Quinten Joyner ran for 84 yards and two touchdowns, and No. 13 Southern California’s improved defense achieved the Trojans’ first shutout since 2011 with a 48-0 win over Utah State on Saturday night.
Miller Moss threw for 229 yards and one touchdown while playing just the first 2 1/2 quarters in his first home start for the Trojans (2-0).
USC controlled the game at the Coliseum from start to finish, building on their strong season-opening win against LSU and showing the significant improvement of last season’s struggling defense.
“Shutting out a team in modern college football is very hard, so I’m really proud of how we played defensively the whole game. The offense also did a great job running the ball, which was a key focus, so we’re pleased with their performance,” said coach Lincoln Riley.
After holding LSU to 20 points last week, USC’s defense, led by coordinator D’Anton Lynn, allowed just 190 yards to the Aggies (1-1). Forty of those yards came against USC’s backups during a final drive that ended with a missed 52-yard field goal attempt with 1:08 left.
“This game shows how much our defense has improved,” said USC linebacker Easton Mascarenas-Arnold, whose interception late in the first half set up the Trojans’ third touchdown.
“The scoreboard and stats might not fully reflect our performance, but it’s exciting for the team. We know what we need to do, and we executed well today.”
The Trojans’ shutout in the first half was their first in any half since the 2022 season. They completed their first shutout in 153 games since their 50-0 win over UCLA in the final game of the 2011 season.
Makai Lemon caught a touchdown pass just before halftime, and Woody Marks rushed for 103 yards and a touchdown while also making three catches in his first game at USC after transferring from Mississippi State. Marks extended his streak of consecutive games with a catch to 47, the longest active streak in the nation.
Bryson Barnes threw for 103 yards for the Aggies, but he couldn’t win at the Coliseum for the second time in his football career.
Barnes had led Utah to a close 34-32 win over USC last season while stepping in for injured Utes starter Cam Rising, which had handed Riley and Caleb Williams their first loss at the Coliseum.
This loss was the first for Aggies interim head coach Nate Dreiling, who took over two months ago after Blake Anderson left amid a difficult situation in Logan.
“This offense is really tough to stop because it’s so explosive, but now they also have a defense that, while always talented, is now very solid,” Dreiling said. “It’s amazing how well they’re coaching their players.
They have size, and they’re using it well. That’s why they have a chance to be not just one of the best offenses in the country, but possibly one of the best defenses too. They are a complete football team that will be competitive for a long time.”
UNLV transfer Jayden Maiava took over for Moss, rushing for a touchdown in the fourth quarter and passing for 66 yards while leading two scoring drives in USC’s 544-yard offensive performance.
A power outage on the north side of the Coliseum caused the teams to start the second half in dimmer light than usual, and the game was briefly delayed in the fourth quarter when all the north-side lights went out.
“Just as we were considering stopping the game, the lights came back on, so that was good,” Riley said.
