGELES — Zachariah Branch caught a short pass from Caleb Williams and accelerated, turning defenders into turnstiles as he zigzagged downfield. The freshman then broke out Cristiano Ronaldo’s iconic goal celebration for his first touchdown, leaping and twisting and screaming to the sky.

Williams, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, has a dangerous new teammate joining him for Southern California’s pursuit of championships.

Williams passed for 278 yards and four touchdowns, and the freshman Branch made an electrifying debut with a 96-yard kickoff return and a 25-yard reception for touchdowns in No. 6 USC’s 56-28 victory over San Jose State on Saturday night.

Branch was an immediate phenomenon in his first game out of Bishop Gorman High School, making four catches for 58 yards — none better than that catch-and-run for a score on a drive set up by his 35-yard punt return. Branch said he learned Ronaldo’s celebration while playing the FIFA video game.

“I’ve been planning that for like two months,” Branch said with a grin. “It was always a dream for me to be at a prestigious university and be around an elite staff and elite players. I was just real excited. … And once I touched the end zone, the crowd turned me up a little bit.”

Branch then broke the game open with his kickoff return down the Spartans’ sideline in the third quarter, dodging tackles all the way.

“Thought he did a good job not trying to do too much, which guys in their first game sometimes will do,” USC coach Lincoln Riley said. “The patience, especially on the return, was key. We talked about trust, and then going into this first game, he was a great example of that. He heavily impacted the game.”