WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — After waiting out a storm that pushed kickoff back more than three hours, Southern California came through with a gritty 33–17 victory over Purdue on Saturday. The Trojans snapped a long drought in the Eastern and Central time zones, earning their first win east of the Mississippi since 2012.
Key Players Step Up
Jayden Maiava ran for a touchdown and threw for 282 yards, completing 17 of 28 passes.
Waymond Jordan contributed a touchdown on the ground, rushing 77 yards in 18 attempts.
On defense, Jamaal Jarrett, the 360-pound tackle, made a huge play: a 70-yard interception return for a touchdown.
Purdue’s Effort & Turning Points
Purdue (2–1, 0–1 Big Ten) mounted a fight. Quarterback Ryan Browne threw for 305 yards and a touchdown and even scored on a 34-yard run while scooping up a loose lateral. But three interceptions killed some promising drives, and the Boilermakers couldn’t quite keep pace.
Game Flow & Momentum Shifts
The game was delayed 3 hours, 5 minutes due to weather. Once it finally began, USC opened scoring with a Maiava 3-yard rushing touchdown in the second quarter.
A Jordan 6-yard run before halftime made it 17–3. USC tacked on a pair of field goals to open the second half, then Jarrett’s interception scored late in the third made it 30–10 and put the game out of reach.
What This Means
For USC:
This win ends a long stretch without victories in the Eastern Time zone, showing toughness on the road. Even though they weren’t at their offensive peak, they made enough plays in key moments.
For Purdue:
They were competitive in stretches and showed fight, but turnovers and missed opportunities — especially in the red zone — cost them. New coach Barry Odom will likely focus on cleaning up mistakes.
Up Next:
USC returns home to host Michigan State.
Purdue faces a tough road test: they travel to take on No. 8 Notre Dame.
