USC survives Rutgers 42-35 in a seven-touchdown Big Ten shootout

USC escaped Rutgers 42-35 in a Big Ten game that kept swinging until the final whistle. The Trojans won the high-volume offensive exchange behind Jayden Maiava, but Rutgers turned the road opener into a real test by producing 35 points and refusing to let USC coast after halftime.

Maiava completed 20 of 32 passes for 277 yards and two touchdowns, while King Miller ran 16 times for 102 yards and a score. USC also hit the explosive play that set the tone when Maiava found Corey Simms for a 52-yard touchdown. Rutgers answered through Dylan Lonergan, who threw for 252 yards and three touchdowns, and Antwan Raymond, who added 122 rushing yards and a score.

The difference was USC’s ability to keep its offense moving when Rutgers narrowed the gap. The Trojans finished with 461 total yards and 24 first downs. Rutgers created its own pressure with KJ Duff’s seven catches for 86 yards and a touchdown, but Lonergan’s two interceptions left USC with extra margin in a game where every possession mattered.

The turning point was the sequence around USC’s 52-yard strike. Simms’ touchdown gave the Trojans an immediate field-position and scoreboard answer, while Rutgers continued to trade scores rather than force a defensive stop. That made the fourth quarter a possession game: USC did not need a blowout, only enough clean drives to keep Rutgers from getting the final chance.

The result matters beyond the raw total because it is USC’s first road conference survival of the season. A 42-35 win can expose defensive issues, and Rutgers showed that it could attack the Trojans vertically. USC still left with the result and the road Big Ten win, while the verified final score also showed how much defensive work remains.

ESPN’s event video captures the Simms touchdown that supplied the game’s biggest single swing. USC’s challenge now is converting a narrow shootout win into steadier conference defense before the schedule gets heavier.

The numbers explain why the game never became comfortable. USC gained 461 yards and Rutgers 424, with both teams reaching 24 or more first downs. The Trojans were 5-for-10 on third down, while Rutgers converted 7 of 16. USC’s 42 points therefore came from sustained drives as well as the Simms explosion, and Rutgers’ three passing touchdowns kept the scoreboard within reach.

For USC, the practical lesson is that a win can still reveal a defensive ceiling. Rutgers repeatedly found space through Lonergan and Raymond, yet the Trojans protected their lead by avoiding a final collapse. The game’s consequence is a road conference win with an obvious correction attached: USC must reduce the explosive plays it allowed before a more efficient Big Ten opponent turns a shootout into a loss.