Balanced USC kicks off Big Ten play with road win over Purdue

USC 33, Purdue 17, end of fourth quarter

Purdue started on its 25.

Ryan Browne was sacked for a loss of seven yards. Browne ran out of bounds and then tossed a pass into the ground with pressure closing in on him.

Purdue punted from its end zone and the ball bounced to the USC 22.

The Trojans took a knee and ran out the clock on a win.

USC 33, Purdue 17, 1:13 left in the fourth quarter

Waymond Jordan ran for 10 yards to the USC 45. Jordan absorbed a big hit and ran for 10 yards. Jordan ran for six yards and Purdue was called for a late hit.

On first down at the Purdue 24, Eli Sanders ran for 15 yards. Sanders ran for four yards. Sanders ran for four yards before the two-minute warning was triggered. Jordan ran for no gain. On fourth-and-goal at the Purdue 2, USC called timeout.

Ryon Sayeri hit a 37-yard field goal to complete USC’s drive.

USC 30, Purdue 17, 5:37 left in the fourth quarter

Purdue started on its 20.

Ryan Browne tossed an incomplete pass. Browne passed to Michael Jackson III for 22 yards. Browne tossed an incomplete pass. Browne passed for seven yards. On third-and-three, Browne completed a pass to E.J. Horton Jr. for the first down. Browne passed to Jackson for six yards. Browne went back to Jackson and he was tackled for no gain. On third-and-four, USC nearly intercepted the ball but the Trojans were called offsides on the play.

On first down at the USC 27, the Trojans intercepted a Browne pass but USC once again was called offsides and for roughing the passer. The offside call was declined and roughing the passer call was accepted for a USC loss of 15 yards.

On first down at the USC 14, Browne passed toward Jackson in the front left corner of the end zone, but Jackson couldn’t hold onto the ball. Browne passed the ball toward the end zone and it was intercepted by USC’s Bishop Fitzgerald.

USC 30, Purdue 17, 8:28 left in the fourth quarter

USC started on its 25.

Jayden Maiava passed to Makai Lemon for nine yards. Waymond Jordan ran for 15 yards. Jordan ran for seven yards. Jordan ran for four yards. Miller King ran for six yards. Miller ran for a yard. On third-and-three at the Purdue 33, Maiava rolled out and tossed the ball away under pressure. USC was called for illegal formation, but the penalty was declined. Maiava passed to MaKai Lemon for seven yards.

Maiava bought time and passed to Tanook Hines, who extended his arm for a potential highlight one-handed catch, but he dropped the ball in the end zone. Maiava ran out of bounds for a loss of four yards after his pocket collapsed.

On third-and-14 at the Purdue 26, Eli Sanders ran for 111 yards. On fourth-and-three at the Purdue 19, Ryon Sayeri missed a 37-yard field goal. The ball hit the left goal post and doinked.

USC 30, Purdue 10, end of third quarter

Purdue started on its 37 after a Michael Jackson III kickoff return.

Devin Mockobee for a three-yard loss. Jaheim Merriweather ran for two yards. Ryan Browne passed to Jesse Watson, who tipped the ball to himself to prevent an interception and secure a 20-yard gain. USC was called offsides on the play, but the penalty was declined.

Browne’s next pass was incomplete. Browne passed Jackson for four yards. Browne passed to Jackson, who evaded a tackle and ran for a 31-yard gain to the USC 9 as time expired in the third quarter.

USC 30, Purdue 10, 2:15 left in third quarter

Purdue started on its 25.

Devin Mockobee ran for five yards. Ryan Browne passed to EJ Horton for 11 yards. Mockobee ran for six yards. Browne tossed an incomplete pass. Brown passed to Nitro Tuggle for 33 yards.

On first down at the USC 20, Malachi Thomas ran for no gain.

Kamari Ramsey hit Browne and the ball popped out, 360-pound defensive lineman Jah Jarrett grabbed the ball and rumbled down field 70 yards for a touchdown. His teammates and coaches were delighted on the sideline.

USC hit the extra point.

USC 23, Purdue 10, 5:05 left in third quarter

USC started on its 25 after the touchback.

Jayden Maiava passed to Lake McRee for 29 yards. Maiava ran for two yards. Maiava tossed an incomplete pass. Eli Sanders ran for six yards.

On fourth-and-two at the Purdue 44, USC had to burn a timeout because the Trojans weren’t lined up correctly. Maiava then passed to Walker Lyons for nine yards and the first down.

Waymond Jordan for a loss of two yards and Maiava tossed two incomplete passes.

Ryon Sayeri hit a 53-yard field goal to give USC some points off the drive.

USC 20, Purdue 10, 8:47 left in third quarter

Purdue started on its 25 after the kickoff.

Ryan Browne passed to Arhmad Branch for 20 yards. He completed a four-yard pass and Devin Mockobee ran for a four-yard loss.

Browne passed to Nitro Tuggle for 13 yards and George Burhenn for one yard.

Browne tossed an incomplete pass before finding Antonio Harris for a 15-yard gain. After an eight-yard loss on a run play, Browne ran for a 26-yard touchdown. Purdue hit the extra point to trim USC’s lead.

USC 20, Purdue 3, 12:19 left in third quarter

USC started on its 16 after a brief kickoff return.

Waymond Jordan ran for five yards. Jayden Maiava tossed an incomplete pass but Purdue was called for pass interference and a 15-yard loss.

Jordan ran for one yard. Maiava tossed an incomplete pass before connecting with Ja’Kobi Lane for 42 yards. Maiava passed to Eli Sanders for two yards. Maiava then tossed two incomplete passes.

Ryon Sayeri hit a 37-yard field goal to extend USC’s lead.

USC 17, Purdue 3, end of second quarter

USC started on its 12 after the Purdue punt.

Jayden Maiava tossed an incomplete pass under pressure then passed to Tanook Hines for a loss of two yards.

Eli Sanders ran for 20 yards.

Maiava looked for options and was sacked as time expired in the first half.

USC will receive the opening kickoff in the second half.

USC 17, Purdue 3, 1:19 left in second quarter

Purdue started on its 25 after the touchback.

Devin Mockobee ran or seven yards. Ryan Browne passed to Mockobee, but Purdue was called for holding.

On second-and-13 at the Purdue 22, Mockobee ran for two yards and USC was called for holding for a loss of 10 yards.

On first down at the Purdue 34, Browne passed to George Burhenn for eight yards. Browne then passed to Michael Jackson III for three yards.

After the two-minute warning, Purdue lined up for first down at its 45. Browne tossed an incomplete pass, passed to Burhenn for no gain and was sacked for a loss of nine yards by Floyd Boucard.

Purdue punted and USC returned it to it 12.

USC 17, Purdue 3, 3:22 left in second quarter

USC started on its 25 after the touchback.

Eli Sanders ran for six yards. Jayden Maiava passed to Ja’Jobi Lane for 14 yards. Sanders ran for five yards. Maiava was hit as he tossed an incomplete pass that was nearly intercepted. On third-and-five, Sanders ran for one yard.

USC’s offense lined up on fourth-and-four at the Purdue 49-yard line, and Purdue called timeout. Maiava then passed to Lake McRee for 12 yards. King Miller ran for nine yards and Maiava ran for another 11 to the Purdue 17. Maiava passe to Miller for seven yards. USC was called for a false state. On second-and-eight at the Purdue 15, Miller ran for one yard. Maiava passed to Lemon for six yards. Maiava faked a handoff and cut to the left for two yards and the first down.

On first-and-goal at the Purdue 6, Waymond Jordan ran for a six-yard touchdown and Ryon Sayeri hit the extra point.

USC 10, Purdue 3, 10:49 left in second quarter

Purdue starts on its 22 after an 18-yard the return.

Ryan Browne ran for four yards. Browne then ran for five yards. On third-and-one, USC dropped Antonio Harris for a loss of two yards.

USC was called for a personal foul on a Purdue punt attempt, a 15-yard penalty that extended the Boilermakers’ drive.

Browne tossed an incomplete pass. Devin Mockobee ran for six yards. Browne passed to Nitro Tuggle for 14 yards. Browne tossed an incomplete pass, but USC was called for illegal hands to the face for a loss of 15 yards.

Thomas Malachi ran for five yards. Browne tossed an incomplete pass. On third-and-five at the USC 16, Browne was sacked by Eric Gentry.

Spencer Porath hit a 39-yard field to trim USC’s lead.

USC 3, Purdue 0, 4:03 end of first quarter

USC started on its 20 after intercepting a Purdue pass in the end zone.

Waymond Jordan ran for two yards. Jordan then ran for a loss of two yards. Jayden Maiaiva had an empty backfield and quickly approaching defenders as he passed to Tanook Hines for a 25-yard gain.

Eli Sanders ran for six yards. Maiava passed to Makai Lemon for 20 yards. Maiava faked a handoff before tossing an incomplete pass intended for Ja’Kobi Lane in the end zone. Sanders then carried the for nine yards, but USC was called for holding. On second-and-11 at the Purdue 29, Maiava split the defense and connected with Lake McRee for 26 yards.

Jordan ran for one yard to the Purdue 3 before time expired at the end of the first quarter.

USC 3, Purdue 0, 4:03 left in the first quarter

Purdue started on its 25 after the USC touchback.

Ryan Browne was sacked by Eric Gentry for a loss of five yards. Devin Mockobee ran for 17 yards. Brown faked a handoff and passed to Arhmad Branch for 15 yards. Brown faked another handoff and passed to EJ Horton for 18 yards.

On first down at the USC 9, Mockobee ran for two yards. Malachi Singleton ran for four yards. Browne evaded a collapsing pocket and pushed a pass to the end zone that was tipped and intercepted by Bishop Fitzgerald.

USC 3, Purdue 0, 7:39 left in the first quarter

USC started on its 9 after the punt.

Waymond Jordan ran for four yards. Jordan carried the ball again for no gain. On third-and-six, Jayden Maiava connected with Ja’Kobi Lane for a 59-yard pass. Maiava’s pass to Lane was broken up, but Purdue was called for pass interference. Maiava passed to Makai Lemon for 21 yards.

On first-and-goal at the Purdue 7, Jordan ran for a loss of a yard. Maiava ran for five yards. On third and goal at the Purdue 3, Maiava passed to Jordan for a loss of four yards.

Ryon Sayeri hit a 24-yard field goal to give USC a lead.

USC 0, Purdue 0, 11:46 left in the first quarter

Purdue started on its 25 after the USC touchback.

Devin Mockobee ran for no gain. Ryan Browne tossed an incomplete pass. Browne ran for nine yards. On fourth-and-one, Mockobee ran for 10 yards. Browne passed to George Burhenn for 17 yards. On first down at the USC 39, Mockobee ran for a loss of one yard. Christian Pierce then sacked Browne for a loss of 10 yards. Browne then tossed an incomplete pass and Purdue punted to the USC 9.

Storms in the West Lafayette, Ind., area have delayed kickoff.

The Purdue stadium has been evacuated after lightning was observed near the venue. Teams cannot warm up again until at least 30 minutes after the any nearby lightning is observed.

The latest estimate is that the game will start at about 3:45 p.m. PDT.

A dozen years before he charted a bold, new path for the USC football program, Chad Bowden was living on the pull-out couch of a cramped studio apartment in Hollywood with no clue where his life was headed.

Bowden couldn’t have dreamed up the role he’d one day occupy a few miles down the street at USC, where as the Trojans football general manager, Bowden has infused the program with new energy while putting together the top recruiting class in America.

So how did Bowden rise from that couch to being held up as one of the most consequential arrivals at USC since Pete Carroll himself?

When he first started spreading the word about Waymond Jordan, Mike Bennett figured the film would speak for itself. The Escambia High coach had been in the South Florida preps scene long enough to know what he was seeing from his new running back.

“Just watching him run the football for the first time, he was amazing,” Bennett said. He figured scholarship offers would roll in soon enough.

Jordan had similar expectations. Since he first picked up football, at 4 years old, he’d always told himself that he’d play at a big school, on the biggest stage. He’d come to Escambia as a senior with that in mind.

But in 2021, four years before Lincoln Riley and USC would see that same star potential, other college coaches, for whatever reason, weren’t paying much mind.

The metaphor feels almost too obvious, the iron-and-brick facade of a half-finished, $200-million football palace looming over Howard Jones Field. A chorus of construction equipment cuts through the chaos of a preseason football practice, the whole scene a reminder that USC, in Year 4 of the Lincoln Riley era, is building toward something.

Where USC’s football program stands in that building process is a bit more complicated to capture. After winning 11 games in Riley’s first season as USC’s coach, the Trojans’ win total has declined in each of the two seasons since. Riley, through 40 games at USC, now has one fewer win (26) than his predecessor, Clay Helton (27), did at the same point during their tenures.

I don’t care whom you’re playing.

Seven-hundred fifty-five yards are a lot of yards.

That’s how much USC gained during its 59-20 victory over Georgia Southern on Saturday.

One-hundred thirty-two points are a lot of points.

That’s how much USC has scored in its two games this season, including its blowout victory over Missouri State the week before.

If you want to believe the Trojans are better than they were in their previous two seasons, there are developments that could further convince you that you’re right. If you want to believe Lincoln Riley has elevated his team from mediocrity, there are statistics you could cite to support your observations.

There is also evidence to the contrary, of course.

The unfamiliar road through Big Ten country was not exactly welcoming to USC during its conference debut in 2024. The Trojans blew a fourth-quarter lead during all four of their Big Ten road trips outside of Los Angeles last season, each defeat seemingly more devastating than the one before it.

So as USC sets out on its second swing through the Big Ten, starting with a trip to West Lafayette, Ind., on Saturday, it has tried to address that problem in ways big and small — from replacing the strength and conditioning coach to changing the team’s sleeping and meal times.

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