USC’s defense had plenty to answer for going into its trip to Penn State. The questions about road toughness and consistency were loud.
By the end of the night, the No. 19 Trojans had quieted them with a late stand that sealed a major win.
In front of more than 114,000 fans, USC survived a back-and-forth game that never settled down until the fourth quarter. The Trojans and Nittany Lions were tied 17-17 at halftime, and for long stretches it looked like neither defense could fully take control.
USC did start fast, jumping out to a 7-0 lead. But Penn State quarterback Rocco Becht found answers, and the Trojans’ secondary had trouble matching up at times. That showed on a 13-yard touchdown catch by Andrew Rappleya, which came after Penn State had already landed a 47-yard catch earlier in the drive.
From there, the game settled into a pattern: USC scored, Penn State scored, USC punted, Penn State punted. The rhythm held through three quarters, and Penn State even nudged in front 20-17 before the Trojans punched back with a touchdown to retake the lead.
Penn State finished with 289 passing yards from Becht and one touchdown, but the Trojans did enough elsewhere to tilt the game. USC held the Nittany Lions to just 68 rushing yards and produced four tackles for loss, including two sacks. One of those sacks came from defensive end Luke Wafle, who picked up his second career sack after getting his first against Washington last week.
The biggest moment, though, came when the game was hanging in the balance. Penn State trailed by eight with a little more than four minutes left and no timeouts, but still had enough time to mount a serious push after starting the drive at its own 40-yard line.
On the first play, Becht hit Brett Eskildsen for what looked like a wide-open 25-yard gain. Instead, the play flipped in an instant.
Trojans safety Christian Pierce got in position, wrapped his right arm around Eskildsen, and punched the ball loose with his fist. USC cornerback Chasen Johnson recovered the fumble.
“Trojans recovery the fumble 👀 @uscfbWatch on NBC pic.twitter.com/RwSWncRxQT”
That turnover slammed the door on Penn State and delivered what was described as arguably the biggest road win in Lincoln Riley’s five-year USC tenure. The defense wasn’t spotless, but it made the stop when it had to and left with the kind of result that can settle a lot of the talk about what this group can be away from home.
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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 Delivered The Road Win Trojans Fans Were Waiting For
Jayden Maiava kept USC on schedule from the start, completing 21 of 33 passes for 301 yards and three touchdowns in a 31-23 win over Penn State. The Trojans outgained the Nittany Lions 430 to 357 and got the kind of road performance their fans had been waiting to see, with the offense setting the tone and the defense doing enough to keep control of a game that stayed competitive deep into the second half.
Penn State kept pressing, leaning into aggressive play-calling and converting multiple fourth downs, but the Trojans answered the pressure with a late defensive takeaway that sealed it. It was another tough loss for Penn State, its third straight, while USC left with a result that could carry real weight as the season moves forward. [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 🡒]