USC Trojans #14 Jayden Maiava (QB) getting good protection from his offensive line while looking downfield for an open receiver. This photo is by Jerry Kelly/TGSportstv1 October 31, 2026.
LOS ANGELES - Happy days are here again. After Lincoln Riley’s biggest win as their head coach, the USC Trojans (7-2, 4-2 Big Ten) upset the No. 2 team in the country, the Ohio State Buckeyes (6-2, 4-1 Big Ten), at the Los Angeles Coliseum, 30-18.
Jayden Maiava threw for 222 yards and one touchdown; Trent Mosley caught 5 passes for 101 yards and one touchdown. King Miller had 13 carries for 78 yards and one touchdown, and Waymond Jordan had 12 carries for 48 yards and one touchdown.
Luke Fahey (QB) threw for 260 yards and one touchdown, and Bo Jackson carried the football 21 times for 121 yards.
“That's two of the best teams in the country on the field right there,” Riley said. “It's going to come down to who plays the situations best, and we did it tonight.
The Trojans didn’t waste any time getting on the scoreboard. On their second play, Jayden Maiava threw a 69-yard touchdown pass to Trent Mosley, giving them a 7-0 lead.
“I think we learned how good we are,” Mosley said. “When we trust each other and play together as a team, that’s what we can do.”
The Buckeyes trailed 7-3 when their kicker Connor Hawkins made a 39-yard field goal.
USC drove downfield 31 yards, pushed their lead to 14-3, capped off with a 9-yard touchdown run by Waymond Jordan.
Ohio State trailed 14-6 in the second quarter after a 31-yard field goal from Hawkins. The Trojans led 17-6 when Ryon Sayeri nailed a 54-yard field goal with 10:21 left before halftime.
With 5:55 left in the second quarter, USC’s King Miller (RB) fumbled the football, and the Buckeyes, Earl Little Jr. (S).
Ohio State Buckeyes #25 Bo Jackson (RB) is trying to avoid being tackle by several USC Trojans’ defenders. This photo is by Jerry Kelly/TGSportstv1 October 31, 2026.
Ohio State was at the Trojans '1-yard line with a first down, and USC’s defense kept them out of the end zone and settled for a 23-yard field goal, making the score 17-9. USC led 20-9 at halftime.
The Trojans added another turnover to their record when Isaiah West (RB) fumbled at USC’s 32-yard line, and Floyd Boucard recovered it in the third quarter.
Maiava threw a pass to tight end Mark Bowman, who broke free for 70 yards down to the Buckeys’ 3-yard line. Moments later, King Miller would score on a 1-yard touchdown run to give USC a 27-9 lead in the fourth quarter.
Hawkins would make another field goal. This time, he kicked a 47-yard field goal to make the score 27-12.
Ohio State made a late surge that had the Trojans fans on pins and needles when Fahey threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Jeremiah Smith, trailing 27-18 after the two-point conversion failed.
Caden Chittenden nailed a 32-yard field goal to seal the victory, and after the game, thousands of fans stormed the field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.