USC’s latest win wasn’t clean, but it was enough to keep the Trojans unbeaten - and it also put a pair of players in the Big Ten spotlight.
After a 42-35 road win over Rutgers, the No. 12 Trojans came away with conference weekly honors for kicker Caden Chittenden and redshirt freshman running back Riley Wormley. Chittenden was named the Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week, while Wormley earned Big Ten Freshman of the Week recognition after making a handful of snaps count in a major way.
For USC, the victory in Piscataway was a reminder that not everything has to be smooth to still get the job done. The defense had trouble getting Rutgers off the field for much of the afternoon, and the Scarlet Knights stayed within striking distance deep into the game. But USC’s offense kept landing enough punches, and the special teams unit chipped in points that mattered in a one-score game.
Chittenden’s afternoon was as clean as it gets. In his first game handling USC’s place-kicking duties, he went 2-for-2 on field goals and made all four extra points.
His first field goal came from 35 yards and got the Trojans on the board. Later, with Rutgers threatening to shift the game before halftime, he drilled a 32-yarder with 10 seconds left in the second quarter to send USC into the break up 20-14.
That performance carried extra weight because Chittenden had missed the entire 2025 season after a season-ending injury in fall camp. The former UNLV kicker had not attempted a field goal for USC before Saturday, which made the perfect debut even more notable.
Wormley’s contribution came in a different form, but it was just as timely. He touched the ball only four times, yet turned those chances into 54 total yards and two touchdowns. The redshirt freshman ran three times for 52 yards and a score, and he also caught one pass for two yards and another touchdown.
His first big burst came in the third quarter after Rutgers trimmed USC’s lead to 27-21. Wormley broke loose for a career-long 27-yard run, then finished the drive with a 12-yard touchdown run.
He struck again in the fourth quarter, when Rutgers had cut the margin back to one score. Wormley picked up 13 yards to help USC get close, then caught a two-yard touchdown from Jayden Maiava on third down to stretch the lead to 42-28.
Now USC turns to a much bigger stage. The Trojans return to the Coliseum for their Big Ten home opener against No. 20 Oregon, with both Chittenden and Wormley carrying momentum into the matchup.
USC enters at No. 21 and 4-0, while Oregon is No. 2 and has one loss. Despite that ranking gap, FanDuel and DraftKings both list the Ducks as 2.5-point favorites. That sets up a game that should stay tight, where a reliable kicker could loom large if drives stall and every possession starts to matter even more.
Wormley could matter too. King Miller handled most of USC’s rushing workload against Rutgers, but Wormley’s explosiveness gave the Trojans another way to create quick offense when they needed it. Oregon will bring a different kind of test than Rutgers did, but USC has already seen how dangerous Wormley can be when his number gets called.
In Other News...
USC Now Faces A Different Oregon Offense Than Expected
Oregons receiving picture changed fast in the lead-up to USC, beginning with Jeremiah McClellans broken foot during warmups against Portland State. The junior wideout is out indefinitely, and while thats a blow to a Ducks passing game that had been expecting a certain look, it also forced Oregon to adjust on the fly and show another layer of depth.
Messiah Hampton was the immediate beneficiary, stepping into the void and producing 71 receiving yards with two touchdowns in that game. USC now has to prepare for a different version of Oregons offense than the one it may have had in mind, especially with tight ends Kendre Harrison and Jamari Johnson expected to be available for the matchup. [Read more 🡒]
USC Faces A Defining Lincoln Riley Test Against Oregon
Oregons visit to No. 12 USC arrives with the kind of stakes that make October feel bigger than it should. The Ducks, now ranked No. 20 after a loss to Oklahoma State, step into a matchup that carries real weight for the conference race and the College Football Playoff picture, while also renewing a rivalry that has become familiar territory for both programs. For USC, it is another chance to show that Lincoln Rileys program can turn high-end expectations into a true West Coast standard.
Recruits are watching, too, which is what gives this game an extra layer beyond the standings. USC and Oregon have spent years circling the same prospects and the same national ambitions, and meetings like this are where the Trojans can reinforce the idea that their future is as strong as anyones. Riley does not need this one to define his tenure, but he does need it to support the broader vision he has sold since arriving in Los Angeles. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon Defender Just Made USC's Big Test For Jayden Maiava Clear
Ahead of Oregons matchup with USC, Ducks defensive lineman Aydin Breland offered a useful preview of why the Trojans offense has become such a difficult assignment. Breland pointed to Jayden Maiavas ability to extend plays with his legs and make throws when the pocket breaks down, which is part of what has given USC a more unpredictable edge. He also touched on the physical tone of the Trojans running game, a reminder that Oregon will have to handle more than just quarterback movement if it wants to stay in control.
Brelands comments added a little more texture to a game already carrying plenty of weight for USC, especially with the Ducks clearly treating Maiava as the centerpiece of their defensive planning. He also noted his own connection to the USC area, which gives the matchup a bit of extra familiarity, but the bigger issue is how Oregons practice work translates once the speed and space open up on Saturday. The question now is whether USC can make that mobility work for it before Oregons front settles in. [Read more 🡒]