Penn State Falls to USC, 31-23, in Record-Breaking White Out

Tagged under: Gameday Hub, Penn State, Pennsylvania Colleges, pfn

Jacob Steinberg | October 11, 2026

State College– Penn State fell to No. 19 USC 31-23 Saturday night in its annual White Out game, extending its losing streak to three games despite a record-breaking crowd of 114,419 at Beaver Stadium.

Expectations lead to high standards. Sometimes, those standards cannot be met.

After starting the season 3-0, Penn State has failed to win a single Big Ten game. The Nittany Lions entered conference play as the No. 13 team in the country, but three consecutive losses to Wisconsin, Northwestern and USC have left them at 3-3 overall and 0-3 in conference play.

Penn State was playing in front of a sold-out White Out and had an opportunity to turn the season around against a nationally ranked opponent

Instead, Penn State left Beaver Stadium with another disappointing loss.

The 114,419 fans in attendance broke the previous stadium record of 111,030, set against Ohio State in 2024. It was the fourth-largest attendance for a regular-season college football game in history.

For first-year head coach Matt Campbell, the atmosphere was everything he could have imagined, however the result was not:

I think my disappointment is, right now, we can’t give them the result that they deserve.

USC started with the football and wasted little time in silencing the crowd.

Quarterback Jayden Maiava led the Trojans downfield on their opening possession, connecting with Trent Mosley for a 19-yard touchdown to give USC a 7-0 lead.

Unlike last week’s loss to Northwestern, Penn State had an answer.

Rocco Becht connected with Chase Sowell for a 47-yard gain, moving the Nittany Lions deep into USC territory. Facing fourth-and-two, Penn State kept its offense on the field.

Becht found Andrew Rappleyea for a 13-yard touchdown, tying the game at seven.

It was an aggressive decision from Campbell, something Penn State fans have been asking to see throughout the season.

Both teams punted to end the first quarter tied at seven.

USC responded early in the second quarter when Maiava connected with Tanook Hines for an 11-yard touchdown, putting the Trojans back in front 14-7.

Once again, Penn State had an answer.

Becht found Sowell for another explosive gain, and Carson Hansen finished the drive with a three-yard touchdown run to tie the game at 14.

The Nittany Lions’ defense forced USC into a missed 56-yard field goal attempt, but Penn State could not take advantage.

The Trojans eventually added a 37-yard field goal to take a 17-14 lead with just over two minutes remaining in the first half.

Penn State put together one final drive before halftime. Becht completed five passes and scrambled for 10 yards on fourth down to extend the possession.

Ryan Barker connected on a 48-yard field goal as time expired.

The two teams entered halftime tied at 17.

For the first time in several weeks, Penn State’s offense showed some consistency. Becht was connecting on downfield throws, Sowell was making plays and the Nittany Lions were keeping pace with one of the Big Ten’s best offenses.

USC opened the second half with a surprise onside kick, but Penn State recovered and took over with excellent field position.

However, the Nittany Lions could only manage a 35-yard field goal from Barker, taking their first lead of the night, 20-17.

That lead did not last long. Maiava led USC on a 10-play scoring drive, capped off by a 13-yard touchdown run from King Miller. The Trojans reclaimed the lead, 24-20.

Penn State responded with another lengthy possession, moving the football inside USC’s 10-yard line.

But once again, the drive stalled. Barker connected on a 26-yard field goal, cutting USC’s lead to 24-23 early in the fourth quarter.

Penn State had moved the ball into scoring position on consecutive second-half possessions but came away with only six points. Those missed opportunities would prove costly.

USC marched 71 yards on its next possession, with Maiava finding Kayden Dixon-Wyatt for a touchdown to extend the Trojans’ lead to 31-23.

Penn State needed one final scoring drive to tie the game.

With under four minutes remaining, Becht connected with Brett Eskildsen for a 25-yard gain into USC territory. However, USC defender Christian Pierce forced a fumble, ending Penn State’s opportunity to tie the game.

The Trojans recovered and ran out the remaining clock, securing the 31-23 victory.

For Penn State, the loss was frustrating, but there were improvements that the last two weeks did not see.

Becht finished 21-of-32 for 289 yards and a touchdown.

Sowell led Penn State with 95 receiving yards, including several explosive plays that helped keep the Nittany Lions in the game.

Chase Sowell acknowledged the progress afterward:

I think we definitely found the rhythm and credit to Rocco (Becht). I think we did a great job of sticking to the game plan.

But he also admitted that the offense is not where it needs to be:

Do I think we are where we need to be? No. I think we can still keep growing, but I definitely do think we took a step forward.

Penn State finished with 357 total yards, including just 68 rushing yards.

Although the rushing attack improved slightly from its 48-yard performance against Northwestern, it remains a major concern.

USC, meanwhile, totaled 430 yards of offense.

Maiava completed 21-of-33 passes for 301 yards and three touchdowns without an interception. Mosley finished with nine receptions for 111 yards and a touchdown.

Penn State’s defense struggled to generate consistent pressure, especially in third-and-long situations.

Campbell admitted afterward that the defense’s inability to finish drives was a major factor:

I thought the biggest killers were some of the third down opportunities that we weren’t able to finish on

Defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn frequently used three-man rushes, attempting to disguise coverages and limit USC’s explosive passing attack. But with limited pressure, Maiava often had enough time to find open receivers.

Campbell acknowledged the need for adjustments:

We’re going to have to continue to find ways to get creative. To get to that point and not be able to finish, those are the things we have to keep taking a look at

One positive was linebacker Tony Rojas, who finished with 10 tackles, a sack and a forced fumble. Rojas has continued to be one of Penn State’s most consistent defensive players throughout the season.

Defensive end Caleb Bacon also addressed the team’s inability to generate pressure:

I think it starts with looking at each person, look at yourself, seeing where you can be better each week in practice.

Despite the defensive struggles, Penn State played a more competitive game than it did against Northwestern.

The offense showed signs of life, Becht looked more comfortable and the Nittany Lions were aggressive on several fourth-down opportunities.

But the result remained the same. Another Big Ten conference loss.

Penn State has now dropped to 3-3, and Campbell remains winless in Big Ten play through his first three conference games.

The Nittany Lions also fall to 11-8 in full-stadium White Out games, with consecutive losses to Oregon and USC.

The crowd did everything it could. Sowell described the atmosphere after the game:

Like the first snap, first play, the ground was literally shaking.

Unfortunately, that energy was not enough to deliver a victory.

Penn State now travels to Michigan next Saturday, looking to avoid its fourth consecutive loss before returning home to face Purdue on October 31.

The Nittany Lions were expected to compete for a Big Ten championship and potentially return to the College Football Playoff. Instead, they are searching for their first conference victory. Penn State played better Saturday night, but better does not always mean good enough, especially for a Penn State franchise.