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USC Trojans Fall 33-30 vs. Penn State Nittany Lions in Overtime

The USC Trojans (3-2, 2-1 Big Ten) host the No. 4 Penn State Nittany Lions at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. It is the 11th all-time meeting between the two historic programs that dates all the way back to 1923. USC leads the series 6-4.

Kendell Hollowell

Sep 28, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans quarterback Miller Moss (7) throws the ball against the Wisconsin Badgers in the first half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Sep 28, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans quarterback Miller Moss (7) throws the ball against the Wisconsin Badgers in the first half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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The USC Trojans (3-3, 1-3 Big Ten) fall to No. 4 Penn State 33-30 in overtime on Saturday, Oct. 12 (6-0, 3-0)

The Trojans jumped out to a 20-6 lead in the first half thanks to two touchdowns by sophmore running back Quinten Joyner. Penn State caught fire in the second half, scoring touchdowns on each of their two possessions.

After a back-and-forth affair the game was sent into overtime tied at 30. USC got it the ball first and after a Michael Lantz missed field goal, Penn State was able to convert on their possession with a Ryan Barker 36-yard field to come out on top with the win.

Overtime

Penn State possession - GAME-WINNER. Ryan Barker's 36-yard field goal is good. Penn State wins 33-30 in overtime.

USC possession - Field goal. Michael Lantz's 45-yard field goal is NO GOOD, wide left. Game remains tied 30-30.

Overtime - Penn State wins the coin toss and elects to go on defense first.

Fourth quarter

0:00 - Drew Allar's Hail Mary attempt is INTERCEPTED by Duce Robinson. Game is headed into overtime.

0:02 - TMEOUT. USC burns their second timeout of the second half.

0:05 - TIMEOUT. USC uses their first timeout of the second half before Penn State's 1st-and-10.

0:05 - INTERCEPTION. Miller Moss' pass goes through the hands of Duce Robinson and is INTERCEPTED by Jaylen Reed

0:14 - Timeout. Penn State burns their second timeout of the second half. USC faces a third-and six.

2:00 - At the two-minute timeout, USC is putting together a two-play drive.

2:53 - TOUCHDOWN Penn State. Drew Allar finds a wide-open Nick Singleton for the 14-yard touchdown to cap off a 12-play, 75-yard drive. Game tied 30-30.

3:27 - Injury Timeout. Akili Arnold is injured on Penn State's second fourth down conversion on the drive.

4:17 - Drew Allar completes to Julian Fleming for 17 yards on fourth-and-seven to move the chains for Penn State.

5:56 - TOUCHDOWN USC. Miller Moss finds Kyron Hudson in the end zone for a 5-yard touchdown. USC leads 30-23.

7:10 - Miller Moss connects with Duce Robinson for 25 yards to set the Trojans up inside the 10-yard line.

10:50 - Kamari Ramsey makes the stop on third down to keep Penn State out of the end zone and forces them to settle for a field goal. Game tied 23-23.

12:30 - Injury timeout. Penn State offensive lineman Anthony Donkoh is down on the field.

13:29 - Injury timeout. Drew Allar completes to Tyler Warren for 17 tards but Anthony Lucas was injured on the play and walked off with the USC training staff.

Third Quarter

0:00 - Drew Allar completes to Tyler Warren for 7 yards to close out the quarter. USC leads 23-20 after the third quarter.

0:29 - Field Goal. After gaining two yards on three plays, the Trojans settled for a Michael Lantz 39-yard field goal. USC leads 23-20.

1:27 - INTERCEPTION. After a couple of deflections, Easton Mascarenas-Arnold comes up with the interception. USC takes over on the Penn State 24-yard line.

1:34 - After gaining 15 yards on six plays the Trojans were forced to punt. Penn State takes over on their own 17-yard line.

4:42 - TOUCHDOWN Penn State. Kaytron Allen's 1-yard touchdown run caps off an 8-play, 90-yard drive and ties the game up at 20-20.

6:10 - Drew Allar completes to Tyler Warren for 34 yards and sets the Nittany Lions up in the red zone.

9:16 - After a holding and false start penalty put the Trojans behind the chains they were forced to punt. Penn State takes over on their own 10-yard line.

12:52 - TOUCHDOWN Penn State. Drew Allar goes deep to Tyler Warren on a double-pass for a 32-yard touchdown. Penn State trails 20-13.

Second Quarter

0:07 - Field Goal. Michael Lantz's 47-yard field goal is good. USC leads 20-6 heading into the half.

0:17 - USC burns their final timeout of the half.

1:47 - Miller Moss swings it out to Woody Marks for a 33-yard completion.

1:58 - At the two-minute timeout, The Trojans are currently putting together a two-play drive. Defensive lineman Gavin Meyer was carted off the field.

2:46 - Field Goal. USC defense holds in the red zone. After Zion Branch broke up a pass on third down, Penn State was forced to settle for a field goal. USC leads 17-6 late in the second quarter.

5:58 - USC was forced to punt after going three-and-out. Penn State will take over on their own 21-yard line

6:57 - USC burns their second timeout of the first half before facing a third-and seven.

7:39 - Penn State ran four plays that gained 17 yards before being forced to punt. USC will take over at the 19-yard line.

10:05 - Field Goal. Michael Lantz kicks a 45-yard field goal following the interception. USC leads Penn State 17-3.

12:15 - INTERCEPTION. Drew Allar's pass is intercepted by Desman Stephens II and returned for 32 yards. USC takes over on the Penn State 26-yard line.

13:25 - Kamari Ramsey was helped off the field after a 6-yard completion to Nick Singleton. Bryson Shaw comes in to replace him.

14:14 - TOUCHDOWN. After a Woody Marks 28-yard run set the Trojans up in red zone, the very next play Miller Moss connected with Quinten Joyner for a 9-yard touchdown to cap off a 7-play, 89-yard drive. USC leads Penn State 14-3.

First Quarter

0:00 - Miller Moss's pass for Duce Robinson falls incomplete. The Trojans are currently putting together a two-play drive.

1:57 - USC TIMEOUT. After pressure from Jaylin Smith, Drew Allar's pass fell incomplete on third down. USC used its first timeout of the half when Penn State lined up to go for it on fourth down. The Nittany Lions took a false penalty and decided to punt.

2:02 - Penn State burns it's their first timeout of the half before facing a third-and-three.

4:38 - TOUCHDOWN. Quinten Joyner fakes the reverse to Zachariah Branch and races down the field for a 75-yard TOUCHDOWN. USC takes the lead over Penn State 7-3.

4:53 - FIELD GOAL. The Trojans defense makes a stop around the goal line. After an offensive pass interference call on fourth down by Julian Fleming, the Nittany Lions had to settle for a field goal. Penn State takes a 3-0 lead over USC.

9:06 - REVIEW. The previous play of the runner short of the first down was under review. It remained third-and-one after the review. Penn State has gained 47 yards on their opening possession.

12:50 - The Trojans ran four plays gaining 15 yards before having to punt on their opening possession. Penn State takes over on their own 11-yard line.

15:00 - USC won the coin toss. Miller Moss and the Trojans offense will get the ball to start the game.

Pregame

The USC Trojans (3-2, 2-1 Big Ten) host the No. 4 Penn State Nittany Lions (5-0, 2-0) at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. It is the 11th all-time meeting between the two historic programs that dates all the way back to 1923, but the first as conference foes with the Trojans leading the series 6-4. The last time the Trojans and Nittany Lions played in the regular season was in 2000. 

USC announced its team captains as quarterback Miller Moss, center Jonah Monheim, linebacker Easton Mascarenas-Arnold and safety Akili Arnold.

The Trojans are 2-0 at home this season with wins over Utah State and Wisconsin — where they have outscored their opponents 86-21. The last time USC defeated a top 5 team in the Coliseum was in 2015 against No. 3 Utah. 

Miller Moss
Sep 28, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans quarterback Miller Moss (7) throws the ball against the Wisconsin Badgers in the first half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Nittany Lions are making the cross-country trip over 2,500 miles out west for the first time in the regular season since 1991. In the new-look Big Ten coast-to-coast travel has become the new norm in conference play. Last week, UCLA made the trip to Happy Valley, next Saturday, USC will visit Maryland. 

Since 2022, Penn State is 26-1 against teams other than Ohio State and Michigan 

The Trojans are hoping to keep their College Football Playoff dreams alive after dropping their second game of the season when the Minnesota Golden Gophers scored 14 unanswered points in the fourth quarter last Saturday. The upset loss dropped USC completely out of the top 25 rankings. With the Trojans playoff chances hanging in the balance, a win over the Nittany Lions can bolster their resume for the new 12-team format. 

“We have two pretty clear choices," said quarterback Miller Moss. "To double down on who we are, come closer as a team and go forward with a great opportunity this weekend, or let this affect us and deter us from what we ultimately want to do."

Defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn will coach against his Alma Mater, where he played from 2008-11 and was a three-time All-Big Ten honorable mention. 

“It’s exciting," Lynn said. "You know, I haven’t got a chance to see them play in person since I played there, so it’ll be cool. Two of my old teammates are on the staff, so it’ll be cool to see them before and after the game.”

USC is hosting a impressive list of recruits on Saturday, headlined by 2025 five-star quarterback commit Julian Lewis, 2026 five-star quarterback Ryder Lyons and 2026 five-star linebacker Tyler Atkinson. The Trojans built a ton of recruiting momentum after an impressive double-digit comeback over Wisconsin in week 5 and are looking to do the same at home this week. 

Can the Trojans pull off the upset? USC is a 5.5-point underdog at home. 

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Kendell Hollowell
KENDELL HOLLOWELL

Kendell Hollowell, a Southern California native has been been covering collegiate athletics since 2020 via radio and digital journalism. His experience includes covering programs such as the USC Trojans, Vanderbilt Commodores and Alabama Crimson Tide. Kendell He also works in TV production for the NFL Network. Prior to working in sports journalism, Kendell was a collegiate athlete on the University of Wyoming and Adams State football team. He is committed to bringing in-depth insight and analysis for USC athletics.

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