Lincoln Riley got the kind of Halloween result that can turn a season on its head.
Southern California walked into Saturday with a huge task in front of it and came out with a 30-18 shocker over No. 2 Ohio State at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Jayden Maiava threw for 222 yards and a touchdown, Trent Mosley piled up 145 all-purpose yards, and the Trojans controlled the game from the opening snap.
USC wasted no time making its point. On the third play of the game, just 39 seconds in, Maiava hit Mosley on a short screen and Mosley did the rest, streaking untouched down the sideline for a 69-yard touchdown.
The Trojans kept the pressure on late in the first quarter. Mosley flipped the field with a 44-yard punt return to the Ohio State 46, and a Buckeyes personal foul helped the drive along. After Mosley added a 14-yard catch, Waymond Jordan finished it off with a 9-yard touchdown run to make it 14-3.
Ryon Sayeri then stretched the lead to 17-6 with a 54-yard field goal, tying his career long. Ohio State kept getting close, but the Buckeyes kept leaving points behind.
Connor Hawkins knocked through field goals from 39, 34 and 23 yards, with the last one coming after Ohio State reached first-and-goal at the USC 1-yard line and still came away with only three. That left the Trojans up 20-9 at halftime.
Maiava was efficient all afternoon, finishing 15 of 22. Mosley caught five passes for 101 yards, and his impact went well beyond the box score.
The game swung hard again in the third quarter. After Ohio State’s West fumbled, Floyd Boucard recovered at the Buckeyes’ 32-yard line, and USC quickly made it count. Maiava found Mark Bowman for a 70-yard catch-and-run, setting up King Miller’s 1-yard touchdown plunge that pushed the margin to 27-9.
Ohio State’s true freshman quarterback Luke Fahey, starting in place of the injured Julian Sayin, finished 21 of 38 for 260 yards and a touchdown. The Buckeyes never fully solved USC’s pace or the early hole they dug for themselves.
Jeremiah Smith was the main bright spot for Ohio State, catching 10 passes for 83 yards. He capped the night with a 1-yard touchdown grab with 2:12 left, and that score gave him 40 career Big Ten receiving touchdowns, tying ex-Michigan’s Braylon Edwards for the most in conference history.
Ohio State tried to keep hope alive after a failed two-point conversion made it 27-18, but USC slammed the door from there. Tanook Hines grabbed the Buckeyes’ onside kick and returned it 24 yards to the Ohio State 21, and Caden Chittenden finished things with a 32-yard field goal with 1:46 remaining.
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Ohio State Freshman Faces A Familiar Path Fans Have Seen Before
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Coaches and analysts around the program are drawing a familiar comparison to Malaki Branham, who also started slowly before growing into a key contributor later in the season. Thompsons ceiling is clear, but his aggressiveness and production have not fully shown up yet, leaving Ohio State in a patient waiting game as it looks for the freshman to follow a similar path. [Read more 🡒]