Three Things We Learned as USC Trojans Defeat Louisiana to Close Out Nonconference Play

It wasn’t the prettiest performance all around for the USC Trojans as they defeated Louisiana to close out nonconference play. They will have plenty to clean up before making the cross-country trip to Rutgers.

But the story once again for the Trojans was the true freshmen on offense. Tight end Mark Bowman had a breakout performance, hauling in six receptions for 83 yards and two touchdowns, all in the first half. Receiver Trent Mosley accounted for two touchdowns, including an 86-yard punt return, and receiver Kayden Dixon-Wyatt caught a touchdown of his own.

Fourth Quarter

2:38 - TOUCHDOWN USC. Lunch Winfield 14-yard touchdown pass to Russell Babineaux to cap off an 8-play, 75-yard drive. USC leads 49-30.

go off, king 👑

📺: @BigTenNetwork pic.twitter.com/FqjPSIYUca
— USC Football ✌️ (@uscfb) September 13, 2026

7:30 - TOUCHDOWN USC. King Miller 12-yard rushing touchdown to cap off a 7-play, 75-yard drive. USC leads 49-23.

10:19 - King Miller runs left and picks up 29 yards and USC is across midfield.

11:27 - TOUCHDOWN USC. Lunch Winfield 32-yard rushing touchdown to cap off a 5-play, 75-yard drive. 2-pt conversion is NO GOOD. USC leads 42-23.

14:19 - TOUCHDOWN USC. Jayden Maiava to Zacharyus Williams for a 44-yard touchdown to capp off a 3-play 40-yard drive. USC leads 42-17.

AGENT 0️⃣ FOR SIX

📺: @BigTenNetwork pic.twitter.com/itRzy7f21n
— USC Football ✌️ (@uscfb) September 13, 2026

Third Quarter

1:40 - USC punts and Louisiana will take over on their own 16-yard line.

4:07 - TOUCHDOWN Louisiana. Lunch Winfield 1-yard touchdown to cap off a 12-play, 81-yard drive. USC leads 35-17.

4:57 - Tony Sterner's field goal is no good but freshman cornerback Rock Hill gets flagged for roughing the kicker giving Louisiana an automatic first down on the 8-yard line.

8:20 - USC gets called for a facemask after a Lunch Winfield 10-yard run and Louisiana is down to the 28-yard line.

9:48 - TOUCHDOWN USC. Jayden Maiava to Trent Mosley for a 21-yard touchdown to cap off a 7-play, 41-yard drive. USC leads 35-10.

ANOTHER ONE THANK YA @mosley5_trent

📺: @BigTenNetwork pic.twitter.com/3H8aUEP6ui
— USC Football ✌️ (@uscfb) September 13, 2026

11:31 - Jayden Maiava to Tucker Ashcraft who makes a tough 12-yard catch on 4th down to move the chains.

12:58 - Louisiana punts after going 3-and-out. The ball is partially blocked and Corey Simms recovers. USC takes over on the Louisiana 41-yard line.

Second Quarter

1:24 - Trent Mosley breaks several tackles and returns the punt 86 yards for a touchdown. USC leads 28-10.

TRENT MOSLEY YOU ARE RIDICULOUS.

86-yard punt return for the USC true freshman wide receiver. pic.twitter.com/mk4heWJ0sI
— Kendell Hollowell (@KHollowell_) September 13, 2026

1:50 - USC burns its first timeout. Louisiana will face a 3rd and 5 on their own 45-yard line.

2:00 - Two-minute timeout. Louisiana faces a 2nd and 9 on the their own 41-yard line.

3:19 - TOUCHDOWN USC. Jayden Maiava's pass goes through the hands of a Louisiana defender and into Kayden Dixon-Wyatt's for a 19-yard touchdown to cap off a 12-play, 87-yard drive. USC leads 21-10.

.@kayyydeenn was locked in 🔒

📺: @BigTenNetwork pic.twitter.com/UXO2qnykl8
— USC Football ✌️ (@uscfb) September 13, 2026

6:25 - Waymond Jordan runs for 15 yards and USC is across midfield.

9:21 - TOUCHDOWN Loiusiana. Steven Blanco 1-yard touchdown run to capp off a 7-play, 75-yard drive. USC leads 14-10.

9:34 - Lunch Winfield to Brock Chappell for 37 yards down to the 1-yard line.

9:48 - Louisiana burns its first timeout. Head coach gets called for unsportsmanlike conduct.

11:12 - Lunch Winfield to Russell Babineaux for 8 yards and Louisiana is across midfield.

12:31 - Jayden Maiava to Mark Bowman for a 9-yard touchdown to cap off a 10-play, 77-yard drive. USC leads 14-3. Bowman was injured on the play but jogged off the field.

Tough tuddy in traffic 💪 @Mark_Bowman09

📺: @BigTenNetwork pic.twitter.com/1wcQCOm2jc
— USC Football ✌️ (@uscfb) September 13, 2026

13:40 - Jayden Maoava to Kayden Dixon-Wyatt for 12 yards on 3rd down and USC is inside the 10-yard line.

14:51 - Injury timeout for an injured Louisiana player. USC will face a 2nd and 9 on their own 23-yard line.

First Quarter

1:05 - Jayden Maiava hits Mark Bowman, who hurdles two defenders and picks up 35 yards.

MARK BOWMAN HURDLES 2 DEFENDERS pic.twitter.com/ijw3KuCkSY
— LandonTengwall (@LandonTengwall) September 13, 2026

2:59 - Louisiana punts after going 3-and-out. USC will takeover on their own 23-yard line.

4:57 - TOUCHDOWN USC. Jayden Maiava to Mark Bowman for a 5-yard touchdown to cap off a 13-play, 79-yard drive. USC leads 7-3. First career touchdown for the freshman tight end.

1st career touchdown for freshman tight end Mark Bowman. Five-star recruit from Mater Dei. pic.twitter.com/yd8T62MlnY
— Kendell Hollowell (@KHollowell_) September 13, 2026

6:10 - Jayden Maiava to Waymond Jordan for five yards and 3rd down and USC is inside the 10-yard line.

9:38 - King Miler runs for 13 yards and USC is across midifeld.

11:23 - FIELD GOAL. Tony Sterner's 48-yard field goal is GOOD. Louisiana leads 3-0.

13:24 - Jayden Maiava's pass for Mark Bowman is INTERCEPTED by Avery Demery. Louisiana takes over on their own 38-yard line.

15:00 - USC wins the toss and will receive.

Jayden Maiava Looks to Build Off Stellar Start

USC Trojans Lincoln Riley Live Score Updates Coliseum Jayden Maiava Louisiana King Miller Trent Mosley Touchdown Big Ten — Aug 29, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California quarterback Jayden Maiava (14) reacts after a touchdown during the second half against San Jose State at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava has been excellent to start the 2026 season, earning AP National Player of the Week honors in week 0 and Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year honors in week 1.

Maiava’s 92.0% competition percentage against Fresno State last Friday night was the highest single-game completion percentage by a USC quarterback with 25 pass attempts since at least 1995. Maiava has high goals for his final season at Southern Cal.

“Being the quarterback at USC, I take pride in it,” Maiava said. “Just kind of do whatever I can to be placed among the great names that was here before me.“

The Trojans signal-caller has been surgical, and he’s done so with a young set of pass-catchers.

Freshmen receivers Trent Mosley and Kayden Dixon-Wyatt, who both starred in the Trinity League in Orange County, have emerged as Maiava’s two leading receivers. Mosley has recorded back-to-back 100-yard receiving yard games and hauled in three touchdowns in two games.

Receiver Tanook Hines returned to the lineup last week after missing the season opener and strengthened the receiver room. Corey Simms, Zacharyus Williams, and freshman Tron Baker have also become reliable targets for Maiava.

A big focus for Southern Cal on Saturday will be improving its run game with Waymond Jordan and King Miller, which hasn’t quite gone the way many expected.

“In the first few games, we watch it, we're just like, ‘oh my God’ and that was like a shoestring away,” said USC coach Lincoln Riley. “That was just one little thing away from being an explosive one and instead, it's seven yards. Which seven's not bad, but when we get an opportunity to hit a home run, we wouldn't mind putting it over the fence too. Our guys are very aware of that right now.”

The Gary Patterson Effect is Real

The Trojans pitched a shutout against Fresno State in week 1. But it wasn’t just the zero on the scoreboard at the end of the game that was impressive, it was how they did it.

Defensive coordinator Gary Patterson had USC in attack mode all night. The Trojans' defense registered two safeties, and Jide Abasiri was an unstoppable force in the trenches as he led a new-look defensive front that also features defensive end Kameryn Crawford and star freshman Luke Wafle.

“A great interior defensive lineman is tough on offenses because everything you do is going to be affected,” Riley said about Abasiri. “That’s the impact really good ones have and what Jide is doing for us right now.”

It’s a unit that can go three-deep and finally has the size and experience to create consistent problems for opposing offenses. Linebackers Desman Stephens and Deven Bryant have flourished early behind a strong defensive front, and transfer Jontez Williams is proving why he was the No. 1 cornerback in the portal.

The starters have allowed just three points through two games but will face a new challenge with Louisiana quarterback Lunch Winfield, who rushed for 84 yards and a touchdown in their 38-7 week 1 win over Lamar. As a team, the Ragin' Cajuns rushed for 243 yards.

“He's a runner, so that's something we definitely gotta look out for," Abasiri said. "The way he uses his legs, if we can take care of that, I feel like we'll be in good shape.”

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