Jayden Maiava threw for 277 yards and two touchdowns to help lift No. 12 Southern California to a 42-35 Big Ten win over Rutgers on Saturday in Piscataway, N.J.
The Scarlet Knights pulled within seven with 4:24 to go on Dylan Lonergan’s 28-yard touchdown pass to Vernon Allen III. But the Trojans (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten) converted four first downs to run out the clock.
Rutgers (0-3, 0-1) outgained USC 289-209 in the second half, but never took the lead.
Turnovers were costly for the Scarlet Knights. In the first quarter, Christian Pierce picked off Lonergan’s pass to give the Trojans the ball deep in Rutgers territory.
Two plays later, King Miller (16 carries, 102 yards) scored from 11 yards out to give USC a 10-0 lead.
Rutgers rallied to cut USC’s lead to 20-14 by halftime. On the first drive of the second half, the Scarlet Knights drove inside the 10. Then Prophet Brown intercepted Lonergan’s pass at the 1 and returned it 99 yards for a touchdown.
Rutgers needed just three plays to answer, pulling within six once again on Clay Thevenin’s 17-yard run.
The teams traded touchdowns twice more before USC ran out the clock as the Scarlet Knights came up short in their bid to beat a ranked opponent for the first time since 2009.
Trailing by 10 late in the first half, Rutgers rolled the dice with a fake punt on fourth and 21 from its own 16, with punter Jakob Anderson hitting Jesse Ofurie for a 40-yard gain.
Five plays later, Elias Coke hauled in a 16-yard touchdown pass to pull Rutgers within three, 17-14. The Trojans responded with a field goal just before the break.
USC outgained Rutgers 461-460 in the game, including 184-168 on the ground.
Antwan Raymond led Rutgers with 122 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries, including a 49-yard carry to set up Thevenin’s touchdown.
The final drive wasn’t without some heartburn for the Trojans. In the final minute, Maiva lost the ball on a play under center but was able to recover the ball.
