USC’s first Big Ten road test comes with a pretty simple question attached: can the Trojans keep the machine humming now that the schedule finally points them at a power conference opponent?
No. 12 USC heads to Piscataway on Saturday afternoon to face Rutgers, and the early returns on both teams could hardly look more different.
The Trojans are 3-0 and have already flashed a scoring punch that has them averaging more than 40 points a game. Rutgers, meanwhile, is still searching for traction after opening 0-2, including a shocking loss to UMass and a 28-21 defeat to Boston College.
The Scarlet Knights did get a huge night from KJ Duff in that loss to Boston College. He finished with 137 yards and two touchdowns, but Rutgers also saw quarterback AJ Surace throw four interceptions.
Through two games, Duff has been the clear bright spot, piling up 17 catches for 333 yards and five touchdowns. His five scores lead the nation, and his receiving yardage leads the Power Four.
No one else on the Rutgers roster has more than 82 yards.
USC, for its part, arrives with a quarterback who has been on a heater. Jayden Maiava has completed 80.7% of his passes for 896 yards, 10 touchdowns and only one interception through three games. Those numbers already put him near the top nationally, and they give him a chance to keep stacking production in a game where USC should have plenty of room to work.
The Trojans will, however, be without one of their most dangerous young weapons. Trent Mosely is expected to miss multiple games with a knee injury, according to CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz. The freshman was rated the No. 34 receiver in the Class of 2026 and has quickly looked the part, catching 13 passes for 255 yards and four touchdowns in his first three games, with a score in each one.
This matchup is still a bit of a Big Ten oddity, one of those new-conference games that didn’t exist until USC made the move east. The teams have met only once before, in 2024, when the Trojans rolled to a 42-20 win behind three touchdowns from Woody Marks.
There’s also reason to remember USC’s defense here. The Trojans shut out Fresno State two weeks ago, and this trip offers another chance for that side of the ball to make a point against an offense that has struggled badly outside of Duff.
Saturday’s game is set for 3:30 p.m. ET at SHI Stadium in Piscataway, New Jersey. The pick: USC -23.5.
In Other News...
USC Should Notice This Oregon QB Problem Before The Ducks Visit
Dante Moores first start against Oklahoma State gave Oregon enough to keep moving, but it also left a few things hanging for anyone paying close attention. The quarterback finished 14 of 29 for 191 yards and two touchdowns, yet his first-half passing total was only 45 yards, the lowest of his starting career. For USC, that matters because Oregons offense is built around a quarterback who has to settle in quickly when the pressure rises, and Moore has not always looked like the kind of passer who can carry a tight game from the opening whistle.
The concern is less about one uneven night than the larger pattern around Moores first-year run as the Ducks starter. There have already been moments when he has not quite matched the level expected of him, and that leaves a real question for a trip to Los Angeles: can he make the decisive throws when Oregon needs them most? USC will have plenty to sort out on its own before the Ducks arrive, but this is the kind of quarterback issue that can shape a Big Ten showdown long before kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
USC Faces A Rutgers Threat Built To Keep Maiava Watching
Rutgers enters its Big Ten opener against USC with a backfield that has suddenly become a storyline of its own. The Scarlet Knights have been active in reshaping that room, including the addition of four-star running back Aiden Gibson, who flipped from Penn State to Rutgers and reclassified to the class of 2026, giving the program another intriguing piece as it continues to sort out its ground game.
For the Trojans, the challenge is less about the name on the roster and more about what Rutgers wants to do with the ball once the game starts. A running attack that can stay on schedule and drain clock is exactly the kind of approach that can keep USC quarterback Maiava on the sideline and turn an opener into a possession game, making the Scarlet Knights' ability to control the ground a central part of the matchup. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon Walks Into A Much Bigger USC Test Than Expected
USCs fast start has turned the Sept. 26 home date with Oregon into one of the seasons hottest tickets, with the school announcing the game is sold out. A 3-0 beginning has helped lift interest around the program, and the buzz has been fueled by quarterback Jayden Maiavas strong play and a wave of freshmen stepping into meaningful roles early in the year.
The matchup now carries a little more intrigue than the rankings might suggest, since Oregon is listed as a 1.5-point favorite even with USC sitting higher in the AP Poll. Both teams are expected to take care of business in the immediate lead-up, which only adds to the sense that this one could say a lot about where the Trojans really stand when a top opponent shows up in the Coliseum. [Read more 🡒]