Los Angeles, Ca-USC finished with its highest scoring game since 1930 with a 73-13 win over Missouri State on Saturday night at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
Nine players scored 10 touchdowns for USC and they scored on 10 of their first 11 drives without a punt.
Starting quarterback Jayden Maiava threw for 295 and two touchdowns in the first half while running backs Waymond Jordan, Bryan Jackson and King Miller rushed for touchdowns.
“We were able to get a lot of different guys involved. We (also) scored off defense,” USC coach Lincoln Riley said. “ It was exciting to see. I anticipated that we would play something like this. It’s kind of what I’ve seen on the practice field. I expected we would come out and play well on all sides and be complementary, and we did that.”
After Missouri State got on the board first with a 44-yard field goal, USC drove down the field, led by running back Jordan who scored from five yards out to give USC a 7-3 lead with 6:58 left in the first quarter.
The Bears were forced to punt. On the ensuing drive, USC went down the field and scored on a Jackson 3-yard run to take a 14-3 lead in the first quarter.
USC would get the ball back and Maiava connected with tight end Lake McRee for a 64-yard touchdown in the second quarter. On the next drive, USC safety Bishop Fitzgerald intercepted Bears’ quarterback Jacob Clark and returned it 39 yards for a 28-3 lead in the second quarter.
Missouri State came right back with a 33-yard touchdown pass from Clark to wide receiver Tristian Gardner on 4th down to cut the Trojans lead 28-10. USC then took a 35-10 lead when Maiava scrambled 3 yards for a touchdown.
The Trojans got the ball back with just under two minutes left in the first half. On second and ten, running back Eli Sanders caught a swing pass and outraced the defenders for a 73-yard touchdown and USC took a 42-10 lead into halftime.
USC opened the third quarter with true freshman quarterback Husain Longstreet in for Maiava. The freshman quickly took over and led the Trojans to an 8-play, 75-yard drive that was capped by a Longstreet 5-yard touchdown run.
“We’ve got a lot of super-talented guys in the (running back) room and on the whole offense,” Sanders said. “So I was super-excited to see everybody do what they can do.”
Missouri State added a field goal before USC running back King Miller raced to the end zone for a 75-yard touchdown and a 56-13 USC lead in the third quarter.
Longstreet added his second rushing touchdown of the game to give USC a 63-13 lead in the fourth quarter. USC added a field goal and Longstreet threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to Carson Tabaracci for a 73-13 lead in the fourth quarter.
Up next for the Trojans is a home matchup versus Georgia Southern on Saturday, Sept. 6.
