No. 12 USC is headed cross-country for its Big Ten opener, a Saturday date with Rutgers at SHI Stadium in New Brunswick, New Jersey.
Kickoff is set for 12:30 p.m. PT (3:30 p.m. local), and the game will air on CBS.
The Trojans arrive with Jayden Maiava rolling. The redshirt senior quarterback has already picked up AP National Player of the seek and Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honors, and he’s fresh off a career-high five-touchdown outing against Louisiana. USC will need that form again, especially with star freshman receiver Trent Mosley out for the foreseeable future.
Even without Mosley, Maiava still has plenty to work with. Kayden Dixon-Wyatt has emerged as another freshman playmaker, tying for the team lead in receptions while sitting second in receiving yards.
Tight end Mark Bowman is coming off the kind of breakout that gets attention fast, catching two touchdowns and showing why he carried five-star billing out of high school. His teammate from those days, Dixon-Wyatt, has been just as important early on.
There’s also a spotlight on Terrell Anderson and Tanook Hines, both of whom were eased back into action because of injuries. Anderson brings the most experience after appearing in every game the past two seasons for NC State, while Hines opened last year as a true freshman and finished third on the team in receptions and receiving yards. With Mosley sidelined, USC needs that pair to help carry the load.
The Trojans have leaned on several other names too. Zacharyus Williams has been Mosley’s backup this season, Corey Simms has started two games, freshman Tron Baker has started one, and Boobie Feaster is another freshman worth watching.
On the ground, USC is still trying to find the right rhythm. King Miller finally gave the rushing attack a jolt last week with 118 yards, but Big Ten play brings a different test, and the Trojans need the kind of balanced offense that has made Riley’s teams dangerous in the past.
Rutgers, meanwhile, has one clear threat that USC has to account for: KJ Duff. The Scarlet Knights have started 0-2, but Duff has been the bright spot. The 6-foot-6, 225-pound receiver is a tough matchup and has already put up 17 catches for 333 yards and five touchdowns in two games.
USC’s secondary has its own challenge ahead, and transfer Jontez Williams has been up to the task through three games. He has lived up to the billing as the No. 1 cornerback in the transfer portal, and Chasen Johnson plus freshman Rock Hill will also get chances on Saturday.
There’s also a broader road-game hurdle hanging over USC. Since joining the Big Ten in 2024, the Trojans have struggled away from home in conference play, and they’ve had issues in the Eastern Time Zone for the past decade and a half. This trip gives them a chance to make a statement before next week’s highly anticipated matchup against Oregon.
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Rutgers Let A Huge Opportunity Slip In A Familiar Way
Rutgers had another chance to grab a statement win at SHI Stadium, and for a while it looked like the Scarlet Knights were right there with USC in a game that stayed within reach. The effort under Greg Schiano was obvious, but so was the familiar problem that keeps showing up whenever Rutgers gets into this kind of spot, especially against a ranked opponent.
Dylan Lonergans two interceptions, including a 99-yard pick-six that swung the game, proved costly in a 42-35 loss that felt very much like a missed opportunity. Rutgers has now dropped 44 straight games against ranked teams, and until the turnovers stop defining these moments, the program will keep finding itself close to something bigger without getting over the top. [Read more 🡒]
Lincoln Rileys USC Reaction Says A Lot About Rutgers Fight
Rutgers made USC work for every bit of its 42-35 win in the Trojans first road game of the 2026 season, and Lincoln Rileys tone afterward reflected just how much the Scarlet Knights pushed the visitors. The game doubled as USCs first Big Ten opener, and Riley pointed to a mix of strong offensive moments and the kind of defensive lapses that can turn a road trip into a fight, especially in this league.
For Rutgers, the details Riley called out were the ones that kept the game alive: big plays, penalties and a fake punt that helped tilt the evening into a pressure-packed fourth quarter. Even in defeat, the Scarlet Knights showed enough fight to force USC into a game Riley knew would matter in the conference race, which is why the loss still carried the feel of something Rutgers can build on. [Read more 🡒]
Rutgers Fans Wont Like How USC Kept That Drive Alive
Rutgers got a front-row look at how quickly a promising defensive stand can turn frustrating in a game like this. In USCs first road test of the season, the third quarter brought a sequence that left the Scarlet Knights chasing the officials as much as the Trojans, with an inadvertent whistle wiping out a third-down conversion before the drive was extended anyway through a series of penalties and a fourth-down completion.
For Rutgers fans, the aggravation was obvious because the stop they needed never quite arrived, and the drive stayed alive long enough for USC to keep control of the moment. The No. 12 Trojans left with the win and moved to 4-0, while Rutgers was left replaying one of those swing sequences that can loom large long after the final whistle. [Read more 🡒]