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The No. 19 USC Trojans and coach Lincoln Riley earned their most signature win of the 2026 college football season, defeating the Penn State Nittany Lions 31-23 on Saturday night at Beaver Stadium.
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The win moves the Trojans to 6-1 and keeps them in the College Football Playoff conversation, with their one loss coming to the No. 13 Oregon Ducks. After the win, several USC players were seen celebrating with members of the Trojan marching band on their way to the locker room. USC’s iconic marching band has always been known for traveling well, and that held in the Trojans’ win on Saturday night over the Nittany Lions. Here’s a look at the moment.
Penn State’s locker room is under construction so the USC players and band celebrated on the way to the locker room
Imagine being a Penn State fan stuck between this pic.twitter.com/P6CjqLspVQ
– Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) October 11, 2026
It was a win for the Trojans that was much-needed, and one that Riley even called one of his best as a coach. Riley also took a swipe at the doubters who predicted the Trojans would lose on Saturday night in a hostile whiteout environment against Penn State.
“One of my favorite wins as a head coach, no question, for so many reasons. Obviously, it’s a phenomenal atmosphere. It’s as good as it gets there. Credit to Penn State and their fans. But proud of our team, man,” Riley said.
“We didn’t listen to all you guys had to say on the outside. This group doesn’t really care. Nobody in the world gave us a chance to come in and win this game. We did it our way. We won on our terms, and I’m really damn proud of this football team.”
“The best is ahead for this group. This will be a big spark for us going into the bye week and this next stretch of the season. But huge contributions on all sides. This is a tough place to play and a really hard place to win. You’ve got to really outplay them to beat them,” Riley continued.
USC Trojans Top Performers vs. Penn State Nittany Lions
After his struggles in the 25-21 win over the Washington Huskies, Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava returned to the style of play USC fans have seen from their signal caller, throwing for 301 yards and three touchdowns on 21-of-33 passing. The Trojans’ wide receivers headlined USC’s win, especially true freshman Trent Mosley, who returned in style from his knee injury.
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“How awesome is he? He was really key to the win. We didn’t know he’d play until warm-ups. It was out of thin air, a little bit. He was ready to go. Everyone knows on this roster that he’s a hard-nosed competitor. And he played his butt off; a lot of guys did. And in that environment? You can’t say enough about him,” Riley said.
Mosley led the Trojans in receiving with nine receptions for 111 yards and one touchdown. With season-ending injuries to Corey Simms and Terrell Anderson, other wide receivers stepped up, including Tanook Hines, who added four receptions for 82 yards and a touchdown. Kayden Dixon Wyatt’s two receptions for 28 yards and a touchdown were also crucial.
Trojans running back King Miller also recorded 19 carries for 102 yards and a touchdown, an encouraging sign for USC’s rushing attack, which has had its ups and downs this season. The Trojans now enter their first bye week before another road test on Saturday, Oct. 24, at Camp Randall Stadium against the Wisconsin Badgers.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/usc as USC Marching Band Earns Viral Moment After Trojans Win Over Penn State .
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This story was originally published October 11, 2026 at 9:15 AM.