2026 PSU vs. USC

Back to 2026 Schedule

General Pre-Game Information

• Game Six of 2026 season—This is the third game on Penn State’s Big Ten schedule and second of 5 league contests at home. PSU is facing USC for the first time ever at Beaver Stadium in a Big Ten Conference game, and for only the second time ever as league foes. Penn State (0-0, 0-0) is coming off its Big Ten Friday night road opener at Northwestern. The USC Trojans (0-0, 0-0) are coming off their Oct. 3 home date with Washington. This game pits new Penn State Defensive Coordinator D’Anton Lynn against his former team. Lynn was the Trojans DC in 2024 & 2025 before being hired away by Matt Campbell.

• Last PSU Game played (Fri., Oct. 2): Penn State X Northwestern X at “New” Ryan Field in Evanston, IL

• Current Rankings: AP Poll-TBA / US LBM Coaches Poll-TBA

• USC 2025 Record: 9-4 overall, 7-2 in Big Ten (2-4 away from home including the bowl)—Head Coach: Lincoln Riley (5th season)—Riley is 0-1 vs. PSU with the loss coming in overtime in 2024 at Los Angeles.

• 12th meeting with USC all-time (3rd at home): Penn State is 5-6 all-time vs. USC and 2-0 vs. the Trojans at Beaver Stadium with those wins coming in 1993 and 1994. The Lions are 1-2 vs. USC at the LA Coliseum (lone win came in 2024 in the first in-conference meeting of the two). PSU is also 2-4 all-time vs. USC at neutral sites—1-3 in bowl games (1-0 Fiesta/0-3 Rose) and 1-1 in Kickoff Classics played in the old Giants Stadium at the New Jersey Meadowlands—The neutral site wins came at the 1982 Fiesta Bowl and the 1996 Kickoff Classic. The series with USC dates to the 1923 Rose Bowl which saw the Nittany Lions lose 14-3 in the first ever bowl game to be played in the current Rose Bowl Stadium. Since then, PSU lost to USC in two additional Rose Bowl Games in 2009 and 2017. The 2017 game which ended 52-49 on a last second Trojan field goal was the first Rose Bowl to exceed 100 points, and the 101 points remains the record for most scored in a regulation Rose Bowl game. Saquon Barkley rushed for 194 yards and 2 TDs with Trace McSorley passing for 254 yards and 4 TDs (2 to Chris Godwin).

• Last PSU Game vs. USC (2024 at the LA Coliseum): The 4th ranked Nittany Lions needed some heroics from Drew Allar, Tyler Warren, Julian Fleming, and Ryan Barker to come from 14-points down and pull out a 33-30 win in overtime to remain unbeaten at 6-0. It was also PSU’s first victory over the Trojans in the 6 games played in California in this series and their second win all-time at the Coliseum including a 1968 win over UCLA.

• Tyler Warren’s record-setting performance at USC in 2024: Oddly, Topps Bowman U Now football card released after this one to celebrate Allar’s performance.

• Last PSU Game vs. USC at Beaver Stadium (1994): 9th ranked Penn State jumped on #14 USC right off the bat and rolled to a 35-0 lead at the half. Ki-Jana Carter opened the scoring with a 32-yard TD run and Kerry Collins followed with TD passes to Freddie Scott and Bobby Engram to blow the game open. USC lost control just seconds after the Carter TD when a Rob Johnson QB fumble was recovered by Brian Gelzheiser LB at the Trojan 44. Next play, it’s Collins to Scott for 44 yards and the score and the rout was in progress. PSU took its foot off the gas in the second half and won 38-14 for a 2-0 start to what would be a 12-0 championship season. Note: PSU played 8 conference games in the 1994 season, but interestingly, 3 of their 4 non-conference opponents that season would later become Big Ten members (USC, Rutgers, & Oregon).

• Memorable (& Critical) PSU-USC moment from the 1982 Fiesta Bowl: A light rain had fallen on the grass field at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, AZ prior to the game. After the opening kick, USC has the ball at its own 20. On the first play, USC QB John Mazur hands off to Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Allen. Allen bobbles the ball and is hit by PSU DT Dave Opfar causing the ball to bounce off Allen’s knee into the air. Roger Jackson (who had made the clutch endzone INT of Dan Marino in the victory over Pitt to close the ‘81 regular season) makes the grab at the USC 17 giving the Nittany Lions incredible field position. Two plays later, Curt Warner bursts up the middle and slants left for the 17-yard TD run as Penn State jumps out to a 7-0 lead just 15 second into the game. It’s the 2nd straight year in which Warner scored on his first touch in a bowl game. Penn State goes on to stun USC, 26-10 as Warner rushes 26 times for 145 yards and 2 TDs to easily outshine the Heisman winner.

• 1st Xpm ET kick for PSU in 2026 season.

  TV/Radio Information

• TV Game Announcers: TBA

• First game televised on X since

• This is the xx game this season to be televised on a traditional or non-traditional TV Network

• Penn State Radio Network Announcers: Steve Jones (PBP), Jack Ham (Analyst), & Brian Tripp (Sidelines). Jones & Ham are in their 27th season in the booth together. Ham, a member of both the CHOF (1990) and Pro Football Hall of Fame (1988), played linebacker at Penn State (1968-70). Jones (Class of 1980) & Tripp (Class of 2011) are also Penn State grads.