cadillacnews
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — In a primetime Big Ten showdown, No. 19 USC relied on a stellar passing performance from Jayden Maiava to secure a 31-23 victory over Penn State on Saturday night. Maiava completed 21 of 33 attempts for 301 yards and three touchdowns, guiding the Trojans to a crucial road win.
Trent Mosley, Tanook Hines, and Kayden Dixon-Wyatt each hauled in touchdown receptions, while King Miller added a rushing score and Caden Chittenden booted a field goal for USC (6-1, 3-1 Big Ten). The Trojans silenced a raucous crowd that set a new Beaver Stadium record with an announced attendance of 114,419, most of whom wore white for the annual White Out game, hoping to witness the first Big Ten win of the Matt Campbell era.
Instead, the Nittany Lions (3-3, 0-3) were repeatedly quieted, dropping to 13-10 in their marquee event. They struggled to keep up with a USC offense that averaged nearly eight yards per play through the first three quarters. The game was sealed in the fourth quarter when Christian Pierce punched the ball away from Brett Eskildsen with 3:59 remaining in regulation. Penn State never regained possession, and USC's offense ran out the clock to improve to 7-5 in the all-time series.
Maiava was flawless on a quick opening scoring drive and led the Trojans on two more in the first half, each answered by Penn State, resulting in a 17-17 halftime tie. USC attempted an onside kick to start the second half, but Penn State recovered and used the short field to take their only lead of the night on a 35-yard field goal from Ryan Barker. Miller's 13-yard touchdown run capped a 10-play drive on USC's next possession, giving the Trojans a lead they would not relinquish.
Rocco Becht completed 21 of 32 passes for 289 yards and a touchdown for the Nittany Lions, who suffered their third straight loss. Carson Hansen ran for a touchdown, Andrew Rappleyea caught another, and Barker kicked two field goals for Penn State.
Key Analysis
USC outgained Penn State 430 to 357, with Mosley proving difficult to tackle all night, generating 111 yards on nine catches. Penn State, after facing criticism for conservative play-calling in back-to-back losses leading into the White Out, showed aggression from the start under Campbell. The Nittany Lions converted three fourth downs on scoring drives and played their best conference game under the new leadership.
Looking ahead, USC will visit Wisconsin (4-1, 2-0 Big Ten) on Oct. 24, while Penn State travels to Michigan (3-2, 0-2 Big Ten) on Saturday.
Originally reported by cadillacnews.