Rutgers is 0-2 against teams from the state of Massachusetts and now opens Big Ten play with No. 12 USC coming to town, and the Trojans are once again more than a three-touchdown favorite.
For Lincoln Riley’s team, the focus here isn’t on the spread. It’s on defense, where USC has a chance to make an early statement as the schedule starts to tighten up.
The first target is Luke Wafle. USC’s standout freshman led the team in tackles last weekend against Louisiana, but he still hasn’t logged his first college sack.
If there’s a moment for that to change, this is it. A Big Ten opener in his home state of New Jersey gives Wafle the kind of stage that could turn his first sack into a memorable one.
The next number is two, and that means interceptions. Rutgers has moved the ball, but the turnovers have been piling up. Two different Scarlet Knights quarterbacks have already thrown seven interceptions combined through two games, so USC should have real chances to steal possessions if it stays sharp in coverage.
The final number is 100, and it belongs to KJ Duff. Rutgers’ top receiving threat has topped 100 yards in both games this season, and that’s the kind of production USC needs to take away if it wants to control the night. Gary Patterson should have a plan for Duff, because if the Trojans can keep him under 100 receiving yards, Rutgers’ offense could be in for a long one.
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USC Escaped Rutgers But One Troubling Issue Still Lingers
USC survived a tense battle with Rutgers, pulling out a 42-35 win that was far less comfortable than the ranking suggested. The Trojans needed big days from redshirt sophomore Miller and redshirt-freshman Riley Wormley to keep the offense moving, with both players supplying key runs and touchdowns as Rutgers stayed within striking distance throughout the afternoon.
The result will count, but it also left a familiar concern hanging over the Trojans. USC leaned heavily on individual playmakers, and the offense still had stretches defined by penalties and uneven passing, the kind of issues that can make even a win feel like a warning sign. Rutgers kept forcing USC to answer, and the bigger question now is whether the Trojans can clean up the rough edges before a tougher spot in the schedule turns those flaws into something more costly. [Read more 🡒]
USC Stayed Unbeaten But One Problem Looms Before Oregon
Southern California escaped its Big Ten opener with a 42-35 win over Rutgers, a game that looked more comfortable on the scoreboard than it felt on the field. Jayden Maiava threw for 277 yards and two touchdowns, King Miller added 102 rushing yards and a score, and the Trojans did enough to stay unbeaten even as Rutgers Dylan Lonergan pushed back with 272 passing yards and three touchdowns.
The bigger concern now is what comes next. USC gets Oregon at home, and the Ducks will be a far different test than a Rutgers team that hurt itself with turnovers, including a 99-yard interception returned for a touchdown. The Trojans survived this one, but the margin for error gets a lot thinner from here. [Read more 🡒]
Rutgers Fans Wont Like How USC Kept That Drive Alive
USCs first road trip of the season had the kind of third-quarter sequence that tends to linger long after the final whistle. In the middle of a pivotal drive against Rutgers, an inadvertent whistle wiped out a completed third-down pass, forcing the down to be replayed and turning one clean conversion into a fresh round of pressure for the Trojans.
From there, the drive took a winding path, with USC failing on the replayed third down before going for it on fourth and eventually hitting a 32-yard completion to keep things moving. It was the sort of break-and-response sequence that can swing a road game, and the No. 12 Trojans made enough of those plays to leave New Jersey with a win and a 4-0 record. [Read more 🡒]