The scoreboard said USC handled Louisiana, but the 49-30 result also showed a Trojans team still sorting out a few things before Big Ten play begins. The No. 12 Trojans wrapped up nonconference play at 3-0, yet Saturday’s win at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum was not the runaway many expected against a heavy underdog.
That left the afternoon feeling like a mixed bag. A few players kept building real momentum, while others gave USC reminders that cleaner football will matter once the schedule stiffens. With Rutgers next on the road and Oregon looming after its historic upset loss to Oklahoma State, USC’s margin for error is about to shrink fast.
Trent Mosley kept making his case as one of the Trojans’ early-season standouts. The true freshman wideout answered the biggest question around him - whether he could keep it going after a strong opener against San José State - by delivering again against Louisiana.
His biggest moment came on special teams. With USC trying to open things up before halftime, Mosley ripped off an 86-yard punt return touchdown with 1:24 left in the second quarter. That score pushed the Trojans to a 28-10 lead at the break.
He wasn’t done there. In the third quarter, Jayden Maiava hit Mosley for a 21-yard touchdown, and that gave the freshman a touchdown in all three games this season.
He now has four receiving touchdowns and one punt return touchdown, along with 13 catches for 255 yards and a 19.6-yard average per reception. That production has him sitting among the nation’s top receivers in receiving yards.
Another freshman, tight end Mark Bowman, turned in his breakout in just two quarters. He finished with six catches for 83 yards and two touchdowns on seven targets before being held out in the second half as a precaution.
Bowman’s first big play came when he caught a pass, kept going, and hurdled two Louisiana defenders on the way to a 35-yard gain. Later, he became a problem in the red zone for Maiava, first grabbing a five-yard touchdown between three defenders in the middle of the end zone and then adding a nine-yard score after absorbing a heavy hit at the goal line and hanging on.
His 83 receiving yards were the most by a USC tight end in a game since Anthony McCoy had 153 against Notre Dame in 2009. Bowman also became the first Trojan tight end to catch multiple touchdowns in a game since Josh Falo in 2022.
On defense, Jide Abasiri continued to look like one of USC’s most valuable linemen even without a flashy stat line. His 89.7 PFF grade against Louisiana was the highest mark among interior defensive linemen in the West through Week 2, and it came on the heels of a 93.8 PFF grade against Fresno State, when he posted six pressures on just 20 snaps.
Abasiri was a steady disruptive force throughout the game, giving Louisiana problems up front even as the Ragin’ Cajuns put up 30 points.
Not everyone left the night with momentum. Cornerback Elbert “Rock” Hill IV had one of USC’s most damaging miscues when Louisiana missed a 41-yard field goal on fourth down. Instead of ending the drive, Hill crashed into the kicker’s plant leg and drew a 15-yard roughing-the-kicker penalty.
That turned what looked like a stop into a fresh set of downs for Louisiana, which then got a first-and-goal at the 8-yard line and eventually scored on a 1-yard touchdown run. Hill finished without a tackle, pass breakup or interception, making the penalty stand out even more in a game where USC could not afford extra chances for the opponent.
Waymond Jordan also saw his standing in the backfield shift. He opened slowly, carrying twice for three yards in the first quarter, and finished with 10 carries for 47 yards and one catch for five yards. The numbers were solid enough, but King Miller’s 128 rushing yards changed the feel of the competition for the Trojans’ lead back role.
Kennedy Urlacher’s night was another setback after a promising start to the season. He got caught in no-man’s land on a 37-yard completion to Louisiana tight end Brock Chappell, a play that helped set up the Ragin’ Cajuns’ first touchdown. Urlacher finished with one tackle before leaving with an injury.
He had flashed earlier this season, including two sacks and a tackle for loss against Fresno State, but against Louisiana his coverage discipline and perimeter play were not at the same level.
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With Big Ten play looming, Riley made it clear the next phase will demand more from USC than the first three games have. He talked through the lessons already learned and the players who have helped steady the start, but the bigger question now is how the Trojans hold up when the competition changes and the margin for error gets much thinner. [Read more 🡒]
USCs Offense Suddenly Has A New Pecking Order To Debate
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At the same time, not every receiver got the same chance to make that case. Boobie Feaster and Tron Baker had limited involvement, while veteran wideouts Tanook Hines and Terrell Anderson also saw reduced roles, leaving USC with a pecking order that feels more fluid than settled. The result is a good problem for the Trojans, but still a real debate: who has earned the right to stay on the field when the offense keeps looking for the most reliable answers? [Read more 🡒]