USC’s 39-0 rout of Fresno State came with a very different feel, and the biggest story was how complete it looked on both sides of the ball. The passing game stretched out, the defense looked nasty and physical, and the Trojans ended the night with a shutout that gave the game a very clear shape.
Jayden Maiava was the engine. After a Week 0 outing that was efficient but mostly built on quick throws and short gains, USC let him push the ball downfield against Fresno State.
In the first half alone, he completed 17 of 18 passes for 284 yards and three touchdowns, including six throws that went for 20-plus yards. One of them was a 68-yard touchdown to true freshman Trent Mosley.
Maiava finished before the middle of the third quarter after taking a shot, but his final line was still clean and loud: 23-for-25, 349 passing yards, and three touchdowns. If there was any hesitation early in the game, it disappeared once Lincoln Riley let his quarterback open it up.
Mosley was one of the day’s clear breakout names. The true freshman caught four passes for 104 yards and two scores, and his first touch was that long touchdown that set the tone immediately.
Kayden Dixon-Wyatt made his own statement on a crucial fourth-and-five, hauling in a 31-yard catch in tight coverage. He finished with six receptions for 102 yards through three quarters, and the play made it obvious he was going to be part of the action all afternoon.
The other young receiver worth watching was five-star freshman Xavier Bowman. He had been limited in fall camp because of an undisclosed injury, and USC kept managing his workload in Week 0.
This time, the restraints came off a bit more. Bowman had three catches for 30 yards in the first half, and he also showed value as a blocker.
USC’s offense still had some messiness mixed in with the fireworks. The Trojans went 2-for-4 on third down and 1-for-2 on fourth down, with the fourth-down conversion only happening because of Dixon-Wyatt’s hands.
They also had two turnovers, a fumble and a turnover on downs. Even with Fresno State giving the offense plenty of chances, the first half wasn’t spotless.
There were also a few promising pieces that didn’t get much of a runway. Ethan “Boobie Feaster” finished with one catch for four yards, while Tron Baker had one reception for 27 yards. On defense, the starters stayed in long enough that there weren’t many extended looks at the younger second- and third-year players.
The defense, though, was the real hammer. USC held Fresno State scoreless in the first half, gave up only four first downs, 13 rushing yards, and 38 receiving yards, and piled up a forced fumble, an interception, and a safety - the first time since 2022. By the end of the night, the unit had a shutout, seven tackles for loss, five sacks, three quarterback hits, an interception, a forced fumble, and just 116 total yards allowed.
Jide Abasiri and Kennedy Urlacher stood out early. Abasiri had one tackle and a hurry, but his impact went well beyond the box score.
He powered through Fresno State’s line to force an intentional grounding and later helped spring Urlacher’s safety by flushing the quarterback. Urlacher was all over the field, finishing with three tackles, two tackles for loss, and the safety.
The nickelbacks were a big part of the disruption too. Alex Graham led the defense with four tackles and one tackle for loss, while linebacker Deven Bryant handled the middle with four tackles of his own. Urlacher’s active first half, combined with the pressure from the front and the work in the secondary, made the whole unit look connected.
By the end, USC had its shutout, its downfield passing game had opened up, and the defense had delivered the kind of suffocating performance that leaves very little room for debate.
In Other News...
USC Has A Freshman Turning Heads As Young Defenders Step Up
Trent Mosley wasted no time making his presence felt, and for USC that has been one of the brighter early developments of the season. The freshman receiver opened his college career with seven catches for 118 yards and a touchdown against San Jose State, then followed it up with another strong outing the next game, adding multiple touchdowns and drawing notice from teammates and coaches alike.
Mosleys emergence has helped soften some of the attention on a defense that has also been getting useful early contributions from young players. Nickel Kennedy Urlacher, Alex Graham and Jide Abasiri have each shown up in recent games, giving USC signs that some of its younger defenders are beginning to settle in and play meaningful snaps when the Trojans need them most. [Read more 🡒]
USC's Rout Put New Draft Attention On More Than One Trojan
USCs blowout of Fresno State at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum drew more than attention from the scoreboard. NFL scouts from five franchises were in the building, turning a September game into another reminder that the Trojans are still a weekly stop on the pro personnel circuit. With former USC names already scattered across the league, the presence of those evaluators added a little extra weight to a rout that otherwise could have been just another easy win.
The most visible reasons were on the field. Quarterback Jayden Maiava continued to give scouts a look at how he handles an offense under little pressure, while defensive players Jide Abasiri and Kennedy Urlacher also stood out in the kind of game where evaluators are often looking for who keeps competing after the outcome is settled. For USC, the broader takeaway is familiar: when the Trojans play well, the NFL tends to show up, and not just for the obvious headliners. [Read more 🡒]
USC Freshman Is Giving Lincoln Riley A New Receiver Problem
USCs 2-0 start has already included a welcome bonus for Lincoln Riley: a freshman receiver who looks ready for more than a depth-chart cameo. Trent Mosley has been one of the early bright spots for the Trojans, making his presence felt right away with key catches, yardage, and touchdowns that have helped him stand out in the opening weeks of the season.
For Riley, that kind of emergence creates the sort of good problem coaches like to have and opponents hate to solve. Mosleys production has quickly raised expectations for what he can mean in the offense moving forward, and it also adds another layer to a USC passing game that already had enough weapons to keep defenses busy. [Read more 🡒]