Winning ugly still counts in the standings, but it rarely cures a fan's anxiety. No. 12 USC traveled across the country to Piscataway for its first-ever Big Ten road test and scraped out a 42-35 victory over Rutgers. On paper, moving to 4-0 looks great. On the field, surrendering 460 total yards to a struggling Rutgers squad tells a different story.
If you watched the game at SHI Stadium, you saw an offense capable of moving the chains at will, paired with a defensive secondary that gave up chunk plays all afternoon. Head coach Lincoln Riley admitted after the final whistle that his group didn't play their best football across the board. When you allow opponents to convert high-percentage opportunities inside the red zone—pushing a season tally where opponents have scored on 10 of 13 red-zone trips—you're playing with fire.
The Offense Kept the Ship Afloat
Jayden Maiava orchestrated the attack efficiently, throwing for 277 yards and two touchdowns. He completed 20 of 32 passes, keeping the chains moving even when the Trojans missed a few glaring windows downfield. Without star freshman receiver Trent Mosley on the field due to a right knee injury, other weapons had to step up.
Freshman Kayden Dixon-Wyatt answered the call with five catches for 77 yards, while Corey Simms added 72 yards on four receptions, including a brilliant explosive highlight early in the second quarter. On the ground, King Miller continued his stellar form. Miller cracked the century mark for the second consecutive week, churning out 102 yards and a touchdown. Redshirt freshman Riley Wormley also chipped in heavily, capping off the day with a rushing score and a vital receiving touchdown that sealed the 42-28 cushion late in the fourth quarter.
The Defensive Red Flags You Can't Ignore
Offensive fireworks are fun, but college football championships require stops. Rutgers quarterback Dylan Lonergan shredded the USC secondary for 272 yards and three touchdowns, exploiting soft coverage and missed assignments.
The single play that saved USC from an outright disaster came from safety Prophet Brown. Lonergan tried to find a rhythm near the goal line, but Brown jumped the route and raced 99 yards the other way for a pick-six. That defensive touchdown stretched the lead to 27-14 and gave the Trojans just enough cushion to survive a frantic late-game push from the Scarlet Knights.
You cannot rely on 99-yard interception returns every week to mask structural defensive flaws. Missed tackles and blown assignments showed up repeatedly, turning routine plays into extended drives for Rutgers.
What This Means Moving Forward
The calendar doesn't care about your flaws when tougher opponents are looming. USC sits at 4-0, but the competition spikes dramatically next week with an upcoming matchup against Oregon. High-powered offenses in the conference will watch the tape from Piscataway and attack the exact soft spots Rutgers exposed.
Lincoln Riley and his defensive staff have a massive week of adjustments ahead. Fixing the red zone leaks and tightening up coverage in the defensive backfield aren't optional fixes anymore—they're mandatory if this team wants to stay undefeated.
Stop looking at the final score and look at the execution. Shore up the tackling, clean up the secondary rotations, and prepare for a much harsher test in Los Angeles.
