Jayden Maiava and USC walked into one of college football’s loudest settings and kept the home crowd waiting all night.
Maiava threw for 301 yards and three touchdowns as No. 19 USC held off Penn State 31-23 on Saturday night in State College, Pa., surviving a White Out crowd that was the largest ever in Beaver Stadium. The Trojans leaned on big plays, a steady offense and a late takeaway to leave with a road win in a game where Penn State briefly found life but never fully seized control.
Trent Mosley, Tanook Hines and Kayden Dixon-Wyatt each caught a touchdown pass for USC, while King Miller added a touchdown run and Caden Chittenden chipped in a field goal. The Trojans finished the night 6-1 overall and 3-1 in the Big Ten, and they improved to 7-5 in the series.
Penn State entered the night desperate for its first Big Ten win of the Matt Campbell era, and the atmosphere reflected it. Of the announced 114,419 in attendance, the vast majority wore white for the annual White Out game. But the noise kept getting muted as USC’s offense rolled through the first three quarters at nearly eight yards per play.
The Nittany Lions were tied 17-17 at halftime after both teams traded scores. Maiava was sharp right away, leading a perfect opening touchdown drive, then guiding two more first-half scoring marches. Penn State answered each time to keep things even heading into the break.
The Trojans tried to surprise Penn State to open the second half with an onside kick, but the Nittany Lions recovered and turned the short field into their only lead of the night. Ryan Barker drilled a 35-yard field goal to put Penn State ahead.
That edge didn’t last long. Miller finished a 10-play USC drive with a 13-yard touchdown run, putting the Trojans back in front for good.
Penn State kept pushing, but the game tilted decisively late when Christian Pierce forced the ball loose from Brett Eskildsen with 3:59 remaining. USC never gave the ball back after that, and the Trojans ran out the clock from there.
Rocco Becht went 21 of 32 for 289 yards and a touchdown for Penn State, which fell to 3-3 overall and 0-3 in Big Ten play and has now lost three straight. Carson Hansen scored on the ground, Andrew Rappleyea added a touchdown catch and Barker finished with two field goals.
USC’s balance made the difference. The Trojans outgained Penn State 430-357, and Mosley was a constant problem after the catch, finishing with 111 yards on nine receptions.
For Penn State, the night looked more aggressive than the previous two losses. After criticism for conservative decisions, Campbell attacked early and often, with the Nittany Lions converting three fourth downs on scoring drives and turning in what was described as their best conference game under the new leadership.
USC visits Wisconsin on Oct. 24.
In Other News...
USC Just Changed The Way Fans Will View This Team
The No. 19 USC Trojans walked out of Beaver Stadium with a 31-23 win that should force a fresh look at this team. For a program that has spent plenty of time under the microscope, winning in that setting gives the season a different kind of weight, especially with Jayden Maiava steering the offense and Hines making key contributions in the passing game.
USC still had to absorb its share of damage along the way, with injuries and defensive issues creating tense stretches against a Penn State offense that found some success on fourth-down tries and hit a few big plays. Even so, the Trojans did enough on third down defense and against the run to protect the lead, which is the sort of travel win that can change how people talk about a team for the rest of the season. [Read more 🡒]
USC Just Gave Fans A Reason To Believe In Lincoln Riley
USC walked out of Beaver Stadium with a win that instantly changed the mood around Lincoln Rileys team. Beating Penn State 31-23 in front of a record crowd is the kind of result that travels well, and the Trojans earned it with a performance that looked built for September road pressure.
What stood out most was how USC handled the game after halftime, when the run defense tightened and the red-zone defense started forcing Penn State into empty trips. Riley pointed to his teams preparation, talent and mental toughness afterward, and the bigger question now is whether this was a one-night statement or the kind of road blueprint the Trojans can keep leaning on. [Read more 🡒]
Lincoln Riley Framed USC's Penn State Win As Something Much Bigger
Beaver Stadium has a way of testing every part of a team, and USC passed a big one on Oct. 10 with a 31-23 win over Penn State that carried more weight than a single nonconference result. Lincoln Riley came away praising the Trojans performance, and he pointed to wide receiver Trent Mosley as a notable part of the night after Mosley suited up despite some uncertainty earlier in the day.
For Riley, the victory was about more than leaving Happy Valley with a ranked win. He stressed how hard it is to win in that building and framed the outcome as evidence of where USC is headed, a sign his team can handle a tough road stage and still keep building toward something bigger. [Read more 🡒]