No. 11 Trojans Secure First Shutout Victory Since 2011

Sep 8, 20243 min read

USC Trojans vs. Utah State Aggies — © Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images

Late in the evening on Sept. 7, the No. 11 USC Trojans (2-0) thumped the Utah State Aggies (1-1) at the Coliseum in Los Angeles. The Trojans dominated the Aggies in all phases of the game, and the outcome was never in doubt. USC took a 27-0 lead into halftime and was able to give significant playing time to back-ups including sophomore quarterback Jayden Maiava.

With the resounding triumph over the Aggies and the losses of other highly-ranked teams, the Trojans will climb in the next Associated Press (AP) top 25 poll.

First Shutout Victory Since 2011

USC's last shutout win was a 50-0 shellacking of cross-town rival UCLA in 2011. After poor defensive play in the 2022 and 2023 seasons, the shutout highlights the revitalization of the Trojans' defense under the stewardship of new defensive coordinator D'Anton Lynn.

"[It is] [v]ery hard to shut people out in modern-day college football, so I'm really proud of us maintaining our play defensively the entire night," coach Lincoln Riley said in a postgame interview. "The offense did a good job running the ball. That was a big emphasis point, so we were proud of the way the guys responded."

After holding the No. 16 LSU Tigers (1-1) to 20 points in Week 1, Lynn's defense held Utah State to just 190 yards, 40 of which came against backups on the Aggies' final drive that culminated with a missed 52-yard field goal attempt with slightly over one minute left in the game.

"I think that's just a good visualization of our defense and how much growth we've put in," said USC linebacker Easton Mascarenas-Arnold, who intercepted a Utah State pass late in the first half. Mascarenas-Arnold and fellow LB Eric Gentry both had 7 tackles for USC

Impressive Trojans Stats

USC's two leading running backs delivered strong performances. Woody Marks rushed for 103 yards and 1 touchdown, and Quinten Joyner ran for 84 yards and 2 TDs. Marks also caught 3 passes for 39 yards.

Quarterback Miller Moss threw for 229 yards and a TD while playing little more than two quarters. In backup duty, Maiava completed 8-of-11 passes for 66 yards and exhibited elite mobility, rushing for a TD. The Trojans had 14 different receivers catch passes from Moss and Maiava. Tight end Lake McCree led the way with 81 receiving yards.

USC's offense amassed 544 total yards.

After the game, interim Utah State head coach Nate Dreiling complemented the Trojans' well-rounded team: "This offense [is] just so hard to stop because they are so explosive, but now they have a defense that has always been talented, but it's so sound," Dreiling said. "Unbelievable how well they're teaching their players to play. They have length, and now they know how to use their length. That's why they have a chance to be not only one of the best offenses in the country, but possibly one of the [best] defenses, so that is a complete football team right there that's going to play a long, long time."

Next Up: The Big House

On Sept. 14, the Trojans take on No. 17 Michigan (1-1) in Ann Arbor, Mich. The Wolverines fell to the No. 3 Texas Longhorns (2-0) at home on Sept. 7. The storied USC and Michigan programs have met one another 10 times, with the Trojans prevailing six times. They last met in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1, 2007, with the Trojans coming out on top 32-18.