USC Trojans' Bishop Fitzgerald Gives Shocking Compliment to Big Ten Rival

USC Trojans safety Bishop Fitzgerald was asked about what he's looking forward to most on USC's schedule, and the Trojans transfer mentioned the Oregon Ducks and Autzen Stadium as the venue he's most excited to see.

Aug 30, 2025; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning talks to wide receiver Gary Bryant Jr. (2) during warm ups before a game against the Montana State Bobcats at Autzen Stadium. | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

USC Trojans safety Bishop Fitzgerald appeared on Trojans Live and talked about his pick-six in the Trojans' season opener against Missouri State. In the interview, Fitzgerald also spoke pretty highly of one of USC's Big Ten rivals, the Oregon Ducks.

USC chief creative officer Jordan Moore asked Fitzgerald what excites the USC safety about playing in the Big Ten, and Moore mentioned the Trojans' road games against Notre Dame and Oregon.

Oct 14, 2023; South Bend, Indiana, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley and Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman chat before the game at Notre Dame Stadium. | Matt Cashore-Imagn Images

"I think just a little bit of everything. Obviously, the stadiums and names, like playing at Oregon is like, every kid dreams of Oregon, their jerseys, the stadium, all of that. I think the conference itself right now. . . . The amount of teams that are good right now in the Big Ten is pretty crazy," Fitzgerald responded.

The comments from Fitzgerald made waves online as USC and Oregon have been considered conference rivals for quite some time, and the two programs are now linked as two of the premier West Coast programs in the Big Ten.

Fitzgerald Dreamt of USC Too

Nov 2, 2024; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack saftey Bishop Fitzgerald (7) runs the ball during the first quarter against Stanford Cardinals at Carter-Finley Stadium. | Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

Still, Fitzgerald chose the Trojans out of the transfer portal, and the former North Carolina State star made a statement in his debut with the Trojans, intercepting Missouri State quarterback Jacob Clark and returning it 39 yards for a touchdown.

Fitzgerald spoke about the feeling of seeing the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum filled with fans on a game day for the first time.

"It was just a crazy experience. I think just the Coliseum in general, going out there and seeing the fans, seeing atmosphere for the first time. It was a surreal moment, something you dream of as a kid, just watching USC and the name and the brand behind it and just going out there and doing what I do. It was crazy," Fitzgerald said.

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Fitzgerald's Pick-Six in USC Debut

When explaining the interception on Trojans Live, Fitzgerald gave credit to USC defensive coordinator D'Anton Lynn and defensive backs coach Doug Belk.

"As soon as I saw the motion, I knew they wanted to throw that dig right behind it. It was really just trusting what I saw on film and what coach Lynn and coach Belk prepared me for. . . . I really just trusted my instincts there, and you know, we saw what happened," Fitzerald said.

SHARKS ARE OUT AT THE COLISEUM 🦈

📺: @BigTenNetwork pic.twitter.com/cqtDlO1n7O

— USC Football ✌️ (@uscfb) August 31, 2025

After his performance against Missouri State, Fitzgerald was the highest-graded safety in all of college football for week 1, according to Pro Football Focus. It's early, but it appears as though USC could have one of the more dangers defensive backfields in the country as Fitzgerald lines up alongside Trojans safety Kamari Ramsey.

Oct 12, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans safety Kamari Ramsey (7) reacts after a play in the second half against the Penn State Nittany Lions at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

USC's season continues on Saturday, Sept. 6, against Georgia Southern as former Trojans coach Clay Helton returns to Southern California.