No. 12 USC defeats Rutgers, but defensive woes

PISCATAWAY, N.J. — After eight tumultuous journeys into Big Ten nation over two seasons, Lincoln Riley figured forward of his third that he had discovered one thing about how tough the highway could possibly be. Just twice in those eight tries had USC left L.A. and managed to return home with a convention win.

So at the start of a third Big Ten highway slate, Riley resolved to have his Trojans better ready. They had expertise to construct on now, after all. They even borrowed a aircraft from the Arizona Cardinals, with particular lie-down seats for added consolation. All of this in anticipation of a crew that misplaced its first two video games to Boston College and Massachusetts.

And yet, in spite of all that, Riley and the Trojans still discovered themselves proper back in the same precarious place Saturday, bogged down by unhealthy soccer on both sides and preventing for their life on the highway against one of the worst groups in the Big Ten.

No. 12 USC in the end managed to escape Rutgers with a 42-35 win. But no half of Saturday’s highway effort felt satisfying while it was occurring.

Certainly not on protection, where the Trojans appeared to have improved through three video games under new coordinator Gary Patterson. USC was trampled throughout by a Rutgers offense which, heading into Saturday, had an interception on more than 10% of its passes. Against USC, though, the Scarlet Knights had little bother transferring up and down the sector, piling up 460 yards along the way in which.

“It’s good to get a win,” Riley told CBS during a postgame interview on the sector. “We didn’t play our best ball on all sides. We’re going to have to play a whole lot better. Give Rutgers credit, they made some ballsy calls, some really good plays.

”… Happy to win. In this convention, you don’t take successful on the highway for granted.”

If not for a few major missed alternatives, Rutgers (0-3) may need really been in the driving force’s seat down the stretch. Rutgers was on the doorstep of the end zone, down six factors early in the third quarter, when USC security Prophet Brown stepped in entrance of a move and took the interception 99 yards for a landing. The pick-six gave USC a two-score cushion … which it promptly gave up in a span of two minutes.

Another time, deep in Rutgers territory, Riley handed up on a fourth-quarter subject purpose on fourth down, only for USC’s fourth-down move to come up short. And with a probability to tie it up, Rutgers proceeded to go three-and-out.

Still, USC (4-0) couldn’t handle to put those watching the sport out of their distress until the ultimate minutes.

It wasn’t just the protection that let the Trojans down. Penalties had been a big downside in the first half — and half of why Rutgers managed to keep in the sport. USC’s high-powered offense also stalled throughout, in half because quarterback Jayden Maiava was nowhere close to as sharp as he had been to start the season.

Maiava accomplished 20 of 32 passes for 277 yards and two touchdowns but missed a number of open receivers.

USC seemed like a crew that took a long, cross-country journey. The Trojans managed a clunky 12-play opening drive, with King Miller doing most of the heavy lifting, but had been pressured to settle for a subject purpose. The 35-yard kick from Caden Chittenden was really USC’s first in 4 video games this season.

The Trojans wouldn’t have to wait long, though, to get in the end zone. The first move of the afternoon from Rutgers quarterback Dylan Lonergan sailed past his receiver and instantly to USC security Christian Pierce, who returned the ball to the Scarlet Knights’ 24-yard line.

Two bruising runs from Miller later, and USC was up 10-0.

USC coach Lincoln Riley reacts during the second half of the Trojans’ 42-35 win over Rutgers on Saturday.

(Adam Hunger / Associated Press)

Rutgers, with just a single yard of complete offense to that level, woke up, marching 75 yards in response. And on third down, Lonergan lofted a move to star receiver KJ Duff, who caught it over cornerback Jontez Williams and still managed to get a foot down for an 11-yard rating.

USC almost gave the ball proper back, after a penalty and a sack of Maiava gave the Trojans a third and 14. But Maiava uncorked a deep move to Corey Simms, who leaped in entrance of a Rutgers cornerback to catch it, then sprinted for an unexpectedly simple 52-yard landing.

Rutgers still had more to pull out of its sleeve. Deep in its territory, just before the half, it surprised USC by turning an unbelievable faux punt into a 44-yard gain. Four performs later, Rutgers scored, cutting USC’s lead to three.

USC added a subject purpose before halftime to push its lead to six. But after Rutgers marched down the sector, prepared to take the lead with a landing, Brown stepped in entrance of Lonergan’s move on the sting of the end zone and didn’t stop sprinting until he scored.

Rutgers extensive receiver KJ Duff catches a landing move in entrance of USC cornerback Jontez Williams during the first quarter Saturday.

(Bill Streicher / Getty Images)

The 99-yard return seemed prefer it may flip the tide for the Trojans, until, on the next drive, Rutgers busted a 49-yard run into the crimson zone. It scored a play later, to cut the lead to seven.

Back and forth they went, with one response from USC inevitably main to another from Rutgers.

The Trojans acquired another break late in the third quarter. After Tanook Hines dropped a third-down move, USC lined up to draw Rutgers offside, and it labored. Maiava used the prospect to throw downfield to Kayden Dixon-Wyatt.

But USC couldn’t take benefit. Riley opted to go for it on fourth down, deep in Rutgers territory, instead of kicking a subject purpose that would’ve put USC up by 10.

It could be a while after that before the Trojans might finally breathe simple. Even the ultimate kneel wouldn’t go easily, as Maiava fumbled the snap.

But USC recovered. And it acquired out of Piscataway as fast as attainable after that.