Lincoln Riley was drowning in more scrutiny than arguably ever before following last Saturday's 24-7 road loss versus Wisconsin, but both the USC football head coach and his team have risen to the occasion in their home matchup versus No. 2 Ohio State. The Buckeyes are certainly limited offensively with the inexperienced Luke Fahey at quarterback, but the Trojans are also finding success versus an elite defense.
Mark Bowman displayed incredible strength on a stunning play in the third quarter.
The freshman tight end got wide open and snagged a big reception for a first down in the middle of the field, but he did not stop there. Bowman hurdled a defender, broke multiple tackles and ran more than 30 yards longer than he should have. Ohio State kept him out of the end zone, just barely, but King Miller finished off the drive with a one-yard score.
Article Continues Belowthis was unbelievable pic.twitter.com/HsNVHdadCZ
— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) November 1, 2026
Amid all the criticism the program has been receiving, it took absolute defiance and sheer will to position USC for a massive, potentially season-saving victory. The Trojans grabbed a 27-9 lead and are still up double digits in the fourth.