PISCATAWAY, N.J. — USC’s first Big Ten road test required more resistance than expected, but the Trojans found enough answers to leave New Jersey unbeaten.
Jayden Maiava threw for 277 yards and two touchdowns, King Miller rushed for 102 yards and No. 12 USC held off Rutgers 42-35 Saturday at SHI Stadium in the conference opener for both teams.
USC improved to 4-0 overall and 1-0 in Big Ten play, never trailing despite Rutgers repeatedly cutting into the Trojans’ advantage.
“It’s good to get a win,” USC coach Lincoln Riley said. “We didn’t play our best ball on all sides. We’re going to have to play a whole lot better.”
Miller helped USC establish itself early, scoring on an 11-yard run for a 10-0 lead. After Rutgers answered, Maiava connected with Corey Simms for a 52-yard touchdown that pushed the advantage back to 10.
The Trojans carried a 20-14 lead into halftime before their defense produced the game’s biggest momentum swing.
Rutgers drove to the USC 1-yard line early in the third quarter with an opportunity to take the lead. Instead, Prophet Brown intercepted Dylan Lonergan and raced 99 yards for a touchdown, turning a potential Rutgers go-ahead score into a 27-14 USC advantage.
Rutgers continued to fight back, but USC’s offense responded when necessary. Riley Wormley scored on a 12-yard run and Maiava connected with Kayden Dixon-Wyatt on the two-point conversion to give the Trojans a 35-21 lead.
The Scarlet Knights cut the margin to seven before Maiava directed another USC scoring drive, finding Wormley for a 2-yard touchdown and a 42-28 advantage with 8:45 remaining.
Rutgers answered once more, pulling within 42-35, but USC controlled the closing minutes to secure its first conference victory.
Maiava completed 20 of 32 passes without an interception, while Dixon-Wyatt stepped into a larger role with freshman receiver Trent Mosley sidelined by a knee injury. Dixon-Wyatt finished with five receptions for 77 yards.
“In this conference, you don’t take winning on the road for granted,” Riley said.
USC finished with 461 yards and did not turn the ball over. Rutgers nearly matched the Trojans with 460 yards, but two interceptions proved costly.
The Trojans return to Los Angeles unbeaten with a considerably larger challenge ahead. USC hosts Oregon on Sept. 26 in a matchup that will provide another early test of the Trojans’ Big Ten credentials.