It wasn’t quite the offensive clinic from the first two weeks of play, but USC football’s performance over Purdue (2-1, 0-1) was more than enough to get the job done. More than three hours past the scheduled kickoff time in West Lafayette, the Trojans (3-0, 1-0) took the field and took the Boilermakers by storm, prevailing 33-17 in both teams’ first Big Ten game of the season.
Last season, USC won just one conference road game, a 19-13 victory at UCLA. For the Trojans, the win against Purdue could be symbolic of their ability to weather the struggles of Big Ten travel.
Redshirt junior quarterback Jayden Maiava was spoiled for choice through the air, connecting with four different teammates on 20-plus yard passes. When it came to the long ball, Maiava seemed to prefer junior receiver Ja’Kobi Lane, who recorded a 59-yard grab on USC’s first drive and later picked up a 42-yard reception in the third quarter. He notched 115 yards on the day.
But the story of the game? Defense.
USC continued its trend of heavy defensive pressure from its first two games, recording five sacks as a unit and bringing its season total to 14.Redshirt senior safety Bishop Fitzgerald bolstered the secondary with two red zone interceptions on sophomore QB Ryan Browne, both of which set up USC scores.
But no play was more electric than the moment Browne, facing pressure from redshirt junior safety Kamari Ramsey and redshirt junior defensive tackle Devan Thompkins, hopelessly heaved a pass that Thompkins tipped right into the hands of redshirt sophomore defensive tackle Jamaal Jarrett. Jarrett returned the pick-six 70 yards.
Despite reinforcing their defensive intensity, the Trojans also continued their tendency to commit penalties. They recorded six penalties for 70 yards in the first half alone. That’s about as many penalties (6.5) and as many yards (69) as they’ve averaged per game through the first two. Though the penalties slowed in the second half, USC still gave up 104 yards on penalties compared to 60 for Purdue. As defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn noted in practice earlier this week, “penalties like that can kill drives.”
The Trojans have finally proven they can win in the Big Ten outside of L.A. What remains to be seen is whether their offensive dominance is enough to keep them competitive against the ranked teams they’ll see later this season. USC will have to focus on defensive consistency and reducing penalties as the team continues conference play.
The Trojans will have more opportunities to prove themselves in Big Ten road play later this season, when they travel to face No. 9 Illinois, Nebraska and No. 4 Oregon. First, USC will return to the Coliseum to host Michigan State (3-0) next Saturday at 8 p.m.