No. 14 USC dominates Fresno State with efficient offense, ruthless defense in shutout
Ryan Kartje (LA Times)/Haley Sawyer (OC Register) — The sun hadn’t even set yet over the Coliseum, and already Trent Mosley had broken free, with nary a defender within 15 yards on either side.
It was the start of the second quarter on Friday night, when USC quarterback Jayden Maiava spotted his budding star freshman soaring on a slot post through the wide-open center of the field. And a split-second later the crowd saw it, too — their quiet rumbles rising to a thrilling roar, as if they knew what was coming next.
One ankle-twisting stutter-step is all it took for the true freshman to take off, once again. And it didn’t take much after that for USC to stick a fork in Fresno State.
But while Mosley captivated once again and Maiava came alive, it was Gary Patterson and the Trojans’ defense that really twisted the knife in a dominant 39-0 win for USC.
It was the Trojans’ first shutout since Week 2 of the 2024 season.
USC (2-0) turned up the temperature soon after the Mosley score. With the Bulldogs backed up against their goal line, Patterson dialed up a nickel blitz — and Fresno State didn’t account for it. So defensive back Kennedy Urlacher came flying into the backfield and collided into Bulldogs quarterback Jayden Mandal, who fell out of the back of the end zone for a safety.
It didn’t get any less demoralizing for Fresno State (0-1) after that. USC’s defense didn’t give up a single yard in the second quarter. It didn’t allow a first down in the third. And between those two quarters, the Trojans gave up just a single completed pass — for seven yards.
USC’s defense actually tallied more safeties (two) during that same stretch. The second was a quarter later, and it looked quite familiar. This time, it was another defensive back, Alex Graham, who came screaming out of the slot and leveled Mandal in the end zone. It was one of three sacks that USC registered off the nickel blitz — and one of four overall.
The combination of an all-around dominant defensive effort, with the Trojans’ usual offensive mastery, offered a glimpse of what USC hopes it can be this season. The question is whether it can actually do it again moving forward.
Maiava might have a hard time staying quite this perfect. The USC quarterback had one of the most precise performances of his Trojans tenure, completing 23 of 25 passes for 349 yards and three touchdowns. Through two games, just six of his 54 passes have ended up incomplete.
It certainly doesn’t hurt to have Mosley, who notched his second consecutive 100-yard game, tallying all of his 104 yards and two touchdowns in the second quarter. Or what about Kayden Dixon-Wyatt, his freshman counterpart? He had 102 yards on six catches.
USC was all but unstoppable through the air. But on a night where there was little to nitpick, the Trojans weren’t exactly efficient on the ground. Their ballcarriers averaged under four yards per carry, and Waymond Jordan, USC’s leading rusher with 67 yards, lost a fumble.
But with Maiava doing most of the heavy lifting, USC barely needed its backfield.
Maiava completed 19 of his first 20 passes, picking up where he left off last week when he connected on 25 of 29 in the opener. Faced with an early fourth down, he heaved a pass deep down the sideline for Dixon-Wyatt, who leaped over a defender to reel in a 31-yard reception. Three plays later, he found sophomore wideout Tanook Hines streaking across the end zone, uncovered, and hit him for an opening score.
He didn’t take his foot off the gas. After Jordan fumbled away a screen pass, Maiava later found Mosley for that 68-yard score. Then he didn’t miss a single pass for another two quarters.
By that point, USC’s defense had found another level. It wasn’t until the final drive that Fresno State managed to move the ball. The Bulldogs tallied more yards on that possession (60) than they had the rest of the game combined.
But it ended the same way, with a pack of USC defenders descending all at once, leaving Fresno State with nowhere to go.
Attendance noticeably better for USC’s Friday night game vs. Fresno State
The Trojans had drawn an amazing amount of criticism for a perceived low turnout for their blisteringly hot mid-day Week 0 season opener against San José State in last weekend.
USC fans dutifully filed into the student section of the Coliseum on Friday, embracing the much cooler, 77-degree temperatures for a night game against Fresno State.
There was increased attendance all around them after the Trojans attracted attention from across the nation for their low turnout in the season opener against San José State last weekend.
Attendance was clearly better than Saturday’s announced total of 51,144, though Friday’s announced tickets distributed of 53,014 represented only a mild uptick and remained well below capacity for the Coliseum (77,500).
USC averaged 67,783 fans per home game during the 2025 season.
Fresno State fans had come from as far as Florida to support the Bulldogs and add to the crowd.
To them, being a part of the Red Wave is a sign of respect for the hard work that the team puts in.
“It’s the grind they do,” said Brandon Wilson, a Florida resident who is originally from Palos Verdes. “It’s not given to them. They don’t get a lot of transfers, and they’re not a big-name program.
“But they beat the crap out of a lot of guys and they are hard-nosed and that’s why we show up every day.”
USC fans were still settling into their seats at halftime, just as the sun was setting behind the Coliseum and just before first pitch of the Dodgers’ 7:10 game against the Washington Nationals a few miles up the freeway.
USC was shutting out Fresno State 30-0 at halftime, rewarding the crowd that had braved Labor Day weekend traffic and chose college football over baseball – and maybe attempting to stick it to their critics in the process.
STEWART, SHELBY OUT AGAIN
Defensive tackle Jahkeem Stewart and defensive end Braylan Shelby were not in uniform Friday night, marking the second straight game they have missed.
Stewart is dealing with a foot injury while Shelby’s condition remains undisclosed. Both players are expected to be a major presence on the defensive line this season.
Tight end Tucker Ashcraft has yet to play in his first game as a Trojan. The Wisconsin transfer was not dressed for the game, and big-time true freshman Mark Bowman logged his second promising straight start at tight end.
Linebacker Elijah Newby and backup quarterback Sam Huard were also dressed in street clothes and did not play.
ALUMNI VISIT
Former USC receivers Ja’Kobi Lane and Makai Lemon, preparing to begin their NFL rookie seasons, attended Friday’s game. Lane recently made the 53-man roster for the Baltimore Ravens and Lemon, a first-round draft pick, plays for the Philadelphia Eagles.
Lane snapped selfies with fans at the Coliseum after a breakout preseason, highlighted by a 16-yard touchdown catch from Joe Fagnano during a game against the Eagles.
Lemon has missed most of the preseason because of a lingering hamstring injury, but he is expected to return and be healthy for the regular season.
latimes.com / ocregister.com
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