USC Upsets No. 2 Ohio State 30-18

USC defeated No. 2 Ohio State 30-18 on Oct. 31, 2026 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Freshman tight end Mark Bowman, in his first game since Sept. 26 after a hamstring injury, caught a third-quarter pass from Jayden Maiava and turned it into a 70-yard gain. He hurdled Jaylen McClain, broke tackle attempts by Earl Little Jr. and Dominick Kelly, and threw a shoulder into Riley Pettijohn before running out of bounds. The play set up a 1-yard touchdown run by King Miller that helped USC reach a 27-9 lead. Bowman finished with three catches for 79 yards. Riley said he was on a low pitch count and a game-time decision after his first full practice week. Bowman entered with 21 catches for 204 yards and two touchdowns. Postgame, Riley said he taught Bowman the hurdle and called it a big-time play. Bowman said Coach Riley taught him how and will telepathically tell it to him. Riley said Bowman is an explosive player and that getting best players back makes a big difference. One account had USC ahead 14-3 after the first quarter and 20-9 at halftime. No material factual disputes appear across the rated coverage.