Kayden Dixon-Wyatt’s body twisted in the air — just enough so that he could still plant his left foot inside the red paint of Rutgers’ end zone.
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The true freshman receiver’s vertical jump and catch radius allowed him to snatch a high pass from Jayden Maiava and get No. 12 USC (4-0) the valuable two points it needed to extend its lead to 35-21 against the upset-minded Scarlet Knights (0-3) on Saturday afternoon.
“In practice, we go over those (catches) — me and Jayden,” Dixon-Wyatt told reporters after the game. “I feel like it’s nothing new out there and it’s a repetition thing. So if you keep getting reps and reps, eventually it’ll come easier.”
The Mater Dei product has now surpassed Trent Mosley as the team’s leading receiver. Mosley was not available due to a knee injury for the 42-35 road win over Rutgers, leaving the Trojans to experiment with other offensive tools.
Dixon-Wyatt, receiver Corey Simms and running back Riley Wormley answered the call on a day in which the offense significantly outperformed the defense.
“(Simms and Wormley are) two of the stronger competitors on the team that have been really good special teams players,” head coach Lincoln Riley said. “They’re two guys that you never have to worry about their effort or their physicality or their competitiveness.”
Dixon-Wyatt was the leading receiver with five catches for 77 yards, and his nine targets made him Maiava’s favorite target of the game. Simms collected 72 yards and a 52-yard touchdown on four catches, with a team-high 33 yards after catch, and Wormley broke off a handful of explosive runs — something USC has been looking for.
He carried the ball three times for 52 yards and a touchdown and also caught a 2-yard pass for a quick score.
“With my preparation and eventually getting an opportunity to go on the field,” Wormley said, “I’m very thankful to the coaches and thankful to God. It’s all glory to God.”
USC will need Mosley’s compact yet powerful 5-foot-11 frame and his elite route-running ability as it goes deeper into Big Ten Conference play — starting with Oregon this weekend.
It’s unclear when the former Santa Margarita player will be back. Riley said the injury is not expected to be long-term and added that it’s something the team is continuing to monitor.
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There is solid depth in the run game between King Miller, Waymond Jordan and Wormley, and running backs coach Anthony Jones, Jr. holds them to a high standard. Maiava has multiple receivers to choose from in addition to dependable tight end Mark Bowman.
The defense just needs to keep them on the field.
Rutgers scored a season-high 35 points against USC after losing its first two games of the season to the lowly UMass and Boston College and had the ball for 33:08, compared to USC’s 26:52.
The Scarlet Knights also produced a season-high 168 rushing yards, and their 292 passing yards were the most the Trojans had allowed all season. Running back Antwan Raymond unleashed a 49-yard rush that set teammate Clay Thevenin up for a 17-yard touchdown run.
It overshadowed Prophet Brown’s interception returned for a 99-yard touchdown and fellow safety Christian Pierce’s first-quarter interception.
“I like our good, but when we get teams — especially behind the chains — we better do a better job of making them pay,” Riley said. “That’s kind of when the game is in your favor defensively and that’s when we were at our worst today.”
USC has a lot to shore up before its first Top-25 matchup of the season when Oregon comes to the Coliseum on Saturday.
The Ducks have struggled out of the gate with a loss to unranked Oklahoma State and a near-loss to Boise State, another unranked team, in their season opener. They made a statement by shutting out Portland State 84-0 on Friday.
Whichever team wins in Los Angeles on Saturday will achieve a momentum-controlling, signature win.
“The locker room, the coaches, everyone,” Riley said of what gives him confidence. “It’ll be a fun atmosphere and we’re looking forward to it. We’ve got to have a good week of preparation and these are the kinds of games that you enjoy being in the Coliseum for and being at USC for.”
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