The true freshman, who is hurdling defenders and achieving Trojans stardom, would rather be barefoot, and he says it’s made a difference
USC TE Mark Bowman hurdles OHIO ST S Jaylen McClain in the 3rd Q of their B1G game on Halloween night at the Coliseum. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)
Haley Sawyer (OC Register) — LOS ANGELES — USC tight end Mark Bowman would rather be barefoot.
He walked into a Tuesday afternoon press conference without shoes, and walked onto the Coliseum field the same way prior to the Washington game on Oct. 3, back when he was out due to injury.
“It’s something that I’m kind of tuned into,” Bowman told reporters. “I just like not weakening my feet by using the new age shoe. I think that it kind of puts your foot in an uncomfortable position, can cause injuries.”
He decided to give up shoes – at least at times – after experiencing problems with his big toe in high school. It’s made a difference, he says, and it hasn’t kept him from hurdling defenders and achieving stardom early in his career at USC.
Bowman’s first leap took place against Louisiana, and it led to a touchdown. The one against Ohio State didn’t get him six points, but it did get him 70 yards and even more admiration from his teammates.
“He did jump over two guys, which is pretty impressive,” receiver Trent Mosley said. “But after that, he had to truck a dude. So that was pretty impressive.”
The true freshman has been doing a little bit of everything for USC, whether that’s in a receiver or a blocker capacity. He’s had 24 receptions for 283 yards this season despite missing three games due to injury, and Pro Football Focus gives him an 81.5 blocking grade.
Last season, Lake McRee and Walker Lyons were the two tight ends that made it possible to run 12 personnel so frequently. The Trojans haven’t been able to replicate that success, but Bowman is fitting perfectly into a Lincoln Riley offense that thrives on tight ends.
“He’s an aggressive, confident kid by nature,” Riley said, “and he’s very attentive. He’s learned quickly and then for anybody just to be able to step out there and make those types of plays, there’s got to be some real inner belief. And I think he he has that confidence.”
USC in CFP Rankings
The first College Football Playoff rankings of the season have been revealed, and USC came in at No. 20.
The Trojans (7-2 overall, 4-2 B1G) have now made 40 appearances in the CFP rankings since they were established in 2014 and have yet to make the playoffs. They have an opportunity to increase their chances in November with games against No. 6 Indiana (8-1, 5-1) and No. 5 UCLA (8-0, 5-0) left on the schedule.
The Hoosiers and Bruins are also in the CFP rankings at No. 4 and No. 8, respectively.
Indiana Kickoff Announced
Kickoff for USC’s Nov. 14 road matchup against No. 6 Indiana will be at 12:30 p.m. PT, and the game will be shown live on CBS (Ch. 2).
It’s the first time the Trojans haven’t been featured on NBC prime time since Week 3, when they had a 12:30 p.m. kickoff against Rutgers in Piscataway, N.J.
Miller Earns Burlsworth Nomination
Running back King Miller has picked up a nomination for the Burlsworth Trophy, which honors the best college football player in the country who began their career as a walk-on.
Miller earned a scholarship after a 2025 season in which he rushed for 972 yards and eight touchdowns on 156 carries, averaging 6.2 ypc. His breakout game of the season was against Michigan, when he ran the ball 18 times for 158 yards and a touchdown while fellow backs Waymond Jordan and Eli Sanders were out with injury.
This season, Miller has collected 603 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 125 carries and has an additional seven catches for 41 receiving yards.
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Shannon Dawson, Miami’s offensive coordinator, has blended the pass-heavy concepts of Hal Mumme and Mike Leach with Cristobal’s intensely physical running game to produce something altogether scary for opposing defenses. Sounds like something that USC has half of.
But our geeenious head coach says that we don’t need physicallity with his brilliant playcalling and the internal focus of the team. Especially in the B!G.
What surprised Joel Klatt about how USC played against OHIO ST? Klatt — “This is a mistake-riddled team, but USC played fairly clean. That to me was the biggest surprise because from a penalty perspective and turnovers, and even in games that are close, when Lincoln is down in the second half, even if it’s only by one possession, he panics way too early and generally goes for it on fourth down in a field position that puts the game on the line way too early. “USC just didn’t go out and lose the game. Before you win the game,… Read more »
I love seeing Bowman hurtling the defense, but I fear some joker is going to grab a leg or some other injury causing tackle. I am betting however, he knows this. To stop a hurtle the defensive player just needs to stand up. He probably reads the situation before he jumps. If the defense stands up he can just plow over them. After Ohio I see the rest of the season as winnable if USC plays tough.
MIA WR Malachi Toney set to undergo ankle surgery after a Wednesday practice injury, will be out indefinitely, could return later in season during the playoffs if MIA gets that far. So 8-0 MIA will be forced to take on ND in South Bend without their Heisman-quality WR. Tough blow for the ‘Canes.
Sometimes I think that the short note that LR read at the end of his post game press conference was more aimed at Jen Cohen and Chad Bowden than at anyone else. He was saying “if you want to fire me, make my day but you will pay because there will be no buyout deals.I have no intention to quit. I’m the guy for the job, at least until my contract runs out or you pay everything you owe me”.
CFP bubble teams (OLE MISS, ND, OHIO ST, TENN) with the clearest paths to playing their way in Chris Landers (fansided.com) — The first College Football Playoff rankings have several blue bloods sounding the alarms, but there’s still a ton of schedule left. USC Current CFP rank: No. 20 Remaining schedule: at No. 4 Indiana, vs. Maryland, at No. 8 UCLA I don’t trust Lincoln Riley teams as far as I can throw them just as a matter of personal policy, but the seas have parted pretty remarkably for the Trojans. They take a dreaded trip east to… Read more »
Facially impressive resume? Any takers in the house?
I guess he means “on its face.”
Looking deeper leads this writer to think laying an egg is a problem for LR.
Hey, I’m just thrilled USC beat OHIO ST. The after-game Coliseum stampede was a kick to watch, although some fans came away injured. Nothing ever comes off perfect, except Bowman’s hurdles.
Yes, what a great win! We owed those buckeyes one and gave it to them. Gave me the same warm fuzzies as when Barkley and McKnight went into the Shoe and came out of there with a V. We need more of what we saw against them and psu, and none of what we saw against the badgers. Hope Riley uses this extra week to get our boys ready. I was originally planning on going to the Hoosier game before they had their amazing run last year. I looked into tickets during the summer and cheap seats were already up… Read more »
LIncoln Riley says USC will be more aggressive during this second bye week R.J. Abeytia (USCFootball.com) — USC’s win over Ohio State was the biggest triumph of the Trojans’ season as well as Lincoln Riley’s five years in charge of the football program. The joy with which USC fans stormed the field after the Trojans toppled the No. 2 Buckeyes made Halloween 2026 a date set to live in extended euphoria for Trojan fans. “Our whole little world here is going to want to keep talking about that game,” Riley said. “Like it was a great moment for everybody outside… Read more »
Shannon Dawson, Miami’s offensive coordinator, has blended the pass-heavy concepts of Hal Mumme and Mike Leach with Cristobal’s intensely physical running game to produce something altogether scary for opposing defenses. Sounds like something that USC has half of.
But our geeenious head coach says that we don’t need physicallity with his brilliant playcalling and the internal focus of the team. Especially in the B!G.
What surprised Joel Klatt about how USC played against OHIO ST? Klatt — “This is a mistake-riddled team, but USC played fairly clean. That to me was the biggest surprise because from a penalty perspective and turnovers, and even in games that are close, when Lincoln is down in the second half, even if it’s only by one possession, he panics way too early and generally goes for it on fourth down in a field position that puts the game on the line way too early. “USC just didn’t go out and lose the game. Before you win the game,… Read more »
I love seeing Bowman hurtling the defense, but I fear some joker is going to grab a leg or some other injury causing tackle. I am betting however, he knows this. To stop a hurtle the defensive player just needs to stand up. He probably reads the situation before he jumps. If the defense stands up he can just plow over them. After Ohio I see the rest of the season as winnable if USC plays tough.
MIA WR Malachi Toney set to undergo ankle surgery after a Wednesday practice injury, will be out indefinitely, could return later in season during the playoffs if MIA gets that far.
So 8-0 MIA will be forced to take on ND in South Bend without their Heisman-quality WR. Tough blow for the ‘Canes.
Sometimes I think that the short note that LR read at the end of his post game press conference was more aimed at Jen Cohen and Chad Bowden than at anyone else. He was saying “if you want to fire me, make my day but you will pay because there will be no buyout deals. I have no intention to quit. I’m the guy for the job, at least until my contract runs out or you pay everything you owe me”.
I sure hope you are wrong, but I think you nailed it.We may be stuck with Lincoln for another year, at least
I hope I’m wrong too
CFP bubble teams (OLE MISS, ND, OHIO ST, TENN) with the clearest paths to playing their way in Chris Landers (fansided.com) — The first College Football Playoff rankings have several blue bloods sounding the alarms, but there’s still a ton of schedule left. USC Current CFP rank: No. 20 Remaining schedule: at No. 4 Indiana, vs. Maryland, at No. 8 UCLA I don’t trust Lincoln Riley teams as far as I can throw them just as a matter of personal policy, but the seas have parted pretty remarkably for the Trojans. They take a dreaded trip east to… Read more »
Just 2 questions:
1. Does Riley’s coaching tax offset USC’s brand equity?
2. What in the world is a facially impressive resume?
Facially impressive resume? Any takers in the house?
I guess he means “on its face.”
Looking deeper leads this writer to think laying an egg is a problem for LR.
Hey, I’m just thrilled USC beat OHIO ST. The after-game Coliseum stampede was a kick to watch, although some fans came away injured. Nothing ever comes off perfect, except Bowman’s hurdles.
Yes, what a great win! We owed those buckeyes one and gave it to them. Gave me the same warm fuzzies as when Barkley and McKnight went into the Shoe and came out of there with a V. We need more of what we saw against them and psu, and none of what we saw against the badgers. Hope Riley uses this extra week to get our boys ready. I was originally planning on going to the Hoosier game before they had their amazing run last year. I looked into tickets during the summer and cheap seats were already up… Read more »
Redshirt soph Trojan OL Hayden Treter (#68, 6-6, 320), injured during the 3rd Q in the loss to WIS, is likely to miss rest of season with knee injury.
LIncoln Riley says USC will be more aggressive during this second bye week R.J. Abeytia (USCFootball.com) — USC’s win over Ohio State was the biggest triumph of the Trojans’ season as well as Lincoln Riley’s five years in charge of the football program. The joy with which USC fans stormed the field after the Trojans toppled the No. 2 Buckeyes made Halloween 2026 a date set to live in extended euphoria for Trojan fans. “Our whole little world here is going to want to keep talking about that game,” Riley said. “Like it was a great moment for everybody outside… Read more »