Instant Recap: USC takes care of business against Fresno State, 45-17

No. 7-ranked USC took down Fresno State, 45-17, leading from start to finish in what was a rather comfortable victory Saturday night in the Coliseum.

A strong rushing attack -- with Travis Dye (11 carries for 102 yards and a TD) and Austin Jones (12-110-1) each averaging more than 9 yards per carry -- powered the Trojans offense, while another up-and-down-outing from the defense did enough to hold the Bulldogs at bay.

The exit of Fresno State QB Jake Haener early in the second half after a sack fumble essentially shut the door on a potential Bulldogs comeback.

The Trojans are off to a 3-0 start, have scored at least 40 points in every game and have won each by at 13 or more points.

RELATED: Watch the postgame press conference with Lincoln Riley, Caleb Williams and Solomon Byrd

1st Quarter

USC, 10:12: Jordan Addison 2 yd pass from Caleb Williams, TD

USC, 3:38: Caleb Williams 8 yd run, TD

2nd Quarter

Fresno, 14:53: Abraham Montano 23 yd FG

USC, 8:02: Caleb Williams 1 yd run, TD

Fresno, 6:38: Erik Brooks 39 yd pass from Jake Haener, TD

3rd Quarter

USC, 11:15: Austin Jones 3 yd run, TD

Fresno, 9:08: Malik Sherrod 32 yd run, TD

USC, 7:20: Travis Dye 25 yd run, TD

4th Quarter

USC, 14:47: Malcolm Epps 10 yd pass from Caleb Williams, TD

USC, 4:10: Denis Lynch 41 yd FG

On the first drive of the second half, Fresno State appeared to be moving the ball well with a chance to close the deficit to 4 points.

After reaching the USC 47 following a pass interference call on Calen Bullock, the Bulldogs were poised to push for points. However, things took a turn quickly.

Jake Haener dropped back to pass on first down, barely setting his feet at the back of the pocket before Solomon Byrd came flying off the edge to smother him for a sack. Byrd had easily discarded the right tackle and leaped on Haener from the side, knocking the ball free and recovering the fumble.

That turnover was pivotal, preventing a Bulldogs score to tighten the game and allowing the Trojans to extend the lead five plays later on Austin Jones' 3-yard touchdown run.

More importantly, however, Haener’s ankle was rolled over on Byrd’s tackle, leaving the quarterback in obvious pain. He would be carted to the locker room, done for the night, which was a devastating blow for Fresno State, ending any real shot it had at making a comeback and allowing the Trojans to hold onto the lead through the end of the game.

The USC offense wasn’t as smooth as its been in the first half of other games early this season, but choosing to lean more on the rushing attack through the rest of the night allowed the offense to maximize its production and to squeeze the Bulldogs in the time-of-possession battle.

The Trojans were effective passing the ball throughout the game, but their success on the ground allowed them to take control, with both Austin Jones and Travis Dye inflicting serious damage against the opposing defense. USC’s offensive line consistently beat up on Fresno State up front, creating big lanes for both tough-nosed running backs to burst through.

The Trojans' running backs finished the night with 229 yards and two scores, in addition to two touchdowns scored on the ground by quarterback Caleb Williams. USC's dominance on the ground kept it in control of this game from start to finish, allowing for a comfortable win.

Travis Dye ripped off an incredible 25-yard touchdown in the third quarter, putting an exclamation point on his impressive performance.

Dye slipped through a large lane through the right side of the line before hesitating and redirecting to move past the traffic in front of him. The running back broke a tackle attempt before regaining his balance and plowing forward once again, only to face another set of defenders between himself and the goal line. Undeterred, Dye put his head down and kept churning, somehow breaking three more tackles on his way to a touchdown.

His spectacular effort stretched the Trojan lead out to 18 points once again, keeping the Bulldogs at a safe distance heading into the fourth quarter.

Jordan Addison once again had a brilliant outing for USC, grabbing six passes for 69 yards and a score. He started the game strong, making a tough reaching catch on an underthrown ball on the first drive before going on to cap it with a sliding touchdown grab by the front pylon. He continued to contribute with big plays early, reaching halftime with five receptions for 51 yards and a touchdown.

Addison almost had another score, reaching for the goal line after avoiding tacklers only to find himself short by a few inches. The reigning Biletnikoff Award winner had another highlight early in the third quarter, catching a curl route and spinning out of it violently to shake the defender entirely, sprinting after the catch for a gain of 18 yards. Running backs Austin Jones and Travis Dye both made impressive claims as well, notching 110 and 102 yards, respectively, with a score each.

Tuli Tuipulotu left his fingerprints all over this game, causing problems for the Fresno State offensive line through the night. He was active in the first half, one of the only Trojans to create penetration against the run early on and getting hot as a pass rusher in the second half. As Fresno State threatened to drive twice after forcing USC punts, Tuipulotu’s impact as a pass rusher helped hold the Bulldogs without a score on either heading into the half.

On the final drive of the half, he secured a key sack to set back Haener and his offense, quickly beating the offensive tackle off the edge. Tuipulotu continued to be disruptive into the second half, completely demolishing the Fresno State left tackle on a key red zone third down to notch a sack and all but end the drive.

Passing

Caleb Williams: 25/37, 284 yards, 2 TD

Rushing

Austin Jones: 12 carries, 110 yards, 1 TD

Travis Dye: 11 carries, 102 yards, 1 TD

Darwin Barlow: 2 carries, 17 yards

Caleb Williams: 12 carries, 1 yard, 2 TDs (including lost sack yardage)

Receiving

Mario Williams: 6 receptions, 79 yards

Jordan Addison: 6 receptions, 69 yards, 1 TD

Travis Dye: 3 receptions, 36 yards

Terrell Bynum: 1 reception, 29 yards

Tahj Washington: 1 reception, 21 yards

Austin Jones: 2 receptions, 16 yards

Malcolm Epps: 1 reception, 10 yards

Raleek Brown: 1 reception, 8 yards

-Lincoln Riley said left tackle Bobby Haskins could have returned to the game if needed. The Trojans finished with redshirt freshman Mason Murphy at left tackle, as co-starter Courtland Ford did not play due to a lower body injury.

-USC has scored 152 points through three games, which is the most in that span for a Trojans team since the 2005 team scored 178. The last time a USC team won its first three games by at least 10 points was 2007.

-USC has scored a touchdown on all seven of its first quarter drives this season.

-The Trojans' 10 takeaways -- after Malcolm Epps' interception on a Hail Mary and Solomon Byrd's forced fumble Saturday -- are the most through three games since the program had 12 in 2004.

-Jordan Addison is up to 18 receptions, 295 yards and 5 touchdowns through three games.

-Travis Dye and Austin Jones became the first pair of USC running backs to both rush for at least 100 yards in the same game since 2018 vs. Oregon State when Aca'Cedric Ware and Vavae Malepeai did it.

-Dye has back-to-back 100-yard games and now has nine such games for his career.

-USC has topped 500 yards of offense in each game this season -- the first time doing it in three consecutive games since 2017.

-Defensive lineman De'jon Benton returned to action after missing one game with a hand or arm injury.