Live Score Updates: USC Trojans vs. Penn State Nittany Lions

The No. 19 USC Trojans will face arguably their toughest road environment of the season on Saturday, Oct. 10, against the Penn State Nittany Lions.

The Nittany Lions have over 110,000 tickets out for their annual "White Out" game. Beaver Stadium will be rocking all night. How do the Trojans respond?

This article will be updated throughout the game.

Overcoming Road Struggles

USC Trojans Lincoln Riley Live Score Updates Touchdown Penn State Nittany Lions Jayden Maiava King Miller Big Ten — Sep 4, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches against the Fresno State Bulldogs in the second half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

What's the signature road win for the Trojans under coach Lincoln Riley? A win over then-No. 16 UCLA in 2022? And that's a game that was played an hour away.

There isn't one, and that's a big part of the problem for USC in Riley's fifth season. There are no signature wins, let alone one on the road. Can't be a good team in the Big Ten without them. The Trojans have won three true road games since joining the Big Ten in 2024. And a lackluster performance against a then-winless Rutgers team in Week 3 doesn't bode well.

Penn State isn't a ranked opponent. In fact, they are a team that is reeling after dropping back-to-back games to Wisconsin and Northwestern. USC needs to prove they can not only win but also play well in a hostile environment.

Southern Cal has been a completely different team as soon as the plane leaves the tarmac in Los Angeles. Saturday gives Riley's squad the perfect opportunity to start to change the narrative.

Pressure on Lincoln Riley and Jayden Maiava

USC escaped with a 25-21 win over Washington in Week 5 after overcoming an 11-point deficit in the second half. But once again, it was a lackluster performance against a lesser opponent.

The "Fire Lincoln" chants broke out in the second quarter and carried well into the third quarter. That noise has only ramped up in the last week and won't go away. The only way to begin to quiet it is to keep stacking wins.

Quarterback Jayden Maiava is coming off one of his worst performances in a Trojans uniform, which stacks up with his performance last year against Nebraska. Maiava has been at the forefront of the team's road struggles over the past year and a half.

He struggled mightily in a tough road environment last season and will see a much tougher version of that in Happy Valley on Saturday and a familiar face on the other sideline in Penn State defensive coordinator D'Anton Lynn, who left USC after two seasons to take the same job with his alma mater.

One way to help out Maiava is with a run game. Last week, the Nittany Lions allowed 413 yards on the ground to Northwestern. Running back King Miller has established himself as RB1. Riley Wormley has been trending upwards since the Rutgers game, and Waymond Jordan is another option.

Defensively, the Trojans made major strides against Washington, and a big reason why was because of improved communication in the secondary and their pass rush finally coming alive. Can they repeat that success on the road?

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