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- Late-game decisions by coach Lincoln Riley helps No. 21 USC manage the clock effectively in a 31-23 road win in front of 106,000 fans at Beaver Stadium.
- Quarterback Jayden Maiava threw for 301 yards and three touchdowns, while Trent Mosley and Tanook Hines made key catches in the Trojans’ attack.
- USC improved to 6-1 overall heading into its bye week, with games against Wisconsin and Ohio State next.
USC coach Lincoln Riley kept his offense on the field on fourth and four at the USC 13.
The decision was so confounding, Penn State coach Matt Campbell burned the Nittany Lions’ final timeout with 4:15 remaining. Riley grinned with his team protecting an eight-point lead in front of a rowdy, record crowd of 114,419 decked in all white at Beaver Stadium on Saturday night.
USC punted after the timeout, and Riley watched his maligned defense recover Penn State receiver Brett Eskildsen’s fumble on the Nittany Lions’ first snap of the ensuing drive.
Amid concerns Jayden Maiava isn’t playing at his usual stellar level, coach Lincoln Riley dismissed the suggestion the quarterback is injured.
With no timeouts remaining, Penn State had no room for error while trying to stop USC. The Trojans burned as much clock as they could and were again prepared to snap the ball on fourth down when the Penn State defense jumped offside, effectively sealing the Trojans’ win.
“We had a couple of things that we did that forced that, and it changed how we played the last drive,” Riley told reporters.
Riley has long been scrutinized for clock management and late-game decision-making, but in one of the most hostile environments in the country, he helped the No. 19 Trojans work their way to a 31-23 win.
USC (6-1, 3-1 Big Ten) had the better record and national ranking, but Penn State (3-3, 0-3) was favored to win by 1½ points in a sign of the previously plunging confidence in Riley and his Trojans.
“Really proud of our team,” Riley said. “We didn’t listen to all that you guys say on the outside. This group doesn’t really care. Nobody in the world gave them a chance to win this game and we did it our way.”
Quarterback Jayden Maiava, who had struggled at times the last few weeks, completed 21 of 33 passes for 301 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. He was sacked once.
Trent Mosley, who returned after missing the last two games because of an injury, and Tanook Hines delivered a series of highlight-reel catches to support Maiava. Mosley hauled in nine passes for 111 yards and a touchdown, while Hines added four catches for 82 yards and another touchdown.
King Miller ran for 102 yards in 19 carries and scored off a Maiava option pitch.
The teams traded touchdowns and field goals early, entering halftime tied 17-17.
Riley made the curious decision to open the third quarter with an onside kick that Penn Sate recovered, but his defense limited the Nittany Lions to a field goal.
“We felt like there was some air there,” Riley said. “Give their guys credit. If he doesn’t make the play, we got about three guys right there. No guts, no glory.”
Miller ran for a 13-yard touchdown on USC’s next drive.
Penn State mounted a long drive that the Trojans’ defense again limited to a field goal, leaving USC with a 24-23 lead with 14:52 left in the fourth quarter.
Maiava then led a 10-play, 71-yard scoring drive. On the final snap, Maiava had time to sit in the pocket, scan the field and connect with Kayden Dixon-Wyatt for a 10-yard touchdown. USC hit the extra point and led 31-23 with 11:11 left in the quarter.
USC was resilient in front of a roaring crowd that typically forces visitors to make mistakes in crunch time. But USC was prepared — the Trojans blasted crowd noise during practice at the Bloom Performance Center to help prepare them for the hostile environment. “Whichever donor money went to that sound system, tip of the cap,” Riley said with a smile. USC’s defense forced a Penn State punt late in the fourth quarter, and Riley worked the clock to protect the win. Desman Stephens II returned from his one-game suspension for his hit on Oregon quarterback Dante Moore and led the Trojans with nine tackles. Freshman Luke Wafle delivered five tackles and one massively important sack of Penn State quarterback Rocco Becht for a loss of 10 yards with six minutes left in regulation. It was raining in State College late in the game. The Trojans’ defense danced on the sideline as the song “Umbrella” played in the stadium, and the Trojans lingered on the field to soak up a big road victory. Riley had been under fire since losing to Oregon two weeks ago. He hasn’t forgotten that fans at the Coliseum chanted for him to be fired the week before. “I bet they are chanting something different now,” Riley said. “The outside noise is always going to be way over the top no matter what is happening, and your ability to deal with that as a coach and team is critical if you want to have success in this job.”
