No. 14 USC Football Defeats Louisiana 48-30

USC Postgame Notes

With the 49-30 victory, No. 14 USC improves to 3-0 on the 2026 season. Louisiana moves to 1-1 in its 2026 campaign.

Twin brothers RB King Miller and OL Kaylon Miller both started for USC tonight.

QB Jayden Maiava went 19-of-29 for 261 yards with a career-high 5 TDs and 1 INT.

Louisiana scored first with a field goal with 11:23 left on the clock in the first quarter. USC head coach Lincoln Riley is 29-11 when the opponent scores first.

With 4:57 left in the first quarter, freshman TE Mark Bowman scored a 5-yard TD, the first of his USC career, to push the Trojans ahead 7-3.

In the first quarter, the Trojans outgained Louisiana by 132 yards, and the USC defense did not allow a single first down by the Ragin' Cajuns.

With 12:31 left in the first half, TE Mark Bowman scored a 9-yard TD. This marked his second TD of the game. The last tight end to score 2 TDs for the Trojans in a single game was Josh Falo on Oct. 15, 2022 in a 42-43 loss to Utah.

Bowman finished with 6 receptions for 83 yards (13.8 avg.). This marks the most receiving yards by a tight end in a single game since Anthony McCoy recorded 153 yards against Notre Dame in 2009.

Freshman WR Kayden Dixon-Wyatt scored a TD with 3:19 left in the first half to extend USC's lead to 21-10. This was the second TD of his Trojan career.

With 1:24 left in the first half, WR/RET Trent Mosley scored a TD on an 86-yard punt return. The last Trojan to return a punt for a TD was Zachariah Branch when he returned a 75-yarder against Stanford on Sept. 9, 2023. This also marked the longest punt return by a Trojan since Nelson Aglahor returned a 93-yarder for a TD against California in 2013.

USC opened the second half with a TD from freshman WR Trent Mosley on a 21-yard reception. This was Mosley's second TD of the game. It marked his fourth receiving TD as a Trojan, and his third-straight game with a receiving TD.

Prior to Mosley, just five Big Ten freshmen have caught a TD pass in each of their first 3 career games since 2000: Jeremiah Smith (Ohio State, 2024), Jackson Anthrop (Purdue, 2017), Ted Bolser (Indiana, 2010), Deon Butler (Penn State, 2005) and James Hardy (Indiana, 2005).

The last Trojan to record a receiving TD and return a punt for a TD in a single game was Tyler Vaughns against Arizona State in 2018. Vaughns caught a 48-yard TD pass from QB Jack Sears and returned an 82-yard punt for a TD.

With 14:19 left in the fourth quarter WR Zacharyus Williams scored his first career TD on a 44-yard pass from Maiava.

RB King Miller scored the final Trojan TD of the night on a 12-yard rushing TD with 7:30 left in the fourth quarter.

Miller finished the game with 18 carries for 118 yards (7.1 avg) and a TD. This is the fifth time in his career that Miller has rushed for at least 100 yards and a TD in the same game.

K Caden Chittenden went 7-for-7 on extra points.

Postgame Quotes | USC

Head Coach Lincoln Riley

Opening statement: "A little bit of an up and down win. Had some really good contributions on all three sides, especially early in the game and the early part of the third quarter. We're getting a lot of stops defensively. Obviously, the big punt return was a huge play in the game. I thought we did a pretty decent job early in the game after they had a little bit of momentum from grabbing it back and really maintaining it through about midway through the third quarter. The penalties are going to be the most alarming thing for us tonight. It was a lot, and they were really at horrible times. There's never really good times for penalties, but we had some at really inopportune times, and that's something we have to clean up a lot. There's no doubt about that. Give Louisiana a lot of credit. Their quarterback is a hell of a player. We said that all week. He makes a lot of plays and covers up a lot, and I thought those guys competed hard and were a good football team. So we're excited about the win. We have a lot to clean up. Again, good for us to play a bunch of players, which we've been able to do in all three games here in non-conference. I think if we'd set a goal here in the beginning, it would have obviously been to win the first three games. Get a chance to play a bunch of guys, develop your roster, put a lot of guys out there to see where they're at, and give us a chance to evaluate and develop, which we've been able to do. This is what you do it for, to go into conference play, to get out on the road, which we're looking forward to. So we have to have a great week and get ready for a little bit of travel out there and get ready to play."

On the performance from the freshmen: "We've played a ton of young guys, some early in games, some later. Generally, I feel very positive. If there's another team having more young guys contribute in the country right now, I'd love to see it. I'm very positive. There's still a lot of growth that has to happen, whether it's the guys that are playing with the first and second teams, or some of the guys that are playing down the line a little bit. We just have to keep growing. I feel like our peak, or our trajectory, should be even higher because of how many young guys are playing and learning and playing in their first games. We should have a chance to really really grow throughout the season. That would be a big focus point for us."

On DT Jahkeem Stewart's availability: "He's close. He could have played tonight. We just said, 'Hey, if you go out there, we'll see if you feel just absolutely perfect, and even then, I might still not let you play.' He was able to practice some this week, went through warmups, felt good, but we just said it has to be perfect. It's another week of practice where he can build back up. He was available, and had this been a different kind of game, he would have gone. But he's available. This extra week will do him good to get back on the practice field. I anticipate him being a full participant next week."

On TE Mark Bowman's hurdle and if he's had another tight end do that: "I've had a couple pretty good ones; he made some plays for us. He kind of got us going a little bit offensively and did some good things after the catch and blocked well. It's good to see him get involved. He has some skills. He's dangerous when he gets the ball in the open field. And it's so good to see him make some plays after the catch and get him in the end zone a couple times."

On his thoughts on the run game: "You described it better than I could have. Honestly, it was good. We were a little more connected, which was a big goal. I thought we'd be a lot better on the perimeter and ran hard. I thought it took our backs just a little bit to find their footing on the field, but once that happened, I thought they settled in and meshed well with the O-Line and the tight ends, and started making some guys miss and making some big plays."

On defensive depth: "I feel really good about the D-Line depth. I feel really good about the linebacker depth and the secondary. There's a few positions where I wish we had a few more bodies. Obviously, it was great to get S [Marquis] Gallegos back tonight, and hopefully, we can bring a couple of those guys along. We had S [Peyton "Man Man"] Dyer back available for the first time in this game too, which was really good. That'll help us as we go. There's probably a couple spots there in the secondary where we need to continue to bring a couple other guys along, because we're going to need them. I'd say with the other spots, I feel good. We also have to develop. Again, you get a game out of reach, that's one thing. But when we get some of these, and I know we've said this a bunch the last few weeks, where we're going to need this one guy here, one guy there. We're going to need those guys to rise up and step up. A lot of times those guys, when they get in with their other starters, tend to play a little bit better, right? The communication's a little bit sharper. The other guys around there at times, just by nature, being a first-time guy, may be a little bit more dialed in. But we're going to need it. I don't know when, I don't know how, I don't know who, but we just know we are."

On sustaining team energy: "I always want to refer back to the film. I thought the intensity and all that dropped a little bit after we came out and had a good start until the third quarter. We got the stop, got the score, which was important for us. That was a big point for us going into this game: to start the second half fast on all sides. We kind of did it, and then I thought it dipped a little bit. Honestly, just my standards were really high, some of the penalties took a little bit of the air out of it. Where we have to stop is when we get a decent thing going on offense, and we get a penalty. The penalties, to me, were the one thing that was the biggest negative to me on the night. We have to coach that better. We have to play better on that. We have to play smarter. That can't happen going forward."

Jayden Maiava, QB

On what the team needs to do moving into Big Ten conference play: "I think we just have to continue to stack the days, stay the course, be present in the moment, trust our coaching, trust our preparation and take it one day at a time."

On his single-game career high TD passes: "It definitely didn't feel like that, but shout out to the guys up front, the running backs and receivers being able to trust me to get them the ball."

Luke Wafle, DE

On his thoughts on the defensive performance: "I say there's a lot of good, but at the end of the day, we have to clean up some stuff, and it's good to get this victory under the belt and just keep on stacking days, getting better every week."

On what he's learned playing college football: "I would say just play loose. Don't be tight out there. Don't overthink stuff. Trust the defense. Trust GP [Gary Paterson], and everything falls into place."

On his comfort level: "I'm just trying to stack weeks and trying to get better with my team. I think we're all getting better as a collective."

Visitors Postgame Quotes | Louisiana

Head Coach Michael Desormeaux

Opening Statement: "We didn't come here to play this game and lose. We wanted to come out here and win this game. Our guys did a great job staying in the battle all night long even when things weren't going our way. We started off the game great by forcing the turnover on their first drive and scoring points, but we kind of let the game get away from us a little bit after that. There were a lot of positives from tonight. That's the best team we'll play all year long, so I'm excited to see where we go from here."

On preparation for USC defensive line: "There are some technical things on the offensive line we want to work on. We want to start doing some things, change our aim point a little bit. But overall, I thought we did a pretty decent job of covering it up a little bit. On third downs we were probably a little conservative. I felt like we had to protect our tackles a little bit in protection. We tried to do that. When you play a game like this, you get out there and you have to try to figure out what starts to work and try to get back to that as much as you can."

On the defensive effort: "I was really proud of our defense and the way they played. Early on they were on the field a lot. We kept saying to the offense we have to get a drive going. If nothing else, we have to try to get some sustained drives to let them rest a little bit. With as many weapons as they have, it's difficult. You can't load up against the run. They've got great receivers and tight ends that can play down the field. Their quarterback is as talented as anybody. So you have to play it all true. You just have to play it all really well. I thought our effort was great. I think the last touchdown was a little disappointing in some of the run fits. They were running the ball and we knew they were running the ball. We didn't fit some things quite right. So there's always stuff to come back from. But our defense gave us a chance, and early on they battled, and that's all we asked for. If we could have got it going a little bit earlier on offense, I think we'd have had a better chance there to keep us in the game."

On QB Lunch Winfield: "What I tell our team is that if we play another team this talented, it means we have a pretty special finish this year. Lunch [Winfield] is a gamer and a competitor. I think tonight he showed that no stage is too big for him to go out there and compete and perform. He's tough as nails, and he made some good plays in the pass game, run game, everything. That's what he is for us. When you have a quarterback that's like that, your whole team believes they've always got a chance. I think part of the job of the quarterback is to breathe life into your team and he certainly did that. He did a great job. Got us some good plays, handled some things really well, and I know the guy has elite toughness. That's something that you can't replace."

On the first drive following the interception: "Certainly a disappointing drive right after the first pick, right around midfield. If we were inside of a yard, I was going to try and go for it. The spotter told me he thought we were about a yard and a half. I felt good about our kicker and it would have been more deflating to get nothing to get on the board first. I think the field goal was something at least. It's like a, 'Hey, this is what we came here for.' But it's definitely a missed opportunity and that's kind of what I was talking about. I think the speed of those guys up front a little bit early on affected us. We had to kind of adjust a little bit up front. Our kids did a great job, but early on their defensive line was affecting the game. It's hard to duplicate that type of speed in a game week. We won't see that all year."

On WR Russell Babineaux: "I've been incredibly impressed with Russell Babineaux. I had nothing but confidence in him. Getting [TE] Brock [Chappell] back was huge for us. That was a shocking moment, and [TE] Teddy Gawlik stepped up and played really well. It always amazes me. This team is just the next guy up, and everyone continues to step up. After last year with all the injuries and stuff we had, there's some urgency across the board from the starters all the way to the scout team guys to continue to improve because they know you're one play away from having to go out there and go perform."

On how the players handled the atmosphere: "I think when you play in games like this, we have a lot of guys that are playing significantly for the first time, the first thing is we want to see how they handle the environment. This is a heck of a place to fight. Unbelievable, great crowd tonight. The tradition and everything that goes with the Coliseum. First you have to handle that pressure. For us what we want to see is, go out there and handle it, and go play our game. That's what we talked about all week. We can't change the way we do things. We have to go and play the way we play. If it's not enough, it's not enough. And tonight it wasn't enough. But I was incredibly proud of the effort. We played with toughness all night. There's just a couple things in there that if you do those in big games, you won't win. It doesn't have to be USC. Every league game is a big game. But if you do those in big games and competitive games, you're not going to win."

On establishing the run game: "Yeah, we had a hard time getting loose, there's no question. We were hoping we'd increase it a little bit better than we did, but it was hard. Those run fits filled up pretty fast now. I think their defensive line is extremely good. I think their linebackers played well too. So I thought our backs played really tough. I thought they knew when to get north and south and try to get the dirty yards. I thought they made the most out of what they had. We had a couple opportunities there where you're one guy away from the run popping, but that's part of football. You have to go five for five or six for six out up front to have a chance."

On injuries: "Throughout the game we had a couple guys in and out, but nothing long term for sure. But I'm hopeful right now that we'll have everybody who played tonight available next week."

On importance to affect timing defensively: "Well I think that's everything. You have to affect the quarterback somehow, it doesn't matter who you play. Obviously when you play a great team, you have to try to find a way to make them uncomfortable. Getting a rush is hard enough against that offensive line and the unit they have, but whenever you're able to flush him out of the pocket and make him hold on the ball and feel a little bit pressured is the goal. He's human. He's like anybody else. It's human. When you play quarterback, you want to be in the pocket and be comfortable. I think anytime you get him off the spot and make him feel a little bit pressure, that certainly helps your calls on defense. Hopefully you can get a bad ball and can take advantage of it."

Lunch Winfield, QB

On overall game performance: "We knew what it was coming into this game. We knew what we were getting ourselves into. Coach said we're playing two games. The first game is the first half and the second game is the second half. At the second half mark, we went inside and made our changes to try and win the second half. That was what it was. We had to change a few things and do what we do."

On the offensive drive when trailing 14-3: "We knew as a team that our backs were up against the wall. Nobody believed in us this game, but everybody on our sideline believed in each other. We know what we worked on all week and we know what we've been working on. We know it was work, and we did it. Everybody believed. That was the thing at the beginning, you have to believe."

On players who stepped up: "I've been talking to these guys when I knew everybody was hurt. I was telling them, it is y'all chance now. These guys understood the assignment tonight. They always ask me if they have any questions. They always want the chance to work with me and just want to be professionals for our team that I love."

On putting his body on the line: "I tell these guys every game day at practice that I'm willing to go out there and lay it all out for you guys and I hope you do the same for me. Football is a game I love, and if it ends on the field I'll be okay with that."

On progress made in the pass game: "These guys love to work. When we knew guys were going to be hurt, these guys always wanted to get extra work. They were always asking questions, and just wanted to know what I'm thinking in the passing game, how I wanted to run. It's going to be amazing when we get everybody back and have the rotation that we do. Everybody will just make plays, plays, and more plays. I'm excited."

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