LOS ANGELES — Woody Marks ran for 3 touchdowns, Miller Moss had two scoring passes and a landing run, and Southern California snapped a three-game shedding streak through beating Rutgers 42-20 on Friday evening.
The Trojans (4-4, 2-4 Weighty Ten), who nearest face Washington on Nov. 2, scored on all 4 offensive possessions within the first part, day their injury-depleted protection — lacking 4 starters within the secondary — got here up with some well timed stops.
“I don’t know if it’s relief as just much affirmation of who we are, what we believe in,” mentioned Moss, who was once 20-of-28 passing for 308 yards. “I give a ton of credit to the guys in that locker room, the staff, really the whole program on how they seem to come together and fight through adversity. And, yeah, it’s great to close one out, and hopefully we get on a run here in the back half of the season.”
Oct. 25, 2024. AP
Marks had 142 yards from scrimmage. Makai Lemon had 134 yards receiving on 4 grabs with a landing, plus an 80-yard kick go back within the first quarter that arrange Marks’ 2d TD run.
Athan Kaliakmanis threw a 25-yard landing cross to Christian Dremel and Antwan Raymond ran for a landing, however the Scarlet Knights (4-4, 1-4) dropped their fourth immediately competition.
Appearing a consistency in shifting the ball that appeared extra like the former two seasons within the Pac-12 with Caleb Williams at quarterback, USC went up and indisposed the grassland within the first part. The passing competition accounted for 172 of the offense’s 244 overall yards via two quarters, with Moss hitting on 14 of 16 makes an attempt and discovering Kyle Ford for an 11-yard landing.
Rutgers, which nearest hosts Minnesota on Nov. 9, decrease it to 28-20 early within the 3rd quarter when Kaliakmanis lined 70 yards in consecutive performs with throws to Dymere Miller and Dremel, adopted through a 2-point cross to the quarterback from Chris Lengthy on a trick play games.
However Lemon ripped off a 70-yard catch-and-run at the first play games of the following power, and Moss strolled into the top zone on a 7-yard keeper to place USC again up through two possessions.
“We didn’t make some of the same mistakes that have plagued us,” Trojans head mentor Lincoln Riley mentioned. “I know it kind of sounds simple, but we did, we just played better.”
Kaliakmanis ended up with 313 yards passing, and Kyle Monangai had 86 yards on 18 carries.
Move speed perks up
Attending to the quarterback is what made defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn’s one season at UCLA one of these good fortune, however the get started of his USC tenure were outlined through a staggering incapability to manufacture sacks. That became round towards Rutgers, with the Trojans recording a season-high 4 takedowns of Kaliakmanis.
“I thought today was just a good representation of the true identity of our defense, playing physical for four straight quarters,” linebacker Easton Mascarenas-Arnold mentioned.
The takeaway
Rutgers: The protection has fallen aside over the week 3 video games, given up 119 issues to Wisconsin, UCLA and USC.
The Trojans gashed them for 8.7 yards in line with play games, day the Scarlet Knights didn’t file a sack and had one take on for loss.
USC: The offense has been in search of a govern receiver, and Lemon may well be that remaining maker.
His clean 40-yard catch-and-run for a landing overdue within the 3rd quarter to place the sport away was once the type of explosive play games that the Trojans had been noticeably missing all over their fresh skid.
