USC’s trip to New Jersey comes with Rutgers already under a harsh spotlight, and Greg Schiano is the reason why. The Scarlet Knights have opened the season looking nothing like a competitive team, and the results have pushed their head coach firmly onto the hot seat.
Rutgers was a 30-point favorite in Week 1 and still got blown out at home by UMass, a result that landed with a thud because the Minutemen have been one of the weakest programs in college football over the last several years. The Scarlet Knights came out flat in their home opener and had no answer for an opponent that is not expected to be strong this season. Rutgers’ defense was shredded by an offense that likely won’t be nearly as productive for the rest of 2026.
The next week brought another ugly loss, this time against Boston College. The Eagles were missing their starting tight end and were expected to be limited offensively, but they still found ways to attack the Rutgers secondary with downfield plays. Rutgers also failed in several key moments, including on a fourth down, and those breakdowns handed Boston College a short field that turned into points.
That kind of collapse would look bad on its own. It looks even worse with receiver KJ Duff on the roster, a player widely viewed as a future first-round NFL draft pick.
Schiano is in a bad spot, and the talk about his seat isn’t being overstated. Rutgers has been as poor as almost any team in the country to start the year, and now the Scarlet Knights have USC coming to town. Let's see what the Scarlet Knights are able to do against USC.
In Other News...
USC Heads To Rutgers With A New Receiver Concern
USCs trip to Rutgers picked up a little more uncertainty when true freshman wide receiver Trent Mosley landed on the injury list and was ruled out for the game because of a knee ailment. Mosley has been part of the group the Trojans have leaned on for depth, and his absence comes at a point where the offense is trying to keep its receiver rotation steady heading into another road test.
Lincoln Riley said the timeline is still unclear, though the expectation is that it should not turn into a long-term issue. In the meantime, USC is looking at other options to absorb the snaps and production, with Zacharyus Williams and Terrell Anderson among the receivers who could be asked to take on more of the load. [Read more 🡒]
USC Fans Got The Jayden Maiava Shoulder Answer They Needed
Jayden Maiava gave USC plenty to feel good about in its win over Louisiana, piling up a career-high five touchdowns while also putting an end to the shoulder chatter that had lingered around him. The senior quarterback said he is healthy, and the way he played looked every bit like a passer operating without restriction, with freshman tight end Mark Bowman emerging as a major part of the offense with six catches and two scores.
For a Trojans team trying to build momentum, the timing mattered as much as the numbers. Maiava also spoke about getting ready for Rutgers and reflected on how far he has come over three seasons at Southern Cal, which adds another layer to a performance that was already important for the scoreboard and the injury conversation alike. [Read more 🡒]
Lincoln Riley Loved USCs Firepower But Saw One Problem That Matters
USCs 49-30 win over Louisiana at the Coliseum kept the Trojans unbeaten at 3-0, and it also gave Lincoln Riley a fairly broad picture of what this team can already do well. He pointed to defensive stops, the running game, freshman contributions and even the way tight end Mark Bowman has started to matter, all while noting the kind of depth that can help a long season hold together.
The part Riley could not ignore, though, was the self-inflicted stuff. Penalties kept showing up in a game the Trojans controlled offensively, and those kinds of miscues tend to matter more once the schedule tightens and the margin for error shrinks. USC has firepower, but Riley left little doubt that the next step is turning that talent into a cleaner operation. [Read more 🡒]