No. 12 USC football has fared well adjusting to Big Ten competition since it joined the conference in 2024, boasting a winning record against its new conference rivals. But for all the success, one glaring concern remains: The Trojans struggle mightily on the road.

They’ve simply been a different team away from Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, going 11-2 at home but just 3-7 on the road over the last two seasons.

While USC (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten) opened Big Ten play with a 42-35 win Saturday over Rutgers (0-3, 0-1) in Piscataway, New Jersey, the travails on the road haven’t quite gone away. The Trojans entered the Week 3 matchup heavily favored, but despite never relinquishing the lead, the Scarlet Knights relentlessly kept it close, answering nearly every USC score to stay within striking distance.

In a game marred by defensive breakdowns and won with offensive firepower and game-changing takeaways, the Trojans hung on to remain undefeated but looked extremely vulnerable while doing so. 

“We had contributions from all three sides that certainly contributed to the win, and we’ll build on those,” Head Coach Lincoln Riley said in a postgame news conference. “[We] gave up too many big plays defensively. Not pleased at all with how we played there.”

Defense scuffles but comes up with monumental turnover

After giving up 30 points to the University of Louisiana at Lafayette (2-1) last week, the Trojans didn’t look much better defensively against the Scarlet Knights. 

Rutgers scored five touchdowns with 460 yards of total offense. Senior quarterback Dylan Lonergan carved up USC’s defense, throwing for 252 yards and three touchdowns. The Trojans couldn’t shut down the ground game either, as junior running back Antwan Raymond picked them apart for 122 rushing yards. 

Despite the numbers for Rutgers, the afternoon was a mixed bag for USC’s defense. On the Scarlet Knights’ first possession, senior safety Christian Pierce’s one-handed interception set up the offense with a short field. The Trojans took advantage, scoring just two plays later to take a 10-point lead. 

Another key takeaway came in the second half when Rutgers quickly drove downfield. Given USC’s struggles to stop opponents in the red zone this season, the go-ahead touchdown felt inevitable. At the Trojans’ 9-yard line, Lonergan threw a pass to the end zone intended for sophomore wide receiver Jourdin Houston. 

Reading Lonergan’s eyes, redshirt senior safety Prophet Brown undercut the throw and sprinted back 99 yards for a colossal pick-six. 

“I’ve definitely seen [that] route that teams like a lot in the red zone,” Brown said in a postgame news conference. “As soon as he broke, I knew to break on it because the quarterback’s going there.”

The play proved to be the difference in the game, as the Scarlet Knights scored touchdowns on the next two drives in a one-possession victory. 

Penalties, fake punt stall Trojans’ momentum 

Penalties have now been an issue for USC in back-to-back weeks. The Trojans committed eight accepted penalties for 71 yards against Rutgers after being flagged eight times for 78 yards in Week 2. 

“We still have to clean up penalties,” Riley said. “Those little things that you can’t do against good teams, you can’t do on the road, and we certainly helped them a little bit there.”

Late in the second quarter, on 4th-and-21, the Scarlet Knights took a gutsy gamble. With the risk of handing the ball back to USC in the red zone, Rutgers successfully faked a punt — completely fooling the Trojans, who left senior defensive back Jesse Ofurie wide open for a 40-yard catch-and-run. The play extended the drive, and Rutgers scored 92 seconds later.  

“When you got somebody backed up at the end of the half, and you give up a 50-yard play on a fake punt, especially on the road, it just flips momentum; it kind of breathes life into them,” Riley said. 

Balanced offense outscores Rutgers

Heading into the contest without freshman wide receiver Trent Mosley due to a knee injury, other pass catchers had to step up. And once again, the younger receivers delivered when the team needed it most. 

Freshman wide receiver Kayden Dixon-Wyatt continued to be a prominent part of the offense, making five catches for 77 yards. 

A crucial offensive play came in the second quarter. On third down and long from midfield, sophomore wide receiver Corey Simms high-pointed redshirt senior quarterback Jayden Maiava’s pass and out-jumped a defender to scamper into the end zone for a 52-yard touchdown reception. Maiava threw two touchdown passes and 277 yards while avoiding an interception. 

In the run game, redshirt sophomore running back King Miller was particularly effective Saturday, rushing for over 100 yards with a touchdown at nearly 6.5 yards per carry. 

Redshirt freshman running back Riley Wormley had a breakout game, with two touchdowns and  52 yards rushing on just three carries. Wormley’s 2-yard touchdown catch in the fourth gave USC the cushion it needed to seal the win. 

After securing their first Big Ten victory, the Trojans enter the brutal stretch of their conference schedule. With four of their next six games against currently ranked teams, the challenge only intensifies from here. 

Luckily for USC, its marquee showdown against No. 20 Oregon (2-1) is back within the friendly confines of the Coliseum, where it hasn’t lost in 10 consecutive contests. The much-anticipated battle with the Ducks kicks off Saturday at 4:30 p.m. at the Coliseum.