USC finally found the breakthrough it had been chasing all night, and Maya McDermott supplied it with a shot worth waiting for.
The senior grad transfer scored her first goal as a Trojan in the 50th minute Friday night, ripping a strike from nearly 25 yards out to help USC earn a 1-1 draw with Oregon at home. McDermott’s finish erased a first-half deficit and gave the Trojans a result after they spent much of the match pressing for an equalizer.
Oregon struck first in the 22nd minute when Carly Cormack finished a chance set up by Maddie Sharrer and Miya Alamares. USC responded with pressure before halftime, putting up eight shots in the first half but still heading to the break without a goal.
The equalizer came soon after the restart and had some real bite to it. McDermott picked up the ball near the left sideline, carried it toward the middle, and let fly from distance. The shot climbed over the keeper’s leap and tucked into the upper right corner.
The goal capped a notable night for McDermott, who was honored before the game with the rest of USC’s graduating class.
Josie Biehl helped keep USC in the match with saves in both halves, including one late stop on a shot from deep in the box off a corner kick. The Trojans finished with a 14-7 edge in shots and controlled 68% of the possession.
USC is now 1-5-3 overall and 0-2-1 in Big Ten play, while Oregon moves to 6-1-2 and 1-1-1.
The Trojans head back on the road next week for two more games, visiting No. 5 Ohio State on Thursday before traveling to Penn State on Sunday. Both matches will air live on B1G+.
In Other News...
USC Escaped Rutgers But One Troubling Issue Still Lingers
USC survived a tense battle with Rutgers, pulling out a 42-35 win that was far less comfortable than the ranking suggested. The Trojans needed big days from redshirt sophomore Miller and redshirt-freshman Riley Wormley to keep the offense moving, with both players supplying key runs and touchdowns as Rutgers stayed within striking distance throughout the afternoon.
The result will count, but it also left a familiar concern hanging over the Trojans. USC leaned heavily on individual playmakers, and the offense still had stretches defined by penalties and uneven passing, the kind of issues that can make even a win feel like a warning sign. Rutgers kept forcing USC to answer, and the bigger question now is whether the Trojans can clean up the rough edges before a tougher spot in the schedule turns those flaws into something more costly. [Read more 🡒]
USC Stayed Unbeaten But One Problem Looms Before Oregon
Southern California escaped its Big Ten opener with a 42-35 win over Rutgers, a game that looked more comfortable on the scoreboard than it felt on the field. Jayden Maiava threw for 277 yards and two touchdowns, King Miller added 102 rushing yards and a score, and the Trojans did enough to stay unbeaten even as Rutgers Dylan Lonergan pushed back with 272 passing yards and three touchdowns.
The bigger concern now is what comes next. USC gets Oregon at home, and the Ducks will be a far different test than a Rutgers team that hurt itself with turnovers, including a 99-yard interception returned for a touchdown. The Trojans survived this one, but the margin for error gets a lot thinner from here. [Read more 🡒]
Rutgers Fans Wont Like How USC Kept That Drive Alive
USCs first road trip of the season had the kind of third-quarter sequence that tends to linger long after the final whistle. In the middle of a pivotal drive against Rutgers, an inadvertent whistle wiped out a completed third-down pass, forcing the down to be replayed and turning one clean conversion into a fresh round of pressure for the Trojans.
From there, the drive took a winding path, with USC failing on the replayed third down before going for it on fourth and eventually hitting a 32-yard completion to keep things moving. It was the sort of break-and-response sequence that can swing a road game, and the No. 12 Trojans made enough of those plays to leave New Jersey with a win and a 4-0 record. [Read more 🡒]