USC spent the week before its showdown with then-No. 2 Ohio State carrying plenty of baggage.
The Trojans were coming off a rough road loss at Wisconsin, their second defeat of the season, and Lincoln Riley’s job security beyond Halloween was being openly questioned. They needed a response, and they got one fast.
Freshman receiver Trent Mosley set the tone on the second play of the game, turning a screen pass into a 69-yard touchdown. That early strike helped USC seize control in a 30-18 upset that looked and felt like a statement win.
"It's a point we stress all week and all year really to start off fast," Mosley said in an exclusive interview with USC reporter Keely Eure. "Great call by coach Riley and executed well and we were able to go block it up and go score."
The result mattered beyond the scoreboard. Since entering the Big Ten in 2024, USC has been trying to shed the “soft West Coast team” label, and against one of the conference’s top programs, the Trojans looked like the more physical team on both sides of the ball. It was the biggest win of the Riley era, and it arrived at exactly the right moment.
That urgency has been a theme for USC because of the way its season has unfolded. The Trojans played in Week 0, giving them the advantage of two bye weeks.
The pattern after the first one was hard to ignore: USC came out of an emotional road win over Penn State in front of a record crowd of 114,419, then followed it with its worst offensive performance under Riley. All three phases struggled in a 24-7 loss to Wisconsin.
Now the Trojans are trying to avoid a similar letdown after the second bye. Their next test is a major one, as they travel to Indiana on Nov. 14 to face the defending national champions. Curt Cignetti’s Hoosiers have lost only once at home since he took over in 2024, which makes this one of USC’s toughest road assignments since joining the conference.
Riley has said repeatedly during the break that this bye week has looked different from the first. Whether that change shows up on the field will be answered next Saturday.
"This is a time where it is time to recover, but you also have to balance the work," Mosley said.
The path ahead is clear enough. USC enters week 10 with two top-10 teams on the schedule, and if the Trojans are going to make their first College Football Playoff, they’ll have to get through Indiana and crosstown rival UCLA.
"Our mindset, our mentality and the talent we have on this team can take us far as we want," Mosley said. "I think when we put it together and play together on all sides, we’re a real good football team."
Riley thought the Penn State win could spark a run. The Ohio State upset raised the stakes even higher. Whether it pushes USC to a new level in the Riley era is now the next question.
"We have expectations to be the best," Mosley said. So every day we come out here and we give it our all.
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For Trojans fans, Sanchez was part of an era that helped shape the programs identity, and his name carried weight in college baseball circles long after he left Los Angeles. He was recognized for his contributions to the sport and is survived by his family, leaving USC and the broader baseball community to reflect on a career that made a lasting mark. [Read more 🡒]
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Mia Tvrdy, London Wijay and Adonia Faumuina were among the key pieces in a performance that gave USC a chance to breathe and regroup. For a team trying to stop a slide and steady itself, this was the sort of clean win that can matter beyond the box score, even if the real test is whether it carries over into what comes next. [Read more 🡒]