LOS ANGELES (AP) — Quinten Joyner rushed for 84 yards and two touchdowns and No. 13 USC Soccer’s revitalized protection had the Trojans’ first shutout since 2011 in a 48-0 victory over Utah State on Saturday evening.
Miller Moss handed for 229 yards and a landing whereas enjoying solely the primary 2 1/2 quarters in his first residence begin for the Trojans (2-0).
USC was in management all evening on the Coliseum, constructing on its spectacular season-opening victory over LSU with one other demonstration of the thorough transformation of final season’s protection.
“Very arduous to close individuals out in modern-day faculty soccer, so I am actually happy with us sustaining our play defensively all the evening, and the complementary ball was actually good,” coach Lincoln Riley stated. “The offense did a very good job working the ball. That was a giant emphasis level, so we had been happy with the best way the fellows responded.”
After USC held the Tigers to twenty factors in Las Vegas final week, defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn‘s group yielded simply 190 yards to the Aggies (1-1), with 40 of these yards coming towards the Trojans’ backups on a last drive that ended with a missed 52-yard discipline objective try with 1:08 to play.
“I believe that is only a good visualization of our protection and the way a lot progress we have put in,” stated USC linebacker Easton Mascarenas-Arnold, whose interception late within the first half led to the Trojans’ third landing. “The scoreboard and statistics do not actually present how effectively a protection may need carried out, (however) it is thrilling for our complete group. We all know what we have got to do, and we had good execution of that right this moment.”
The Trojans’ shutout within the first half was the college’s first in any half for the reason that 2022 season, and so they held on to complete off the college’s first shutout in 153 video games since its 50-0 victory over UCLA within the last recreation of the 2011 season.
Makai Lemon caught a TD cross shortly earlier than halftime, whereas Woody Marks rushed for 103 yards and a landing and likewise made three receptions within the Mississippi State switch’s residence debut for USC, catching a cross in his forty seventh consecutive recreation to increase the nation’s longest energetic streak.
.@getabagkai ship us into the half with a bang 💥
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— USC Soccer ✌️ (@uscfb) September 8, 2024
Bryson Barnes handed for 103 yards for the Aggies, however the switch QB could not win on the Coliseum for the second time in his soccer profession. Barnes led Utah to a dramatic 34-32 victory over USC final season whereas filling in for injured Utes starter Cam Rising, sending Riley and Caleb Williams to their first defeat on the Coliseum.
The loss was the primary for Aggies interim head coach Nate Dreiling, the previous defensive coordinator who acquired the job two months in the past amid Blake Anderson’s stormy departure from Logan.
“This offense (is) simply so arduous to cease as a result of they’re so explosive, however now they’ve a protection that has all the time been proficient, nevertheless it’s so sound,” Dreiling stated. “Unbelievable how effectively they’re instructing their gamers to play. They’ve size, and now they know how one can use their size. That is why they’ve an opportunity to be not solely the most effective offenses within the nation, however presumably one of many (finest) defenses, so that may be a full soccer group proper there that is going to play an extended, very long time.”
UNLV switch Jayden Maiava completed up for Moss, dashing for a landing within the fourth quarter and passing for 66 yards whereas main two scoring drives in USC’s 544-yard offensive efficiency.
4th quarter magic from @jayden_maiava 🪄
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— USC Soccer ✌️ (@uscfb) September 8, 2024
An influence outage on the north facet of the Coliseum compelled the groups to start the second half in much less mild than regular, and the sport was delayed for a couple of minutes within the fourth quarter when all the north-side lights went out.
“Proper as we had been contemplating possibly not enjoying anymore, (the lights) got here on, in order that was good,” Riley stated.
Energy was ultimately restored to the 2 primary mild towers.
“They had been speaking about calling the sport, proper?” Dreiling stated. “So I requested Lincoln Riley, ‘Does that go as a draw for each groups?’ He did not assume it was as humorous as I did.”
The takeaway
Utah State: Not each protection the Aggies face will likely be nearly as good as USC’s group, so that they’ll hope to return to the shape through which they racked up 343 yards passing in a season-opening win over Robert Morris, as an alternative of the punchless assault that managed solely 103 yards within the air on the Coliseum.
USC: All the pieces regarded good, except for a couple of short-yardage execution errors and a pricey fumble by Lake McRee deep in Aggies territory. The Trojans are about to start out a brutal four-game stretch of Huge Ten play, however they could not really feel significantly better about their progress up to now.
Ballot implications
USC ought to preserve rising, with a top-10 berth seeming like a chance if sufficient voters stayed up extra-late to observe this effort.
Up Subsequent
USC: At No. 10 Michigan on Saturday, Sept. 21 for the Trojans’ Huge Ten debut. The Trojans then return residence to face Wisconsin of their “B1G Premiere.”
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temper.
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— USC Soccer ✌️ (@uscfb) September 8, 2024