Redshirt senior quarterback Jayden Maiava threw for 301 yards and three touchdowns to lead No. 19 USC to a 31-23 Big Ten conference road victory over Penn State Saturday. The win was crucial for USC’s place in the rankings, giving them their second consecutive conference win since falling to Oregon and kept one stumble from turning into a midseason slump.
The game also showed the power of USC’s dynamic offensive trio: Maiava, freshman wide receiver Trent Mosley and redshirt sophomore running back King Miller.
USC spent the week preparing for the roar of Penn State’s traditional White Out game, blasting crowd noise throughout its practices before traveling out to Happy Valley. But under the lights at Beaver Stadium, the Trojans silenced a record-breaking 114,419 spectators painted in white and blocked out the noise.
However, the win did not come easy. The Trojans walked a tightrope for most of the night with a back-and-forth offensive game and missed tackles to keep Penn State’s hopes alive.
Maiava’s magic finally showed up in the second half after an inconsistent start. After overthrowing receivers and struggling to find his rhythm, Maiava settled in to put on a milestone performance.
The USC quarterback surpassed 10,000 career passing yards and recorded his 70th career passing touchdown, connecting with freshman wide receiver Kayden Dixon-Wyatt for the score in the fourth quarter to put the Trojans in front.
The Trojans got a key piece of their offense back in Mosley, who returned to the lineup against the Nittany Lions after a three week right knee injury. Mosley made an immediate impact, hauling in a 19-yard touchdown pass from Maiava for the first score of the night. Mosley finished with 111 receiving yards, one touchdown and nine receptions, a career high.
The Maiava - Mosley connection was the spark the Trojans needed for the must-win victory, but Miller delivered the finish. After putting the Trojans on the board first, Mosley helped fuel a pivotal third-quarter drive with a 9-yard rush and later a 6-yard run to Penn State’s 13-yard line. One play later, Miller broke through the defense and into the end zone, putting the Trojans back on top.
That run was only part of Miller’s breakthrough night. The sophomore had the hot hand in USC’s backfield, rushing for 102 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries. When the Trojans needed to burn the clock, Miller kept the chains moving.
He was not the only Trojan to turn the game around. Sophomore wide receiver Tanook Hines finished with 82 receiving yards and a touchdown on four catches, giving USC another weapon in its balanced offensive attack.
Just as it did against Washington, USC turned to its defense to seal the deal. Penn State redshirt senior quarterback Rocco Becht threw a pass that was punched out by Trojan senior safety Christian Pierce and recovered by redshirt sophomore cornerback Chasen Johnson.
USC’s 6-1 start is familiar territory. The Trojans have reached this mark three times under head coach Lincoln Riley. But, rather than relying only on their offense, this time USC has won consecutive games by surviving nail-biting fourth quarters and leaning on the defense.
Riley said the “Trojans came to play” during his postgame on-field interview, but maintaining this winning level of production moving forward will lie in the hands of Maiava, Mosley and Miller. While Maiava can command the offense, Mosley can continue to stretch down the field while Miller can wear defenses down through his downfield running. A trio that could possibly carry USC through the heart of Big Ten play.
The Trojans will remain on the road following a bye week to face Wisconsin on Oct. 24 in Madison at Camp Randall Stadium before returning home for a Halloween matchup against No. 5 Ohio State.
Edited by Sammie Vassallo and Adriana Brady