PISCATAWAY, N.J. — For three quarters and into the final minutes, Rutgers refused to back down.
The Scarlet Knights may have entered Saturday still searching for their first victory, but against No. 12 USC, they showed something that had been questioned throughout the week: they were still fighting for their head coach, Greg Schiano.
Rutgers battled the Trojans until the final whistle before falling 42-35 in front of 43,045 at SHI Stadium.
Two costly turnovers ultimately proved to be the difference.
So perhaps the conversation surrounding whether Schiano should remain Rutgers’ head coach can finally take a back seat to what his players demonstrated on the field.
They played hard.
They played physical.
And they kept chopping.
Rutgers never quit despite repeatedly finding itself in difficult situations against an unbeaten USC team.
“We love playing for Coach Schiano,” the effort seemed to say, even if the words weren’t spoken on the field.
The Scarlet Knights dropped to 0-3, their first winless start since 2008, but Saturday’s performance was far different from a team that had given up on its coach.
Two Mistakes Changed Everything
Rutgers had opportunities to make Saturday’s game a different story.
The biggest came when quarterback Dylan Lonergan was intercepted at the goal line with Rutgers trailing USC 20-14.
Instead of a potential game-tying touchdown, USC defensive back Prophet Brown turned the mistake into a 99-yard interception return for a touchdown.
Just like that, the Trojans had a 27-14 advantage.
It was the kind of mistake Rutgers could not afford against a ranked opponent.
Lonergan finished with 252 passing yards and three touchdowns, but his two interceptions proved costly.
The Scarlet Knights now have a minus-7 turnover margin through three games.
Schiano didn’t hide the significance of the turnovers.
“I love both guys,” Schiano said of Lonergan and AJ Surace. “But we can’t win when we turn the ball over.”
That assessment was blunt, but it also underscored what Rutgers showed Saturday: the Scarlet Knights were capable of moving the football and matching USC’s intensity. They simply could not overcome their mistakes.
Rutgers Refuses to Go Away
USC never trailed, but the Trojans never managed to put Rutgers away.
Jayden Maiava threw for 277 yards and two touchdowns, while King Miller rushed for 102 yards and a touchdown as USC improved to 4-0.
The Trojans built a 35-21 lead with 5:52 remaining in the third quarter.
Many teams would have folded.
Rutgers didn’t.
The Scarlet Knights answered by cutting the deficit to 35-28 before the end of the quarter.
USC eventually regained a two-score advantage when Riley Wormley caught a touchdown pass with 3:04 remaining, making it 42-28.
Again, Rutgers answered.
The Scarlet Knights continued fighting and refused to let the game turn into a comfortable USC victory.
Antwan Raymond led Rutgers’ rushing attack with 122 yards and a touchdown, while Lonergan continued to make plays through the air.
The final score showed a seven-point USC victory.
The effort told a different story.
The Scarlet Knights Are Still Playing for Schiano
Rutgers entered the game amid growing outside questions about Schiano’s future.
Saturday’s performance should quiet, at least temporarily, the notion that his players are no longer responding to him.
The Scarlet Knights played with energy from beginning to end.
They didn’t stop competing after the 99-yard interception return.
They didn’t stop competing when USC pushed the margin back to two scores.
And they didn’t stop competing when the Trojans scored again late in the fourth quarter.
Rutgers kept attacking.
That’s the identity Schiano has preached since returning to Piscataway, and his team displayed it against one of the nation’s ranked programs.
The Scarlet Knights simply made two mistakes that proved too costly.
USC Finds Enough Offensively
Maiava kept USC’s offense moving throughout the afternoon.
He completed enough passes to keep Rutgers from stacking the box, while Miller provided the Trojans with a strong running presence.
USC also found production from an inexperienced receiving corps after freshman standout Trent Mosley missed the game with a knee injury.
Freshman Kayden Dixon-Wyatt stepped up with five receptions for 77 yards.
Maiava spread the ball around to nine different receivers.
Corey Simms caught four passes for 72 yards and a touchdown, while Mark Bowman and Tanook Hines each finished with three receptions.
Riley Wormley made an impact in multiple ways, rushing for a touchdown and catching another scoring pass.
USC coach Lincoln Riley credited Wormley and Simms for their competitiveness.
“I think they are two of our stronger competitors on the team,” Riley said. “Two guys who I never have to worry about their effort or physicality or competitiveness.”
USC Defense Still Has Questions
For all of USC’s offensive production, Riley knows his defense has plenty to address before the Trojans face the toughest part of their schedule.
Rutgers produced five plays of at least 20 yards, and USC has allowed opponents to score on 10 of 13 trips to the red zone this season.
The Trojans also had difficulty maintaining consistency in the secondary, with several players unavailable during the game.
“We obviously had to play with a lot of different guys in the secondary,” Riley said. “We had some guys go down throughout the game that weren’t available. I thought we were untimely as a defense.”
Those problems become even more important with Oregon, Ohio State, and Indiana looming on the schedule.
Fake Punt Gives Rutgers Early Momentum
USC also had an early scare when Rutgers executed a fake punt and connected on a 40-yard pass.
The play flipped the field and gave the Scarlet Knights momentum during the opening quarter.
Riley said the play had nothing to do with USC’s cross-country travel.
Instead, he viewed it as a matter of execution.
“I don’t think it did have an impact,” Riley said of the travel. “I thought we started off the game edgy, with momentum, no matter where you’re playing, when you got somebody backed up in their half and you give up a 40-yard play on a fake punt, especially on the road, it just flips momentum, it kind of breathes life into them.”
USC was making its first trip to the East Coast since visiting Boston College in 2014.
A Loss, But Not a Lack of Fight
Rutgers is 0-3.
The Scarlet Knights have not held a lead for more than 2:54 this season, and the turnover problem remains a major concern.
Those are facts that cannot be ignored.
But neither can what happened Saturday.
Rutgers went toe-to-toe with a ranked USC team and continued battling even after mistakes put the Scarlet Knights in difficult positions.
The players never stopped fighting.
They never stopped competing.
And they certainly never stopped chopping.
For a program facing questions about its direction, that matters.
The immediate challenge for Schiano and his team is turning that effort into victories.
The Scarlet Knights still need their first win.
Up Next:
USC returns home Sept. 26 for a major showdown against Oregon.
Rutgers will stay home and host Howard on Sept. 25.
