Los Angeles’ eyes were elsewhere, the city’s focus focused on five miles along the 110 Freeway. The rest of the country, meanwhile, had probably fallen asleep, unenthusiastic about late-night football between two bottom-half Big Ten teams.
But after spending three weeks unraveling for all the world to see, USC returned to a sparsely filled Coliseum on Friday night with shaken confidence and bruised egos amid a three-game slump, only to perform some of his best work from to do the season during a 42-20 victory over Rutgers.
Whether anyone actually watched as USC stopped the bleeding after the brutal month that swept the country was of little consequence. Because for the first time since USC beat Wisconsin here a month ago, the Trojans looked like a team capable of competing in the Big Ten.
That ship has almost certainly sailed for the season after USC’s October nightmare, leaving the Trojans with few postseason options aside from a second-string bowl game. But the Trojans’ version that emerged well after midnight Eastern time on Friday offered a glimpse of what so many expected from USC before the season.
The offense was electric and averaged over 9.2 yards per play. Miller Moss hit several big plays in the passing game, with six completions of 18 yards or more. Woody Marks scored three first-half touchdowns on the ground. A No. 1 receiver even seemed to emerge, as Makai Lemon continued his recent surge by posting a career-best night with 134 yards and a touchdown.
USC’s defense even held on at a critical moment and slammed the door on Rutgers in the second half. It still gave up more than 400 yards for the third week in a row, allowing the Scarlet Knights to keep it close into the third quarter.
But the Trojans proved too powerful in the second half. With Rutgers still hanging within a score, Moss hit Lemon for a gain from 70 yards downfield. The quarterback ran it himself for a touchdown two plays later.
The pair put it away soon after, when Moss spotted Lemon sprinting freely downfield and hit him for a 40-yard touchdown.
Read more: Despite criticism, USC is sticking with Miller Moss as its starting quarterback
USC’s offense was humming from the start. Four consecutive plays secured first downs on the Trojans’ first drive before Marks capped it off with a one-yard touchdown run.
Rutgers got its own rushing attack early behind Kyle Monangai, the Big Ten’s second-leading rusher. He carried the ball on seven of Rutgers’ first eight plays, piling up 50 yards on the Scarlet Knights’ first drive alone.
But despite Monangai’s best efforts, the Scarlet Knights managed just a field goal on their opening drive. And that wasn’t enough to keep up with USC.
The Trojans didn’t wait long to make that clear. Lemon caught the ensuing kickoff on the goal line and then suddenly cut upfield, shaking two Rutgers defenders. With only green grass in front of him, Lemon ran 80 yards before he was caught. Marks knocked it in again shortly after, his second touchdown of the first quarter.
Rutgers continued to move the ball against USC’s defense, running significantly more plays (45 to 27) and controlling the ball for most of the half. But when the Trojans had the ball, they flew up and down the field without any problems.
Moss picked apart the Rutgers defense in the first half, completing 14 of his first 16 passes, including a touchdown against Kyle Ford, while Marks ran the floor freely and punched in three touchdowns. All four of USC’s drives in the first half ended in touchdowns, as Rutgers managed to force the Trojans into third downs only twice before half time.
But as USC’s defense struggled to get off the field, it gave Rutgers a chance to get back into the game just before halftime. Two USC pass interference penalties brought Rutgers to the threshold of the goal line with a chance to cut the Trojans’ lead to just twelve.
But USC cornerback Prophet Brown dove to break up the first-down pass. Pressure from linebacker Easton Mascarenas-Arnold forced an incompletion on second down. And on third down, DeCarlos Nicholson, another USC backup corner, broke up a fade.
Rutgers ultimately settled for another field goal. And with USC desperately needing a good night, that just wasn’t enough to slow the momentum.
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This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.
