LOS ANGELES, California—A power outage caused by excessive heat earlier in the day led to a brief delay in the second-half kickoff of Saturday night’s matchup between Utah State and USC.
Utah State traveled to Los Angeles for a week two showdown with the No. 13 USC Trojans on September 7. The kickoff was delayed as the Trojans emerged from the tunnel while Utah State remained in the locker room due to conditions on the field.
The game resumed shortly after, following a delay of under ten minutes. USC dominated the first half, taking a 27-0 lead at halftime, with the team’s rushing game, led by Woody Marks and Quinten Joyner, amassing 175 yards and scoring two touchdowns.
Further complications arose when additional lighting systems lost power with just over ten minutes left in the game, prompting another delay as the Trojans were leading 41-0. The fourth quarter resumed once the lighting issues were resolved.
In a touching moment, Utah State’s head coach Nate Dreiling surprised cornerback Noah Flores with the announcement that he had earned a scholarship. Overcome with emotion, Flores celebrated with his teammates. The redshirt freshman had not played in any games last season after joining USU as a walk-on, following an impressive high school career where he earned multiple honors.
Looking ahead, Utah State will face another significant challenge when they host the Utah Utes at Maverik Stadium on Saturday, September 14, with kickoff scheduled for 2:30 p.m. MT.