USC wide receiver Trent Mosley, left, is tackled by Fresno State’s Tytus Khajavi during the first quarter on Friday, Sept. 4, 2026, at the Coliseum. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
USC’s Kayden Dixon-Wyatt (17) pulled in this long pass to set up USC’s first TD as Fresno State’s Kiontre Harris (31) defends on the play during first quarter action at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Friday, September 4, 2026. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Fresno State’s Jayden Mandal (7) is sacked by USC’s Kennedy Urlacher (9) during second quarter action at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Friday, September 4, 2026. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
USC’s King Miller (8) drives against Fresno State’s Simeon Harris (5) during first quarter action at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Friday, September 4, 2026. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
USC’s Trent Mosley (4) dives in for a touch down during second quarter action at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Friday, September 4, 2026. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Fresno State head coach Matt Entz at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Friday, September 4, 2026. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Fresno State’s QB Jayden Mandal (7) is driven back for a safety by USC’s Jide Abasiri (97) and Kennedy Urlacher (9) during second quarter action at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Friday, September 4, 2026. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
USC’s QB Jayden Maiava (14) gives instruction to King Miller (8) during first quarter action at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Friday, September 4, 2026. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
USC’s Kennedy Urlacher (9) celebrates a QB sack during second quarter action at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Friday, September 4, 2026. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
USC’s Waymond Jordan (2) falls in for a touch down as Fresno State’s Tytus Khajavi (35) and Logan Studt (18) defend on the play during second quarter action at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Friday, September 4, 2026. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
USC’s Waymond Jordan (2) breaks tackles for a long gain against Fresno State during first quarter action at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Friday, September 4, 2026. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Fans watch from the stands during USC’s game against Fresno State on Friday night at the Coliseum. Attendance was up slightly from last weekend’s season opener but still well below capacity. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
USC’s Trent Mosley (4) jumps over Fresno State’s Ethan Tierney (4) during first quarter action at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Friday, September 4, 2026. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Crowds on hand for the USC vs Fresno State game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Friday, September 4, 2026. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Fresno State running back Julius Gillick (24) gets wrapped up by USC defensive back Jontez Williams, left, and defensive end Kameryn Crawford during the second quarter on Friday night at the Coliseum. USC dominated on both sides of the ball in a 39-0 win. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Fresno State’s QB Jayden Mandal (7) fumbles the football as he is tackled by USC’s Kennedy Urlacher (9) during second quarter action at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Friday, September 4, 2026. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
USC’s Jide Abasiri (97) and Alex VanSumeren (91) celebrate a quarterback sack against Fresno State during second quarter action at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Friday, September 4, 2026. USC defeated Fresno State 39-0. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
USC fans at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Friday, September 4, 2026. USC defeated Fresno State 39-0. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Fresno State’s RJ Regan (20) tries to slow down USC’s Waymond Jordan (2) during 3rd quarter action at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Friday, September 4, 2026. USC defeated Fresno State 39-0. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
USC head coach Lincoln Riley reacts to a fourth quarter safety by the Trojans against Fresno State at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Friday, September 4, 2026. USC defeated Fresno State 39-0. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
USC’s Alex Graham (7) sacks Fresno State’s quarterback Jayden Mandal (7) during 3rd quarter action at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Friday, September 4, 2026. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
USC’s Riley Wormley (27) drives for yardage as Fresno State’s Tommy Nix (36) defends on the play during 4th quarter action at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Friday, September 4, 2026. USC defeated Fresno State 39-0. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
USC’s Zacharyus Williams (0) drives into a pack of Fresno State defenders during fourth quarter action at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Friday, September 4, 2026. USC defeated Fresno State 39-0. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
USC defensive coordinator Gary Patterson looks on during a game against Fresno State on Friday, Sept. 4, 2026, at the Coliseum. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
USC players warm up before the start of game 2 against Fresno State at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Friday, September 4, 2026. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
USC’s Traveler takes the field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Friday, September 4, 2026. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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USC wide receiver Trent Mosley, left, is tackled by Fresno State’s Tytus Khajavi during the first quarter on Friday, Sept. 4, 2026, at the Coliseum. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
LOS ANGELES — USC got another near-perfect night from quarterback Jayden Maiava and a dominant showing from its defense in a 39-0 victory over Fresno State on Friday night at the Coliseum.
It was USC’s first shutout since beating Utah State, 48-0, on Sept. 7, 2024.
Maiava completed 23 of 25 passes for 349 yards and three touchdowns, as the 14th-ranked Trojans built on their season-opening victory over San José State last weekend. True freshman Trent Mosley was the leading receiver for the second straight game with six catches for 104 yards and two TDs, while the defense limited Fresno State to 116 yards of total offense.
“Excited about the win,” head coach Lincoln Riley said. “I’m really excited about the shutout. That’s hard to do. It doesn’t happen very often in college football these days. We played to our standard for a higher level tonight.”
USC (2-0) allowed just 49 yards through the first three quarters while recording two safeties and forcing two turnovers under new coordinator Gary Patterson.
The Trojans had a 30-0 lead by halftime, but they struggled to get their running game going and collected just 73 yards on the ground in the first two quarters. The one rushing touchdown was punched in by Waymond Jordan on a 2-yard run at the tail end of a two-minute drill just before halftime.
Receiver Tanook Hines quickly made his presence known after sitting out the season opener with an injury. Maiava extended USC’s opening drive with a deep, 42-yard pass to Kayden Dixon-Wyatt on fourth down and, two plays later, he dropped back and weaved his way through the trenches to get off an 8-yard touchdown pass to Hines.
Safety Prophet Brown recorded his first career interception when he picked off Bulldogs quarterback Jayden Mandal, who was named the starter earlier this week, to cut Fresno State’s first drive short. USC gave up the ball shortly after, however, when defensive lineman Dylan Hampsten punched the ball out of Jordan’s grip to force a fumble.
USC’s defense gained momentum as the opening half progressed, and safety Kennedy Urlacher shined on two big plays.
He sprinted off the edge and charged at Mandal, knocking him into the end zone and off the field for a safety with 7:09 left in the second quarter. He blitzed the quarterback again later in the half for a strip sack, and Floyd Boucard scooped up the ball to give his team possession at the 20-yard line.
“Coach sent me on the blitz,” Urlacher said. “Happy to blitz. Just went out there and executed the call.”
USC’s defense logged five sacks in the game. Urlacher was credited with two, and nickelback Alex Graham, defensive end Jadyn Ramos and defensive Jide Abasiri each had one.
Meanwhile, on offense, the Trojans added three more touchdowns before the halftime break – including Mosley’s two scoring catches.
Maiava hit the freshman with a deep pass, and Mosley juked a defender to stay in bounds to polish off a 68-yard touchdown at the 12:27 mark. Mosley was waiting in the corner of the end zone for his other touchdown – a 9-yard strike with 4:07 left.
“(My confidence comes from) a lot of the trust that I have in the guys,” Maiava said. “And the relationship that I have with those guys. And Coach Riley, (quarterbacks) coach (Luke) Huard. Those guys allow me to go out there and play well and play ball.”
Jordan’s rushing touchdown extended the lead to 30-0 with 14 seconds on the clock.
The USC defense continued to hold off Fresno the rest of the night and added two more points on Graham’s safety with 5:15 left in the third quarter.
The offense struggled to score as second- and third-string players entered the game.
Dixon-Wyatt – who caught six passes on the night for 102 yards – fumbled the ball near the 10-yard line on the first drive of the third quarter, and the Trojans were unable to convert on third down at the end of the period. Jonas Williams had come in to replace Maiava, who played just one series after halftime.
“That’s just not good enough,” Riley said. “We’ve got to be more consistent. We were still a little sloppy early in the run game. We made some explosive plays in the pass game, but we’ve got a lot of work to do.”
Deshonne Redeaux burst into the end zone on an 8-yard run for his first collegiate touchdown with 5:46 left in the game.
More than half of Fresno’s total yards (60) came on the final drive, which the Trojans snuffed out on fourth down in the red zone.
USC has one more nonconference game left on its schedule before beginning Big Ten play. Louisiana comes to the Coliseum for an 8 p.m. kickoff next Saturday, then the Trojans travel to Rutgers the following week for their conference opener.