USC stuns No. 2 Ohio State 30-18 with big plays from Jayden Maiava, freshman Trent Mosley

LOS ANGELES (AP) — When Trent Mosley took a screen pass straight through the heart of Ohio State's defense for an exhilarating touchdown on the second snap, Southern California realized something special might be brewing on Halloween night.

By the time thousands of students and fans stormed onto the rain-soaked Coliseum field at the final whistle, the Trojans had their season and their program back on track with a landmark victory.

Jayden Maiava passed for 222 yards and a touchdown, King Miller and Waymond Jordan rushed for scores, and USC shocked the No. 2 Buckeyes 30-18 on Saturday night for the biggest win of head coach Lincoln Riley’s tenure.

“That's two of the best teams in the country on the field right there,” Riley said. “It's going to come down to who plays the situations best, and we did it tonight.”

Freshman sensation Mosley finished with five receptions for 101 yards after his tone-setting, 69-yard TD scamper for the Trojans (7-2, 4-2 Big Ten), who rebounded from a faith-shaking loss at Wisconsin last week by scoring more points than Ohio State’s vaunted defense had allowed in its previous 31 games.

“I think we learned how good we are,” Mosley said. “When we trust each other and play together as a team, that’s what we can do.”

The USC defense didn’t allow a touchdown in the first 57 minutes by an Ohio State offense led by freshman quarterback Luke Fahey, who passed for 260 yards in his first career start in place of injured Julian Sayin for the Buckeyes (6-2, 4-1).

Jeremiah Smith finally made a 1-yard TD catch with 2:12 remaining, but the Buckeyes’ 2-point conversion attempt failed, and USC recovered the onside kick before making its third field goal with 1:46 left.

“At the end of the day, as a team, we weren’t able to play well enough to support a young freshman quarterback who has his first start on the road like this,” said coach Ryan Day, lamenting the Buckeyes’ 11 penalties for 75 yards.

With a light, steady rain falling throughout the holiday evening, USC beat a top-12 team for the first time in Riley’s half-decade in charge. The postgame party was wet, but not dampened after the Trojans beat a top-five opponent at the Coliseum for the first time since 2015.

Bo Jackson rushed for 121 yards and Smith had 10 receptions for 83 yards for the Buckeyes, who couldn't make it close despite racking up 464 total yards. Smith's TD catch was his 40th, breaking Braylon Edwards' Big Ten career record.

Ohio State hadn’t lost two games this early in a season since 2011, the year before Urban Meyer arrived in Columbus. The Buckeyes fell to 58-2 against unranked teams under Day, with this defeat joining their infamous home loss to Michigan in 2024.

One week after the Trojans produced the fewest points ever from a Riley-led offense, they shockingly surged to a 20-9 halftime lead following Mosley's run through a defense that hadn't allowed a play longer than 36 yards all season. Mosley then broke a 44-yard punt return and made an 18-yard reception to set up Jordan's 9-yard TD run.

Ohio State produced 192 yards, but only three field goals from its first five drives — even when the Buckeyes reached the USC 1 shortly before halftime.

“When we play like that, we're unstoppable,” USC defensive end Braylan Shelby said.

Bowman takes flight

The Trojans went up 27-9 in the third quarter when Miller punched it in following a spectacular 70-yard reception by freshman tight end Mark Bowman, who hurdled a defender and broke multiple tackles in a highlight-reel moment. Riley and Bowman both claimed the coach taught the teenager how to hurdle.

“That was ridiculous,” Day said. "We’re going for the punch-out there. We've just got to get him on the ground around the 40-yard line and live to see another snap.”

Fahey's effort

Fahey got the start after Sayin injured his arm two weeks ago against Indiana. The freshman from nearby Orange County made several big throws and was hurt by a handful of big drops, finishing 21 for 38.

“I don’t think we could have expected anything better from Luke today,” tight end Mason Williams said. “Really, he went out there and he battled ... and when you get a freshman quarterback starting in a big game like that, when you can get what you got out of him today, we’ve got to be able to do our jobs, everyone on the field, and strive to make his job a little easier.”

Takeaways

Ohio State: Sayin's absence clearly is a mitigating factor in this enormous setback, but the freshman QB played no role in the Buckeyes' least effective defensive performance in a long time. Day's detractors got ample fuel for their concerns, yet the Buckeyes' College Football Playoff hopes are not yet dead.

USC: Riley and his program appeared to be in big trouble last week in Madison, but this win provides a massive boost of energy and validity. The Trojans are almost certain to return to the AP Top 25. They've got a rough remaining schedule, but this gives them a chance to take a major step forward this season — and the belief it might actually be possible.

Up next

Ohio State: Host Oregon on Saturday.

USC: Bye, then at Indiana on Nov. 14.