The USC Trojans are off to a perfect start in 2026, and Friday night showed why expectations are so high in Los Angeles.
No. 14 USC dominated Fresno State at the Coliseum, rolling to a 39-0 victory and moving to 2-0 on the season. The Trojans controlled the game from the opening quarter and never allowed the Bulldogs to seriously threaten.
After opening the season with a 42-26 win over San José State, USC followed it up with an even more impressive performance.
Maiava Leads the Offense
Quarterback Jayden Maiava once again showed why he is one of the biggest reasons for the excitement surrounding this USC team.
Maiava made several big plays through the air, including touchdown passes to Trent Hines and Trent Mosley. Mosley was particularly impressive, finishing with 118 receiving yards and multiple touchdowns.
The Trojans were able to move the ball consistently while keeping Fresno State’s defense under pressure.
The Defense Was Dominant
The biggest story of the night may have been USC’s defense.
The Trojans completely shut down Fresno State, holding the Bulldogs scoreless throughout the game. USC even recorded a safety when Kameryn Urlacher sacked Fresno State quarterback Jaden Mandal in the end zone.
After allowing 26 points in the opener, USC’s defense responded with a statement performance.
A shutout is exactly the type of performance Lincoln Riley and his staff wanted to see.
USC Is Starting to Look Dangerous
The Trojans entered the season with legitimate College Football Playoff expectations, and the first two games have done little to cool the hype.
USC is now 2-0 and has scored 81 points through its first two games while showing improvement on both sides of the ball.
The real test is still coming.
USC hosts Louisiana next Saturday before opening Big Ten play at Rutgers. Later in the season, the Trojans will face Oregon, Penn State and Ohio State, giving them plenty of opportunities to prove they belong among the nation’s elite.
The Trojans Are Rolling
USC couldn’t have asked for a better start.
Two games, two wins and an offense that continues to produce while the defense just delivered a shutout.
There is still a long way to go, but the Trojans are quickly establishing themselves as one of the teams to watch in 2026.
USC isn’t just 2-0 — the Trojans are starting to look like a legitimate threat.
