USC’s 30-18 upset of No. 2 Ohio State on a rainy night in California came with plenty of moving parts, but the biggest theme was simple: the Trojans were the more physical team.
That was a sharp turnaround from the Week 8 loss to No. 25 Wisconsin, when USC got bullied across the board. This time, the Buckeyes were the ones who looked out of sorts, and the Trojans answered with a performance that produced clear winners and losers.
The brightest star was true freshman receiver Makai Lemon, who looked every bit like the explosive playmaker USC needs. After sitting out three straight games, he wasted no time making his presence felt. Lemon finished with nine receptions for 111 yards and a score, and even after a quiet day against Wisconsin, he was right back to creating problems for Ohio State.
His first-quarter burst set the tone. Lemon opened USC’s scoring with a 69-yard touchdown, added a 44-yard punt return, and chipped in a physical 18-yard gain. The rain and a heavier reliance on the run cut into his second-half production, but the freshman still finished with nine targets, five catches, 101 yards, and the touchdown.
The weather and Ohio State’s pass rush also shaped how Lincoln Riley called the game. Jayden Maiava wasn’t asked to throw it all over the yard, and the short-to-intermediate game became the Trojans’ friend. Freshman tight end Mark Bowman, back from a hamstring injury, gave Maiava another reliable outlet.
Between Lemon and Bowman, USC got 12 targets and 180 yards on Maiava’s 22 pass attempts for 222 yards. Waymond Jordan and King Miller also got involved as check-down options, with Jordan catching two passes for 17 yards and Miller adding two receptions for eight yards. By the end of the night, freshman Kayden Dixon-Wyatt and Tanook Hines had no catches, while Zacharyus Williams finished with one reception for 15 yards.
USC’s defense, meanwhile, did exactly what it had to do with a true freshman under center: create pressure and make life uncomfortable. Luke Fahey finished the first half 8-for-15 for 86 yards, but he was constantly forced off his spot by Kameryn Crawford and Luke Wafle. He spent much of the half scrambling, throwing on the move, or trying to make something happen off his back foot.
Ohio State did lean on the run and piled up 105 rushing yards in the first half, but that only translated into nine points. The Trojans also came up with a big goal-line stand that forced the Buckeyes to settle for their third field goal of the half.
The pressure continued after halftime. Braylan Shelby logged a seven-yard sack in the second half, giving him sacks in back-to-back games, and Alex VanSumeren joined Crawford for USC’s second sack of the night. By the final whistle, the Trojans had seven tackles for loss, two sacks, a quarterback hit, a hurry, and a forced fumble from Desman Stephens II, with Floyd Boucard recovering it.
That defensive front was a major response to what happened against Wisconsin, when USC’s first-half stiffness faded and Bo Jackson ran for 121 yards at 5.8 yards per carry. Usually, a 100-yard rusher is a bad sign for the other team, but USC got away with it that day. Against Ohio State, the Trojans made sure the Buckeyes never got comfortable enough to take over.
Coverage also tightened in a way that mattered, even if it came with the goal of draining the clock. Jeremiah Smith still managed nine catches for 83 yards and a touchdown. With Charlie Becker and Nick Marsh on deck in Week 11, defensive coordinator Gary Patterson will want to avoid that same soft approach.
The other major turnaround came up front. The Wisconsin game was ugly for USC’s offensive line and run game, with the Trojans finishing at negative 17 rushing yards while allowing five sacks, ten tackles for loss, five quarterback hits, and two hurries. Against Ohio State, that group came out determined not to be pushed around again.
Bowman helped there too, looking like a bully again as a blocker. USC’s double-tight end looks with Bowman and Tucker Ashcraft also gave the run game a boost, and freshman Kannon Smith starting at left guard appeared to help stabilize things.
Jordan returned with six carries for 28 yards and a touchdown in the first half, while Miller handled seven carries for 42 yards. Together, the pair powered USC’s ground game to 126 rushing yards and two touchdowns by the end of regulation, with Miller finishing at 78 yards and Jordan at 48.
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The scene around the tunnel at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum was less polished. Riley and his family ran into a bottleneck on the way out, and the moment escalated into a verbal exchange in which Riley reportedly directed profanity at Ohio State athletic director Ross Bjork and other staff members. Former Buckeye Maurice Clarett stepped in to try to calm things down, a reminder that even after the final whistle, the emotions from a game like this can linger well beyond the field. [Read more 🡒]