PISCATAWAY, N.J. — The No. 12 University of Southern California (USC) football team secured a narrow 42-35 victory over Rutgers on Saturday, extending its challenging record on the road in Big Ten play despite efforts to improve travel conditions and game preparation.

Head coach Lincoln Riley entered his third season navigating Big Ten road games with cautious optimism following a combined 2-6 record away from Los Angeles in the conference over the past two years. With the goal of better equipping his team, USC utilized enhanced travel arrangements, including borrowing a plane from the Arizona Cardinals outfitted with lie-down seats to provide greater comfort ahead of the trip to Rutgers.

Despite these measures and facing a Rutgers squad that had dropped its first two contests of the season to Boston College and Massachusetts, the Trojans struggled throughout the matchup. USC’s defense, led by first-year coordinator Gary Patterson, showed signs of earlier improvement this season but was repeatedly challenged by a Scarlet Knights offense that amassed 460 total yards. Prior to Saturday, Rutgers’ offense was notably prone to turnovers, throwing interceptions on over 10 percent of their passes, but that trend did not continue against USC.

The game featured uneven play from both teams, with the Trojans narrowly holding on to secure the win. Following the contest, Riley acknowledged the team’s inconsistent performance. “It’s good to get a win,” Riley said in a postgame interview. “We didn’t play our best ball on all sides. We’re going to have to play a whole lot better. Give Rutgers credit, they made some [gutsy] calls, some really good plays.”

USC’s victory does little to ease concerns about their ongoing difficulties winning away games in Big Ten venues, where their overall record remains bleak despite numerous adjustments. The Trojans will look to build on this result as they continue to navigate a demanding conference schedule.