USC Trojans Upset No. 2 Ohio State 30-18 in Rainy Night Upset
Freshmen Trent Mosley and Mark Bowman drove Southern California to a victory over the Buckeyes, snapping a long drought against top-five opponents at the Coliseum.
By Tariq Carter ·
Southern California defeated No. 2 Ohio State 30-18 on Saturday night at the Coliseum.
Head coach Lincoln Riley secured his largest victory of his tenure with a win against a top-12 team for the first time in five years. Jayden Maiava passed for 222 yards and a touchdown, while King Miller and Waymond Jordan rushed for scores. The Trojans finished with a 7-2 record and a 4-2 mark in the Big Ten.
Freshman Trent Mosley sparked the offense with a 69-yard touchdown reception on the second play from scrimmage. That catch marked the sixth touchdown of his freshman year and exceeded the 36-yard limit Ohio State had allowed all season. Mosley finished the game with five receptions for 101 yards. He also broke a 44-yard punt return and caught an 18-yard pass to set up Jordan’s 9-yard touchdown run in the first quarter.
The USC defense held the Ohio State offense to three field goals over the first 57 minutes. Luke Fahey, a freshman, made his first career start in place of injured Julian Sayin. Fahey passed for 260 yards on 21 of 38 attempts. Jeremiah Smith finally scored for the Buckeyes with a 1-yard catch in the final two minutes, but Ohio State missed a 2-point conversion. USC recovered the onside kick and added a field goal with 1:46 left.
Freshman tight end Mark Bowman made a 70-yard reception in the second half that led to Miller’s touchdown, extending the lead to 27-9. Bowman hurdled a defender and broke multiple tackles on the play. Bo Jackson rushed for 121 yards for Ohio State, and Smith caught 10 passes for 83 yards. The Buckeyes gained 464 total yards but could not convert that production into points.
Ohio State had not lost two games this early in a season since 2011. This defeat dropped the Buckeyes to 58-2 against unranked teams under coach Ryan Day. USC fans stormed the field after the final whistle, celebrating the first time the Trojans beat a top-five opponent at home since 2015.
Ohio State hosts Oregon on Saturday, while USC takes a bye before traveling to Indiana on Nov. 14.
Source: ABC7 Los Angeles
