Woody Marks rushed for three touchdowns, Miller Moss threw two touchdown passes and ran for another, helping Southern California end a three-game losing streak with a 42-20 win over Rutgers on Friday night.
The Trojans (4-4, 2-4 Big Ten) scored on all four of their offensive possessions in the first half. Despite their defense being hurt and missing four starters in the secondary, they made some important stops.
“I don’t know if it’s relief as much as affirmation of who we are and what we believe in,” said Moss, who completed 20 of 28 passes for 308 yards. “I give a ton of credit to the guys in that locker room, the staff, really the whole program on how they seem to come together and fight through adversity.
And, yeah, it’s great to close one out, and hopefully we get on a run here in the back half of the season.”
Marks gained 142 yards from scrimmage. Makai Lemon had 134 yards receiving on four catches with a touchdown, along with an 80-yard kick return in the first quarter that set up Marks’ second touchdown run.
Athan Kaliakmanis threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Christian Dremel, and Antwan Raymond ran for a touchdown, but the Scarlet Knights (4-4, 1-4) lost their fourth game in a row.
USC showed strong offensive consistency in the first half, resembling the past two seasons with Caleb Williams as quarterback.
They moved the ball well, with the passing game accounting for 172 of their 244 total yards in the first two quarters. Moss completed 14 of 16 passes and connected with Kyle Ford for an 11-yard touchdown.
Rutgers closed the gap to 28-20 early in the third quarter when Kaliakmanis made two quick throws to Dymere Miller and Dremel, followed by a trick play that resulted in a 2-point conversion to the quarterback Chris Long.
However, Lemon made a big play with a 70-yard catch-and-run on the first play of the next drive, and Moss scored on a 7-yard run, restoring USC’s lead to two possessions.
“We didn’t make some of the same mistakes that have plagued us,” said Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley. “I know it kind of sounds simple, but we did, we just played better.”
Kaliakmanis ended the game with 313 passing yards, while Kyle Monangai had 86 yards on 18 carries.
The pass rush improved significantly. Defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn had success getting to the quarterback during his time at UCLA, but USC struggled in this area at first. Against Rutgers, the Trojans achieved a season-high four sacks of Kaliakmanis.
“I thought today was just a good representation of the true identity of our defense, playing physical for four straight quarters,” linebacker Easton Mascarenas-Arnold said.
The defense has struggled badly in the last three games, allowing 119 points to Wisconsin, UCLA, and USC. The Trojans averaged 8.7 yards per play against them, while the Scarlet Knights failed to record any sacks and managed just one tackle for loss.
The offense has been looking for a lead receiver, and Lemon might be the player they need. His impressive 40-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown late in the third quarter helped seal the victory, showing the kind of big play the Trojans have been missing during their recent losing streak.
