Ohio State dropped a 30-18 road contest to USC at the LA Coliseum on November 1, 2026, failing to support starting quarterback Luke Fahey amid defensive collapses and red zone struggles.
Jayden Maiava Throws Screen Pass for Touchdown
The game opened with immediate trouble for the Buckeyes. Ohio State won the coin toss and deferred, allowing USC to draw first blood just 39 seconds into the contest. On second-and-4 from the 31-yard line, Jayden Maiava faked a run to the right and threw back left on a screen to Trent Mosley. Ohio State nickel corner Simeon Caldwell overran the play, leaving nobody behind to deter Mosley on a 69-yard catch-and-run touchdown that put the Trojans ahead 7-0.
Luke Fahey took the field for his first series as the OSU starter. He completed a 1-yard screen to Jeremiah Smith, followed by a 7-yard hookup for a first down. Fahey then stepped up in the pocket to drill a 23-yard gain to Phillip Bell down to the USC 27-yard line. Two runs by Bo Jackson netted 6 yards, and on third down, Fahey rolled out under a blitz. His pass was initially ruled an interception before replay review changed it to an incompletion. Connor Hawkins entered to kick a 39-yard field goal, cutting the deficit to 7-3 with 8:27 left in the first quarter.
Trent Mosley Returns Punt to Set up Touchdown
Disaster struck the Buckeyes again on a punt following an overturned interception by Jermaine Mathews Jr. Joe McGuire punted on fourth-and-9 from the USC 42, popping the ball up as coverage players ran past the returner. Mosley fielded it at the 10 and sprinted 38 yards down the left side, with Ohio State’s Beau Atkinson drawing a late hit penalty that advanced the ball to the OSU 31.
Four plays later, Waymond Cooper cut back through would-be tacklers and powered into the end zone for a touchdown run, making it 14-3 with 2:25 left in the opening period. Ohio State answered with an eight-play, 59-yard drive featuring runs of 17 and 18 yards by Isaiah West, alongside an 18-yard completion from Fahey to tight end Mason Williams. After a 12-men-in-the-huddle penalty pushed the Buckeyes back, Hawkins kicked a 34-yard field goal to make it 14-6.
USC answered before halftime, overcoming an intentional grounding penalty when King Miller scrambled for 21 yards on third-and-18. Ryon Sayori converted a 54-yard field goal—his first make of the season on such attempts—stretching the lead to 17-6 with 10:12 remaining in the half. A holding penalty on center Carson Hinzman, his third game in a row with a holding penalty, stalled the subsequent Ohio State possession.
The Buckeyes squandered another scoring opportunity before intermission. Kenyatta Jackson Jr. forced a fumble on Miller, recovered by Earl Little Jr. at the OSU 42. Fahey moved the chains with a 12-yard run by Bo Jackson and an 11-yard pass to Chris Henry Jr. On third-and-1 from the 3, Fahey kept the ball on a sneak. Officials initially signaled a touchdown, but replay showed his knee was down before crossing the plane.
Ohio State’s goal-line troubles surfaced immediately. Jackson was stopped for no gain, and a false start by Luke Roberts pushed the ball back to the 6. Fahey overthrew Smith in the back of the end zone, and his third-down pass to Bell arrived on a bounce. Hawkins kicked a 23-yard field goal to narrow the margin to 17-9 with 1:46 left in the half. Maiava then engineered a quick two-minute drill, completing three passes for 31 yards to set up Caden Chittenden for a 36-yard field goal with one second remaining, sending USC into the locker room up 20-9.
Second-Half Turnovers Seal the Defeat
At halftime, USC outgained Ohio State 209-192 in total yardage. Maiava completed 11 of 16 passes for 148 yards and a touchdown, while Fahey went 8 of 15 for 86 yards. The Buckeyes accumulated 106 rushing yards in the first half, led by West with 57 yards on nine attempts and Bo Jackson with 47 yards on 12 carries.
After a scoreless trade of three-and-outs to open the third quarter, Ohio State drove from its own 5-yard line to the USC 31, fueled by runs of 14 and 28 yards from Bo Jackson. On first down, Fahey rolled left under pressure and threw into traffic to West, who fumbled after a hit. USC’s Floyd Bouchard recovered the loose ball.
The Trojan offense immediately capitalized. Maiava hit tight end Mark Bowman, who hurdled safety Jaylen McClain on a 70-yard gain down to the 3-yard line. Miller punched it in from 1 yard out two plays later, extending the lead to 27-9 with 6:11 left in the third quarter.
Hawkins hit a 47-yard field goal to make it 27-12. The Buckeyes responded with an 80-yard, 12-play march ending in their first touchdown against USC at the LA Coliseum in 77 years as Fahey rolled right and found Smith for a 1-yard score with 14:55 remaining. A two-point conversion pass fell incomplete, leaving the score at 27-18.
USC recovered an onside kick attempt and converted it into a 32-yard field goal by Chittenden, making it 30-18 with 1:46 left. Ohio State mounted one final drive into the red zone, but turned the ball over on downs at the 12-yard line after four consecutive incompletions with 36 seconds remaining. As the clock expired, USC students and fans rushed the field.
