Will USC’s Win Over Penn State Spark a Run for the Trojans?

Winning on the road in the Big Ten is hard. Winning in a hostile road environment like Penn State that hosted a record breaking crowd of 114, 419 for its annual “White Out” game is even harder.

USC had largely struggled on the road since joining the conference in 2024, but they took a major step in changing that narrative with a 31-23 win over the Nittany Lions in week 6.

USC Trojans Lincoln Riley Penn State Big Ten Trent Mosley Freshman Class Jayden Maiava Big Ten Injury Mark Bowman Luke Wafle — Oct 10, 2026; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Southern California Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava (14) throws a pass during a warmup prior to the game against the Penn State Nittany Lions at West Shore Home Field at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Quarterback Jayden Maiava was sensational, throwing for 301 yards, three touchdowns, and most importantly, no interceptions. It wasn’t his best game statistically, but given the circumstances and stakes, it was his arguably his best game in the Cardinal and Gold to this point.

Defensively, Southern Cal buttoned up in the second half, allowing just six points and safety Christian Pierce’s peanut punch with under four minutes remaining in regulation sealed the victory.

The Trojans have their first bye this week, and with a 6-1 record, they still control their College Football Playoff destiny. USC coach Lincoln Riley issued a warning after last Saturday night’s win.

“Winning tough games like this are everything,” Riley said. “You look up at the end of the season, the teams that win tough road games are kind of there in the end. We proved that we can do that. Watch out for this group. We got a couple of bye weeks upcoming in this stretch here. We’ll get a couple of guys healthy.”

“We got some young guys getting better really fast. Just scratching the surface. You saw a little bit of the firepower tonight but there’s way more left in this group and we’re gonna get better and better and if we keep doing that we’re gonna be tough.”

Can the Trojans spark a playoff run the second half of the season?

Rise of Freshmen Class and Key Injuries

USC made waves in the 2026 cycle when they became the first non-SEC school since 2008 to sign the No. 1 recruiting class. The arrival of general manager Chad Bowden in January of last season is paying dividends this fall.

It’s been an impactful group of freshmen that is better than advertised. Star receiver Trent Mosley made his return to the lineup against the Nittany Lions and caught nine receptions for 111 yards and a touchdown.

The reigning MaxPreps California Player of the Year has recorded 100 receiving yards in three of his four games. He’s caught a touchdown and recorded at least 100 all-purpose yards in every game he’s appeared in. When Mosley is in the lineup, he has undoubtedly been the Trojans best offensive player.

“He’s one of our best players. So anytime you take away best players from any team in the country, you’re going to feel it, and you’ve got to overcome it and move on,” Riley said. “But obviously, getting him back added a huge boost for us. He’s a tremendous playmaker. He’s tough to tackle after the catch. We trust him a lot. Jayden trust him a lot, so that certainly made a big difference in the game.”

Freshman Kayden Dixon-Wyatt has been an instant star himself at receiver and leads the team in receptions and receiving yards. His Mater Dei (Calif.) teammate, tight end Mark Bowman, was another day one starter that is third on the team in receptions and fourth in receiving yards.

The five-star recruit has also made a tremendous impact as a run blocker. Bowman has missed the last two games with a hamstring injury and is expected to return to the lineup after the bye.

Freshman defensive end Luke Wafle, the No. 1 overall recruit, was undoubtedly USC’s best defensive player the first quarter of the season. Now, it’s a real debate between him and sophomore defensive lineman Jahkeem Stewart, since he made his season debut against Oregon in week 4 and it’s a great problem to have. Freshman Rock Hill has essentially been a co-starter with Chasen Johnson opposite of Jontez Williams at cornerback.

Freshmen receivers Boobie Feaster and Tron Baker, defensive tackles Tomuhini Topui and Jaimeon Winfield, running back Shahn Alston and offensive tackle Vlad Dyakonov have all been key reserves this season.

Left tackle Elijah Paige was a late add to the injury week and missed last Saturday’s contest against Penn State. Defensive lineman Jide Abasiri played just one snap last weekend after suffering a lower body injury on the final drive against Washington in week 5. Those are two veteran starters that should be available coming out of the bye week.

The Trojans also have players that are dealing with minor injuries that are part of the game. Those players have a week to heal up, before resuming Big Ten play.

Tough Big Ten Slate

USC will head to Madison on Oct. 24 to face a Wisconsin team in another rocking atmosphere. The game puts the Trojans back in the national spotlight with a 4:30 p.m. PT kick off on NBC for the fourth consecutive game.

And then Ohio State rolls into town on Oct. 31, before USC has another bye week. And then its another tough road challenge with a trip to Bloomington to face Indiana, the defending national champions. The Trojans host Maryland on Nov. 21 and close out the regular season against a surging UCLA team on Nov. 28.

Everything is in front of Southern Cal.

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