Lincoln Riley Changes USC's Travel Schedule Before Rutgers Road Game

The No. 12 USC Trojans look to start conference play with the same momentum as their non-conference schedule, entering Saturday's road matchup with Rutgers 3-0. The game is not only USC's first contest away from the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in 2026, but Rutgers is also as far away as it gets from Southern California when it comes to Big Ten schools.

Lincoln Riley on Planning Rutgers Travel

During his Monday appearance on Trojans Live, USC coach Lincoln Riley spoke about the team's plans to mitigate some of the effects of the long travel as well as a 12:30 p.m. PT (3:30 p.m. local in New Jersey).

lincoln riley usc trojans rutgers scarlet knights road game big ten travel kickoff time east coast new jersey thursday — Sep 3, 2026; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; The Rutgers Scarlet Knights enter the field prior to the start of the game against Massachusetts Minutemen at SHI Stadium | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"Obviously our first road trip, so we’ll head out there on Thursday. Get out there a little bit earlier with obviously the length of the travel and the kickoff time and all that," Riley said.

The worst-case scenario would have been an earlier kickoff, but the USC coaching staff is still giving players time to adjust after a long flight and a three-hour time difference. The flight time from Los Angeles into New Jersey is typically longer than five hours making it the longest trip in the conference for USC with only Maryland coming close.

Riley also shared some of his thoughts on the Rutgers team that USC will be facing on Saturday. Scarlet Knights receiver KJ Duff is the offensive star, but consistency at quarterback has been an issue.

"Yeah, a little bit different team this year. Definitely some new faces offensively in the skill world. They brought in a new defensive coordinator, guy that’s been a head coach and that’s done a really nice job," Riley said.

USC Trojans vs. Rutgers Betting Odds

Despite the long travel, oddsmakers still favor the Trojans. According to FanDuel Sportsbook, USC is favored by 23.5 points over Rutgers in the week leading up to kickoff.

The Scarlet Knights are 0-2 with losses to UMass and Boston College, but Rutgers is coming off an extended week after playing the Eagles on a Friday night. The difference is not a huge one, but Rutgers does have a number of advantages over the Trojans heading into Saturday's matchup.

Perhaps most importantly, USC's matchup with No. 21 Oregon looms in week 4 after Rutgers. While the Ducks' upset loss to Oklahoma State prevents that matchup from being a top-ranked affair, USC vs. Oregon will have both Big Ten and College Football Playoff implications.

Rutgers has trap game written all over it as a result. Still, USC's talent might be too much to overcome, evidenced by the betting odds.

Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava's average of 298.7 passing yards per game is No. 12 in the country as true freshman receivers Trent Mosley and Kayden Dixon-Wyatt alongside tight end Mark Bowman have stepped up as key pieces of the offense.

According to odds from DraftKings, USC is expected to score over 40 points on Rutgers.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

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