No. 19 USC visits Penn State on Saturday, Oct. 10 in a Big Ten matchup that carries very different stakes for each side. USC arrives at 5-1 and 2-1 in conference play. Penn State enters at 3-2 overall and 0-2 in the Big Ten, looking to halt a two-game skid in front of its White Out crowd at Beaver Stadium.
The two programs have not met since 2024, when Penn State beat USC 33-30 in overtime. That win remains Penn State’s only victory over the Trojans this century, and USC still holds a 6-5 lead in the all-time series. The last three meetings between the schools have combined for more than 60 points, a trend both offenses could extend given how they have played through the first half of this season.
USC Vs Penn State Game Information
- Date: Saturday, Oct. 10
- Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
- Venue: Beaver Stadium, University Park, PA
- TV: NBC
- Weather: 62 degrees, 2% chance of precipitation
- Note: Penn State’s annual White Out game
By The Numbers
- Points per game: USC 37.3, Penn State 32.0
- Passing yards per game: USC 311.7, Penn State 243.6
- Rushing yards per game: USC 156.2, Penn State 156.4
- Total yards per game: USC 467.8, Penn State 400.0
- Third-down conversion rate: USC 52.11%, Penn State 39.44%
- Fourth-down conversion rate: USC 71.43%, Penn State 50.00%
- Turnover differential: USC plus-1, Penn State plus-4
- Sacks allowed per game: USC 1.0, Penn State 1.2
USC Trojans Outlook
USC’s offense has produced 467.8 total yards per game, built around quarterback Jayden Maiava, who has completed 131 of 191 passes for 1,744 yards, 15 touchdowns and three interceptions. The Trojans convert 52.11% of third downs and an even higher 71.43% on fourth down, numbers that reflect their willingness to stay aggressive on money downs.
That aggression has been necessary. USC lost to Oregon 41-27 on Sept. 26 before needing a rally to beat Washington 25-21, trailing 21-10 in the third quarter. Against Washington, USC was flagged nine times and managed just 3.5 yards per carry, with Maiava throwing an interception despite finishing 21 of 34 for 245 yards and a touchdown.
Defensive tackle Jahkeem Stewart turned the game with a 48-yard fumble return for a touchdown. Coach Lincoln Riley said after that win, “No team comes out perfect. And I feel as though it takes time.
Time is something we are working on managing, and we will definitely go fix that stuff right now.”
King Miller leads USC’s ground game with 493 yards and three touchdowns on 95 carries, while Kayden Dixon-Wyatt paces the receiving corps with 25 catches for 372 yards and three scores. Maiava is expected to start at quarterback.
Penn State Nittany Lions Outlook
Penn State has been outscored 58-33 during its two-game skid. The Nittany Lions lost 24-20 to Wisconsin on Sept. 26 after their defense allowed two touchdowns in the final four minutes, then fell 34-13 to Northwestern while being outgained 506-291 and watching the Wildcats control the ball for more than 36 minutes.
Quarterback Rocco Becht has thrown one touchdown pass against three interceptions over those two games, a sharp dropoff from his season totals of 1,108 yards and 10 touchdowns on 83-of-134 passing. The run game has struggled to support him, averaging 3.3 yards per carry against Wisconsin and 2.2 against Northwestern. First-year coach Matt Campbell did not mince words afterward.
“We lack our identity right now across the board, offensively, defensively and on special teams, to who we want to be and how we want to win football games,” Campbell said. He added that protection and the running game need to improve around Becht: “We need to be better with the other 10 people around him, too. We need to be better in our pass protection at times, we certainly need to be better in terms of our run game.
So we can get him into a rhythm, so he can play with great consistency. We haven’t been able to do that, and obviously that is frustrating.”
James Peoples leads Penn State’s rushing attack with 212 yards and two touchdowns on 45 carries, and Koby Howard has 12 catches for 344 yards and two scores. Becht is expected to start under center.
Key Matchup
Penn State’s run defense faces a USC offense that has scored 37.3 points per game, and the Nittany Lions’ own ground game has produced just 3.3 and 2.2 yards per carry in back-to-back losses. If Penn State cannot establish a rushing presence against USC’s defense, which has already logged 13 sacks and 24 tackles for loss this season, Becht will face obvious passing situations against a Trojans defense capable of generating pressure. USC’s offensive line will need to protect better than it did against Washington, where the Trojans allowed pressure that led to a Maiava interception and managed only 3.5 yards per carry themselves.
Players To Watch
Jayden Maiava, USC quarterback
Maiava has thrown for 1,744 yards and 15 touchdowns against three interceptions this season. His ability to avoid the mistakes that nearly cost USC against Washington will matter against a Penn State defense that has forced a turnover differential of plus-4 this season.
Rocco Becht, Penn State quarterback
Becht has 10 touchdown passes on the season but has thrown three interceptions and just one touchdown over his last two outings. How he responds behind a line that Campbell says must improve its protection will shape Penn State’s chances.
Jahkeem Stewart, USC defensive tackle
Stewart’s 48-yard fumble-return touchdown provided the turning point in USC’s comeback win over Washington, showing the kind of defensive playmaking the Trojans will need again on the road.
What To Watch
Penn State’s 0-2 start in Big Ten play adds pressure to snap the skid in front of a White Out crowd, while USC looks to build on its 2-1 conference mark after the Oregon loss. Riley has coached against Campbell before, going 4-2 when Riley was at Oklahoma and Campbell led Iowa State from 2016-25. USC joined the Big Ten the same year it last played Penn State in 2024, and Saturday’s result will factor into both teams’ standing in a conference race still taking shape.
Don't stop here
Every Score. Every Story. One Home.
Breaking sports, entertainment and news from across the Total Apex network, updated all day.
Get the Full Story →
