On a wet Halloween night in Los Angeles, USC delivered the kind of result that can flip a season’s mood in a hurry. The Trojans knocked off No. 2 Ohio State 30-18 in front of more than 70,000 fans, giving Lincoln Riley his biggest upset as USC head coach and the program’s first win over a top-three team since 2015.
This one was built on defense. USC held the Buckeyes to 18 points, their lowest total of the season, and never let Ohio State’s offense find a steady rhythm. The Trojans’ attack didn’t have to be explosive for four quarters, but it did enough after last week’s rough outing at Wisconsin.
Gary Patterson’s defense was the headline from start to finish. Ohio State came in averaging more than 39 points per game, but USC bottled it up and limited the Buckeyes to just one touchdown.
Junior linebacker Desman Stephens II set the tone with nine total tackles, a tackle for loss and a forced fumble that turned into a USC touchdown and stretched the lead to 18 points in the third quarter. Redshirt junior linebacker Deven Bryant added a season-high 11 tackles of his own.
The Buckeyes were also without junior quarterback Julian Sayin, and freshman Luke Fahey could only manage one touchdown pass. USC made life difficult for junior receiver Jeremiah Smith as well, holding the Heisman candidate to 83 receiving yards, his second-lowest total of the season.
Ohio State did churn out more than 200 rushing yards and controlled time of possession on the ground, but that wasn’t enough to dig out of the hole.
USC’s offense got a huge jolt early from freshman wide receiver Trent Mosley, who finished with 101 yards and a touchdown. His 69-yard catch-and-run on the second play of the game gave the Trojans an immediate spark.
That wasn’t even their longest gain of the night, though. Freshman tight end Mark Bowman topped it with a 70-yard catch and a hurdle that set up USC’s final touchdown.
The Trojans also got scores on the ground from redshirt sophomore King Miller and redshirt senior Waymond Jordan, both of whom found the end zone in the win.
USC now heads into a bye week before a trip to Bloomington, Indiana, where another major test awaits. The Trojans face defending national champion No.
4 Indiana on Nov. 14.
In Other News...
Arizona Just Got A Painful Reality Check In The Rankings
Ohio States trip to USC turned into the kind of setback that can shake up the entire rankings picture, even with the Buckeyes out-gaining the Trojans on the night. With true freshman Luke Fahey starting at quarterback because of Julian Sayins injury, Ohio State still had enough talent to control stretches of the game, but missed tackles, penalties and special teams mistakes kept opening the door for USC to make the most of it.
The ripple effects go beyond Columbus, too. Georgia steadied itself with a win over Florida after its earlier loss, though the passing game still looked like a work in progress, while Floridas offensive issues are pushing it toward another drop after its third loss. And for Arizona, Texas Techs important win only adds to the pressure in a crowded rankings race, the sort of result that can quickly turn a promising week into a painful reality check. [Read more 🡒]
Lincoln Riley Added More Fuel To Ohio States Ugly Night
After USCs 30-18 win over Ohio State, the night got even messier as Lincoln Riley found himself in the middle of a postgame confrontation while leaving the field. Reporters on hand and video from the scene showed the USC coach exchanging words with Ohio State athletic director Ross Bjork and other staff members, turning an already rough loss for the Buckeyes into something more combustible on the way off the turf.
Maurice Clarett, the former Ohio State running back, was also seen stepping in to help cool things down as the moment escalated. For a game that already carried plenty of weight, the postgame scene added another layer of tension, leaving the Buckeyes to sort through both the defeat and the fallout from a night that was ugly in more ways than one. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Suddenly Has A Bigger Problem Than One Road Loss
The upset in Los Angeles did more than hand Ohio State a road loss. USCs defense set the tone early and never let the Buckeyes get comfortable, holding them to one touchdown while piling up tackles for loss and sacks against backup quarterback Luke Fahey. The Trojans also got the kind of explosive play they have been hunting, with Mark Bowman turning a short opening into a 70-yard catch-and-run that helped swing the game in USCs favor.
For Lincoln Riley, the 30-18 win carried extra weight because it was his first top-five victory with the Trojans, and it came against a team that arrived with far more national respect. For Ohio State, the bigger issue now is not just the blemish on the schedule but the way the offense looked under pressure, with a backup quarterback trying to survive behind a line that could not settle things down. [Read more 🡒]