USC opens Big Ten play

The No. 12 Trojans head to Rutgers on Saturday after three double-digit non-conference wins. It's their first Big Ten game of the season.

Rutgers struggling at 0-2

The Scarlet Knights lost at home to UMass and fell to Boston College on the road. They're winless heading into the USC matchup.

USC heavily favored

The Trojans are 23.5-point favorites according to DraftKings. Still, they'll need strong performances on both sides of the ball.

Schiano praises USC's defensive line

Rutgers coach Greg Schiano singled out freshman defensive end Luke Wafle for special praise ahead of Saturday's game.

Wafle compared to Nick Bosa

Schiano says Wafle reminds him of Nick Bosa when he coached the future NFL star at Ohio State under Urban Meyer.

“Luke reminds me of a young Nick Bosa when I was at Ohio State with Nick.”

Powerful and disruptive freshman

Schiano called Wafle an extremely powerful, disruptive, and aggressive player. Rutgers will need to do a good job up front to contain him.

“This kid is an extremely powerful, disruptive, aggressive player.”

USC linebackers impress too

Schiano praised linebackers Bryant and Stephens as top-line Big Ten players. He also mentioned Brown, Urlacher, and Williams as strong contributors.

“They got the Bryant kid, and the Stephens kid are really good players, like top-line players in the Big Ten.”

Few weaknesses on USC defense

Schiano says USC has really good players at every level on defense. That's why they're ranked in the top 12 nationally.

“This is a team that doesn't have many weaknesses. That's why they're 10th or 11th in the country.”

Rutgers ready to compete

Despite the talent gap, Schiano believes his team will play their best game to date. They're ready for the challenge.

“I think we'll play our best game to date and see where that stacks up.”

Riley and Patterson lead USC

Schiano praised head coach Lincoln Riley and new defensive coordinator Gary Patterson, calling Patterson a Hall of Fame coach.

“Lincoln Riley's an excellent coach. He added Gary Patterson to his staff as his defensive coordinator this year.”

Special teams coordinator also elite

Mike Ekeler handles USC's special teams. Schiano has faced him before at Nebraska and knows he's excellent.

Maiava completing 81 percent

USC quarterback Jayden Maiava is as good as any in the country, Schiano says. He's completing eight of every ten passes with ten touchdowns and one pick.

“The guy's completing his passes at 81 percent. You guys know the math: for every ten passes, he's completing eight of them.”

Freshman receivers making impact

Wide receivers Mosley and Dixon-Wyatt are both true freshmen playing at a high level. Mosley returned a punt 86 yards for a touchdown, breaking four tackles.

“Mosley, when he carries the football, he's like a running back.”

Tight end Bowman stepping up

Freshman tight end Bowman has really elevated his game. He's one of three true freshmen standing out on USC's offense.

Running back duo dangerous

King Miller and Jordan form a great one-two punch at running back. The offensive line is really big and physical too.

“There's not a weakness in this offense, and that's going to be a challenge.”

Rutgers must execute their jobs

Schiano says the key is for Rutgers to do their jobs and not worry about the talent gap. Then they'll see how they match up.

“If you don't do your job, then you're not really figuring out how you matched up because you didn't give yourself a chance.”

Kickoff Saturday at 12:30 PT

The game kicks off from SHI Stadium on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. PT on CBS. USC last played a Big Ten road game in November 2025 at Oregon.

Tough road schedule ahead

USC faces several marquee road games this season, including trips to No. 14 Penn State on Oct. 10 and No. 4 Indiana on Nov. 14.