USC got more than a win over Rutgers on Saturday. It got two breakout performances that earned hardware from the Big Ten.
Kicker Caden Chittenden was named Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week, while running back Riley Wormley picked up Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors after both helped power USC’s 42-35 victory on Sept. 19. For each player, it was the first Big Ten weekly award of his Trojan career.
Chittenden was spotless in his first game handling USC’s place-kicking duties. The redshirt sophomore went 2-for-2 on field goals and made all four extra points, finishing with 10 points - the second-most by any USC player in the game and the highest total of his Trojan tenure.
He set the tone early with a 35-yard field goal that put USC in front for good. Then, with Rutgers having trimmed the margin to three late in the first half, Chittenden drilled a 32-yarder with 10 seconds left to finish off a 61-yard drive and send the Trojans to halftime up 20-14.
Those were his first field goals as a Trojan, and they came after a long layoff. Chittenden missed the entire 2025 season because of a season-ending injury suffered during fall camp.
In a seven-point game, his 10 points mattered. USC opened Big Ten play with a win, moved to 4-0, and finished its first East Coast road trip since 2014 with a victory.
Chittenden also arrived in Los Angeles with a strong resume, having been a Lou Groza Award semifinalist and a First Team True Freshman All-American by 247Sports after leading all FBS kickers with 133 points at UNLV in 2024.
Wormley’s night was just as eye-catching, even in a smaller sample. The redshirt freshman scored two touchdowns, piled up 54 yards from scrimmage on only four touches, and turned three carries into a career-high 52 rushing yards. He also caught a 2-yard touchdown pass for the first receiving score of his career.
Efficiency was the headline. Wormley averaged 17.3 yards per carry, and every one of his three rushing attempts went for at least 12 yards and either a first down or a touchdown. Both of USC’s offensive touchdowns in the second half came from his hands.
His first burst came right after Rutgers pulled within 27-21. Wormley broke off a career-long 27-yard run to ignite the next drive, then finished the 75-yard march with a 12-yard touchdown run. Later, with Rutgers again within one score in the fourth quarter, he picked up 13 yards to set up first-and-goal before hauling in a 2-yard touchdown on third down to push USC back to a two-score lead.
Head coach Lincoln Riley singled out Wormley as one of the team’s toughest competitors.
"I think they (Wormley and Corey Simms) are two of our stronger competitors on the team," Riley said. "Two guys who I never have to worry about their effort or physicality or competitiveness. I think because of that they both were able to stay on the field."
No. 12 USC now turns to its Big Ten home opener against No.
20 Oregon at the Coliseum. Kickoff is set for 4:30 p.m.
PT on Saturday, Sept. 26, and the game will air live on NBC.
In Other News...
USC Won Its Big Ten Opener But A Real Concern Followed
USC opened Big Ten play with a tight win over Rutgers, moving to 4-0 overall and 1-0 in conference play, but the result came with plenty to digest beyond the final score. The Trojans got a huge lift from turnovers, including a 99-yard interception return for a touchdown by safety Prophet Brown, and those splash plays proved decisive in a game that otherwise leaned far too heavily on the offense and opportunistic moments.
The concern for Lincoln Rileys team is hard to miss after Rutgers piled up 460 yards and reached the end zone five times, exposing a defense that still has work to do. Riley pointed to the defensive issues and penalties as areas that need cleaning up, and while USC has the record it wanted entering conference play, the way it won left little doubt that better tests are ahead. [Read more 🡒]
USC Heads Into Oregon With A Problem Fans Cant Ignore
Week 3 mostly went the way Big Ten powers wanted, with a slate of comfortable wins over lesser opposition and a few performances that turned heads, including Washington quarterback Demond Williams Jr. throwing four touchdown passes and Nebraska running back Jamal Rule piling up 119 yards and two scores. Against that backdrop, USCs narrow escape against Rutgers in its conference opener stood out for a very different reason, especially for a team trying to settle in quickly after joining a league where every week seems to sharpen the pressure.
The Trojans got the result they needed, but the defensive issues that showed up again against Rutgers are hard to brush aside with Oregon next on the schedule. Other Big Ten contenders such as UCLA and Iowa took care of business, and the updated power rankings reflect that separation beginning to form. For USC, the concern is no longer just winning games, but whether the defense can travel well enough to survive a much tougher stretch ahead. [Read more 🡒]
USC Faces A Bigger Test After An Uneasy Top 25 Win
USC held onto its No. 12 spot in the Associated Press top 25 after a 42-35 win over Rutgers, a result that kept the Trojans in the national conversation but also left plenty for Lincoln Riley to sort through. The offense put up points and the win mattered, but Riley made it clear afterward that the performance still came with some rough edges and room for improvement.
Now the focus shifts quickly to a bigger measuring stick. No. 20 Oregon comes to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum next, and for USC the appeal of another ranked matchup is matched by the need to show that last weeks uneasy finish was an exception rather than a warning sign. [Read more 🡒]