Wk 3 · 2026

USC Trojans at Rutgers Scarlet Knights — Sat, Sep 19

Sat, Sep 19 · SHI Stadium, Piscataway, NJ · CBS FINAL

Weather

No forecast yet. Forecasts reach about 16 days ahead, so this fills in nearer the game. A seasonal average printed here would look exactly like a forecast, which is why there is not one.

#12 USC Trojans

Big Ten · 6-1

3:30pET

USC -21 · total 58.5 DraftKings opened +24.5 · 3.5 toward RUTG

Ratings differential USC by 13.3

Rutgers Scarlet Knights

Big Ten · 1-4

What is at stake

A Big Ten game — it counts in the standings that decide that league's championship game. Run the race. USC is ranked #19 (AP Top 25 · 2026-10-04).

What the ratings imply

The differential above is arithmetic on two published numbers: The CFB King’s 2026 final efficiency ratings, plus 2.4 points of home field. It is not a projection, a value, an edge or a lean, and nothing on this site compares it with the betting line to tell you one is better. Until 2026 games are played it is last season’s measurement of two teams that have changed.

Efficiency · 2026 ratings

USC: +12.0#24

Efficiency margin

Rutgers: -3.7#86

USC: 38.9

Offense (pts/100)

Rutgers: 31.8

USC: 17.9

Defense (pts/100)

Rutgers: 26.6

USC: 69.3

Pace (plays/g)

Rutgers: 65.4

USC: 6.67

Yards / play

Rutgers: 6.05

USC: 5.95

Yards / play allowed

Rutgers: 6.72

Opponent-adjusted ratings from The College King's 2026 final numbers. Bars share a scale within each row, so the two lengths are comparable; the brighter side is the better of the two, and a longer bar is the better number — including the rows where a lower figure is the good one. Pace is the exception: it is how fast a team plays, not how well, so neither side is lit and a longer bar there means only more plays.

Team stats · 2026 per game

USC: 36.4

Points / game

Rutgers: 30.0

USC: 25.1

Points allowed

Rutgers: 32.2

USC: 462

Yards / game

Rutgers: 396

USC: 350

Yards allowed

Rutgers: 407

USC: 239

Pass yds allowed

Rutgers: 208

USC: 111

Rush yds allowed

Rutgers: 199

USC: 0.86

Turnovers / game

Rutgers: 2.00

From completed 2026 box scores; defensive yardage covers the regular season and conference championships.

USC form

W 31-23at PSUW 25-21vs WASHL 27-41vs OREW 42-35at RUTGW 49-30vs UL

2026 season

Rutgers form

L 15-47vs IUW 58-7vs HOWL 35-42vs USCL 21-28at BCL 21-37vs MASS

2026 season

USC this season

Straight up6-1 · 86% (7 games)

Against the spread2-5 · 29% (7 games)

Over / under4-3 · 57% (7 games)

Rutgers this season

Straight up1-4 · 20% (5 games)

Against the spread2-3 · 40% (5 games)

Over / under4-1 · 80% (5 games)

Lines are captured from ESPN's board before kickoff and locked at kickoff, so an in-play price cannot overwrite the number a game is graded against.

Common opponents · 4

Opponent	USC	Rutgers
Penn State Big Ten	at W 31-23 preview	at Wk 12 · scheduled preview
Wisconsin Big Ten	at Wk 8 · scheduled preview	at Wk 10 · scheduled preview
Indiana Big Ten	at Wk 11 · scheduled preview	vs L 15-47 preview
Maryland Big Ten	vs Wk 12 · scheduled preview	at Wk 7 · scheduled preview

Open these two in the comparison tool for every shared and unshared opponent.

Series history · 2006–2026

Since 2006, USC leads 2–0 · USC has won the last 2

2 meetings in 2006–2026 · average margin 14.5 points toward USC

Yr	Date	Result	Site	Won
2026	2026-09-19	USC 42 — 35 Rutgers	at RUTG	USC
2024	2024-10-25	Rutgers 20 — 42 USC	at USC	USC

USC leaders 2026 regular season

Passing	Jayden Maiava QB #14	131/191, 1744 YDS, 15 TD, 3 INT
	Jonas Williams QB #15	12/14, 126 YDS, 1 INT
Rushing	King Miller RB #8	95 CAR, 493 YDS, 3 TD
	Waymond Jordan RB #2	57 CAR, 265 YDS, 2 TD
	Shahn Alston RB #22	17 CAR, 92 YDS, 1 TD
Receiving	Kayden Dixon-Wyatt WR #17	25 REC, 372 YDS, 3 TD
	Zacharyus Williams WR #0	14 REC, 258 YDS, 1 TD
	Trent Mosley WR #4	13 REC, 255 YDS, 4 TD
	Mark Bowman TE #19	21 REC, 204 YDS, 2 TD

Defense

Tackles	Christian Pierce S #6	35
	Deven Bryant LB #17	33
	Luke Wafle DE #94	22
Sacks	Kennedy Urlacher S #9	2
	Alex Graham CB #7	2
	Jadyn Ramos DE #95	2
Interceptions	Prophet Brown CB #16	2
	Christian Pierce S #6	1

full roster and per-player history

Rutgers leaders 2026 regular season

Passing	Dylan Lonergan QB #12	51/92, 775 YDS, 7 TD, 5 INT
	AJ Surace QB #10	33/53, 475 YDS, 6 TD, 4 INT
Rushing	Antwan Raymond RB #3	89 CAR, 469 YDS, 4 TD
	Clay Thevenin RB #9	42 CAR, 180 YDS, 3 TD
	Aiden Gibson RB #32	11 CAR, 35 YDS
Receiving	KJ Duff WR #8	33 REC, 628 YDS, 7 TD
	Ben Black III WR #2	9 REC, 180 YDS, 2 TD
	Jourdin Houston WR #4	15 REC, 169 YDS
	Antwan Raymond RB #3	9 REC, 72 YDS, 1 TD

Defense

Tackles	Chris Joines DB #20	25
	Bradlee Jones DB #5	25
	Jesse Ofurie DB #16	23
Sacks	Moses Walker LB #2	1.5
	Rondo Porter DL #99	1.5
	Zaire Angoy DL #55	1
Interceptions	Moses Walker LB #2	2
	Bradlee Jones DB #5	2

full roster and per-player history

These are regular-season totals for the season named on each card — the players who led that team that year, taken from ESPN's team leaders. That list is keyed to the season, not to today's roster, so a leader who has since transferred or run out of eligibility still appears against the year he earned it; the roster pages and the depth chart on each team page are where the current squad is. A team switches to this season's numbers once it has played a game. The roster pages count bowl games too, so a player's two lines can differ by a game.