DALLAS (FWAA) – The USC Trojans stunned No. 2 Ohio State, 30-18, Saturday night at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, scoring on their second play from scrimmage and holding the Buckeyes without a touchdown for nearly 58 minutes. For earning their first home victory over an Associated Press top-five opponent since 2015 and delivering the biggest victory of Lincoln Riley's tenure as head coach, the Trojans earned the Pop-Tarts Bowl Crazy Good Team of the Week honor for games of the weekend of Oct. 31, as selected by the All-America Committee of the Football Writers Association of America.
USC's fifth selection is its first since a 20-17 victory over No. 5 Stanford in 2013 under interim head coach Ed Orgeron. The Trojans also earned the honor in 2003 following a 23-0 victory at No. 6 Auburn, in 2005 after a 34-31 victory at Notre Dame, and in 2008 following a 35-3 rout of No. 5 Ohio State. Saturday's victory marks the second time USC has earned the award by defeating the Buckeyes. This is the 334th selection in the award's 25 seasons.
USC (7-2, 4-2 Big Ten) rebounded from a 24-7 loss at Wisconsin the previous week to score more points against Ohio State's defense than any opponent had in the Buckeyes' previous 31 games. The Trojans built a 20-9 halftime lead and extended their advantage to 27-9 in the third quarter before a rain-soaked Coliseum crowd stormed the field following the victory.
Freshman wide receiver Trent Mosley set the tone with a 69-yard touchdown reception from Jayden Maiava on USC's second offensive play. Mosley finished with five receptions for 101 yards and added a 44-yard punt return that helped set up Waymond Jordan's nine-yard touchdown run. Maiava completed 15 of 22 passes for 222 yards and a touchdown without an interception.
Freshman tight end Mark Bowman provided another highlight with a 70-yard reception in the third quarter, hurdling a defender and breaking multiple tackles to set up King Miller's one-yard touchdown run. USC's defense kept Ohio State out of the end zone until 2:12 remained, limiting the Buckeyes to three field goals on their first five possessions despite allowing 192 yards.
"That's two of the best teams in the country on the field right there," Riley said. "It's going to come down to who plays the situations best, and we did it tonight."
The victory was USC's first over a top-12 opponent under Riley and snapped Ohio State's remarkable run of success against unranked opponents under head coach Ryan Day. The Buckeyes (6-2, 4-1 Big Ten) fell to 58-2 against unranked opponents under Day. USC has an open date this weekend before visiting Indiana on Nov. 14.
The FWAA has recognized a National Team of the Week since the 2002 season. Weekly candidates are evaluated by the FWAA All-America Committee. Today's announcement will also be featured on the Cover 3 Podcast, hosted by Chip Patterson, Tom Fornelli, Danny Kanell and Bud Elliott of CBS Sports.
Each honored team will receive a delivery of assorted Pop-Tarts and a custom-crafted game ball from Big Game USA, the Dallas-based manufacturer of handcrafted American-made footballs.
Florida Citrus Sports is a not-for-profit event-management organization dedicated to positively impacting the Orlando region while enhancing the quality of life in Central Florida through world-class events. Its annual events include the Citrus Bowl, the Pop-Tarts Bowl, the Florida Blue Florida Classic, the Camping World Kickoff and the FC Series. For more information, visit FloridaCitrusSports.com.
Founded in 1941, the Football Writers Association of America consists of approximately 1,200 men and women who cover college football. Its membership includes journalists, broadcasters, publicists and key executives involved in the game. The FWAA works to govern areas that include game-day operations, major awards and its annual All-America team. For more information about the FWAA and its award programs, contact Steve Richardson at tiger@fwaa.com.