USC Trojans Defeat No. 2 Ohio State 30-18 in Rain-Soaked Upset

The USC Trojans defeated the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes 30-18 on Saturday night at the Coliseum in Los Angeles.

Freshman Trent Mosley opened the scoring with a 69-yard touchdown run on the second play of the game. The play set the tone for a Trojans offense that outscored the Buckeyes 20-9 through the first half. Mosley finished the contest with five receptions for 101 yards, a performance head coach Lincoln Riley credited for giving the team confidence.

Quarterback Jayden Maiava completed passes for 222 yards and one touchdown. King Miller and Waymond Jordan also added rushing scores for USC. The Trojans improved to a 7-2 record overall and 4-2 in Big Ten play. This victory marks the first time under Riley that USC has defeated a top-12 team. The win also ended a drought of victories over top-five opponents at the Coliseum, a feat last accomplished in 2015.

Ohio State entered the game with a 6-2 record and a 4-1 mark in conference play. Freshman quarterback Luke Fahey started in place of injured Julian Sayin. Fahey passed for 260 yards but was held to three field goals in his first career start. The Buckeyes’ defense allowed USC to score more points than it had permitted in any of its previous 31 games this season. Coach Ryan Day cited 11 penalties totaling 75 yards as a factor in the loss.

The Buckeyes’ offense generated 464 total yards, including 121 rushing yards from Bo Jackson. Jeremiah Smith caught 10 passes for 83 yards and scored a one-yard touchdown with 2:12 remaining. Smith’s catch marked his 40th career touchdown, breaking the Big Ten record previously held by Braylon Edwards. Despite the yardage, Ohio State failed to convert on a two-point attempt after Smith’s score.

USC defensive end Braylan Shelby said the team felt unstoppable when playing together. Mosley agreed, noting that the group learned how good it could be when trusting one another. The game featured a light rain throughout, leading to a celebration on a wet field. The Buckeyes’ next opponent is Oregon, which they host on Saturday. USC has a bye week before traveling to Indiana on Nov. 14.