USC holds off Rutgers: Trojans get first Big Ten win of the year in hard-fought road battle

No. 12 USC survived an upset bid from Rutgers and pulled away in the fourth quarter for a 42-35 victory. The Trojans got two touchdowns from freshman running back Riley Wormley, including a game-clinching two-yard reception to cap off the win.

Rutgers would not go quietly into the night. The Scarlet Knights got a 28-yard touchdown pass from Dylan Lonergan to Vernon Allen III with 4:24 remaining to make it a one-score game. However, USC leaned on quarterback Jayden Maiava and running back King Miller to run out the clock, including a physical third-down conversion to set up victory formation.

The Scarlet Knights pulled out all the stops to keep the game competitive. Deep in their own territory, Greg Schiano dialed up a fake punt that Jakob Anderson launched for a 40-yard pass to Jesse Ofurie to set up a touchdown drive. After throwing an interception on his first attempt, Lonergan settled in and threw for 252 yards and three touchdowns. However, a 99-yard pick-six by Prophet Brown flipped the game and gave the Trojans a lead they would not surrender.

Maiava was efficient in victory, completing 20-of-32 passes for 277 yards and two touchdowns. The Trojans rushed for 190…

Original source: https://www.cbssports.com/