The No. 12 USC Trojans enter their Week 4 matchup against the No. 20 Oregon Ducks undefeated and with some momentum on their side. Following a 42-35 win on the road at Rutgers , the Trojans improved to 3-0 on the season.
However, the matchup was not as dominant as many anticipated. The Trojans were favored against the Scarlet Knights by nearly 24 points per DraftKings , but won by just seven. The matchup turned into a fast-paced shootout, and each time it felt like USC was about to create some distance, Rutgers had other plans.
Sep 19, 2026; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights head coach Greg Schiano, left, with teammates USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley before the game at SHI Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
"Excited to get the win. It was a lively game. Saw some things tonight that I've never seen in my career with us on the road," said USC coach Lincoln Riley following the win . "But proud of us to get it done. We had contributions from all three sides that contributed to the win. And we'll build on those."
Building is the perfect word to use when describing the 2026 USC Trojans so far. While there have been plenty of positives , such as quarterback Jayden Maiava continuing to build off what was a stellar 2025 campaign and freshmen consistently stepping up and playing like veterans, the foundation is not as rock solid as the record shows.
USC's defense under new defensive coordinator Gary Patterson has yet to fully click, and key defensive players will need stronger performances as the slate gets tougher, especially with a West Coast showdown against Oregon looming in the distance.
While running back King Miller handled the bulk of USC's rushing workload with 16 carries for 102 yards, redshirt freshman running back Riley Wormley provided the spark the Trojans needed when Rutgers continued to push back.
Wormley finished with just three carries, but turned those opportunities into 52 yards and a touchdown. He also caught one pass for two yards and added a receiving touchdown, which gave him four total touches, 54 total yards and two touchdowns.
Sep 19, 2026; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; USC Trojans running back Riley Wormley (27) carries the ball during the second half as Rutgers Scarlet Knights linebacker Ty Morris (10) pursues at SHI Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
With USC leading 27-21 in the third quarter, Wormley broke off a 27-yard run that immediately flipped the field. He finished that drive with a 12-yard touchdown run, which gave the Trojans some much-needed breathing room.
Then, with USC holding a 35-28 lead late in the fourth quarter, Wormley came through again. Facing third-and-goal from the 2-yard line, quarterback Jayden Maiava found Wormley out of the backfield for a 2-yard touchdown that pushed USC's lead to 42-28.
Through three games, Wormley has now recorded 61 rushing yards on five carries and has three total touchdowns.
True freshman wide receiver Kayden Dixon-Wyatt continued to show why USC is trusting him with big opportunities just three games into his college career.
Dixon-Wyatt finished the afternoon with four receptions for 65 yards, including a 32-yard catch on fourth down that helped keep USC's offense moving during a critical stretch of the second half. He also hauled in a two-point conversion that extended USC's lead to 35-21.
Sep 19, 2026; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; USC Trojans wide receiver Kayden Dixon-Wyatt (17) catches a two-point conversion pass during the second half against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at SHI Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The fourth-down reception was especially important. Rutgers had closed the gap and was threatening to take control of the game when Maiava took a deep shot to Dixon-Wyatt. The freshman came down with the 32-yard reception, which helped move USC into Rutgers territory.
Dixon-Wyatt's role has continued to grow throughout the first three games of the season. Through Week 3, he has recorded 10 receptions for 138 yards and a touchdown.
With fellow true freshman wide receiver out with an injury, Dixon-Wyatt has shown that USC's receiving room has even more viable options.
It's no secret that USC's defense has yet to live up to the preseason hype. Across three games, the Trojans are giving up an alarming 30.5 points per game against FBS competition.
However, one bright spot in the Trojans' defense that showed up in a big way Saturday is cornerback Prophet Brown. Brown made the biggest defensive play of the game when USC needed it most.
Oct 7, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Arizona Wildcats wide receiver Jacob Cowing (2) scores a touchdown against Southern California Trojans cornerback Prophet Brown (16) during the first overtime at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect
Rutgers opened the second half with a 66-yard drive that reached the USC 1-yard line. The Scarlet Knights had a chance to take a 21-20 lead and completely swing the momentum of the game.
Instead, Brown intercepted Rutgers quarterback Dylan Lonergan at the goal line and returned it 99 yards for a touchdown. The play turned what could have been a Rutgers lead into a 27-14 USC advantage.
Brown finished the game with three tackles, a pass breakup and the interception.
While Prophet Brown provided USC with one of the biggest defensive plays of the afternoon, the Trojans' secondary also had some difficult moments against Rutgers. Sophomore cornerback Chasen Johnson was part of that issue.
Rutgers consistently found opportunities in the passing game and finished with 276 passing yards and several explosive plays. Johnson was also flagged for a defensive pass interference penalty during the afternoon.
The matchup got even more difficult when Rutgers started targeting 6-foot-5 wide receiver KJ Duff.
Sep 19, 2026; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights wide receiver KJ Duff (8) makes a catchas USC Trojans cornerback Chasen Johnson (27) defends during the first half at SHI Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
For USC, the concern is less about one individual play and more about the bigger picture. The Trojans are going to face bigger and more physical receiving corps as Big Ten play continues, and the Rutgers game showed that the secondary still has room to improve.
Johnson now has an opportunity to respond as USC prepares for Oregon, but his performance against Rutgers was a step back from what the Trojans will need from their outside corners moving forward.
USC knew coming into Saturday that stopping Rutgers' rushing attack would be one of the keys to keeping the Scarlet Knights from controlling the game, but Rutgers repeatedly found success on the ground.
Scarlet Knights running back Antwan Raymond finished with 122 rushing yards and a touchdown, while Rutgers totaled 168 rushing yards as a team.
That put added pressure on USC's defensive line, and junior defensive tackle Jide Abasiri, one of the leaders of that unit, did not produce the same statistical impact he had shown through the first two games.
Sep 4, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans defensive tackle Jide Abasiri (97) celebrates after an incomplete pass by Fresno State Bulldogs quarterback Jayden Mandal (7) in the first half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Abasiri entered the game with 10 tackles, three tackles for loss and a sack, but against Rutgers, he finished with just one assisted tackle and no tackles for loss or sacks.
Abasiri's Week 3 stat line was not the sole reason USC gave up 35 points, but it was a clear departure from the production he had provided earlier in the season.
USC will need more production from the interior defensive line as the schedule gets tougher, particularly with Oregon coming to Los Angeles in Week 4.
The final faller may come as a surprise to most, as USC quarterback Jayden Maiava was a key reason as to why the Trojans were able to avoid an upset during their cross-country trip to New Jersey.
However, his performance was a step back from the standard he had set through USC's first two games.
Sep 19, 2026; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; USC Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava (14) drops back to pass during the second half against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at SHI Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Maiava finished 20-of-32 for 277 yards and two touchdowns, but he started just 3-of-8 for 31 yards as USC's passing game struggled to find a rhythm early.
Through the first two games, Maiava completed 48 of 54 passes for 635 yards, five touchdowns and zero interceptions. He completed 86.2 percent of his passes against San Jos State and 92 percent against Fresno State. Against Rutgers, that efficiency dropped to 62.5 percent.
To Maiava's credit, he settled in as the game progressed and made enough plays to help USC score 42 points and leave Piscataway with a win. But the offense was far less efficient than it had been during the first two weeks, and some of Maiava's biggest numbers came alongside difficult catches from his receivers.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/usc as Six USC Trojans Rising and Falling After Week 3 Win Over Rutgers .
