USC Trojans defeat No. 2 Ohio State 30-18 in Halloween night upset

Freshman Trent Mosley caught a screen pass and ran 69 yards for a touchdown on the second play of the game. The score set the tone for a 30-18 victory by the Southern California Trojans over the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes on Saturday night at the Coliseum in Los Angeles.

The win was the largest of head coach Lincoln Riley's career at USC. The Trojans, now 7-2, had scored more points in this single game than the Ohio State defense had allowed in its previous 31 contests. This marked the first time a USC team under Riley beat a top-12 opponent.

Mosley finished with five receptions for 101 yards. He also returned a punt 44 yards and caught an 18-yard pass that set up Waymond Jordan's 9-yard touchdown run. Quarterback Jayden Maiava passed for 222 yards and one touchdown, while King Miller added a rushing score.

Ohio State quarterback Luke Fahey started his first career game in place of injured Julian Sayin. The freshman passed for 260 yards and was hurt by several dropped passes, finishing 21 of 38. Tight end Jeremiah Smith caught his 40th career touchdown, breaking Braylon Edwards' Big Ten record, but the Buckeyes failed to convert on a two-point attempt with 2:12 left.

The USC defense held Ohio State scoreless for the first 57 minutes of the game. The Trojans took a 20-9 lead at halftime. Ohio State committed 11 penalties for 75 yards, a factor coach Ryan Day cited in the loss. "At the end of the day, as a team, we weren’t able to play well enough to support a young freshman quarterback who has his first start on the road like this," Day said.

A 70-yard reception by freshman tight end Mark Bowman in the third quarter led to a touchdown by Miller. Bowman hurdled a defender and broke multiple tackles on the play. The Buckeyes finished with 464 total yards but managed only three field goals in their first five drives.

Ohio State has not lost two games this early in a season since 2011. The Buckeyes are now 58-2 against unranked teams under Day. USC will host a bye week before traveling to Indiana on November 14. Ohio State will host Oregon on Saturday.

"I think we learned how good we are," Mosley said. "When we trust each other and play together as a team, that’s what we can do."