The No.-15 ranked USC Trojans opened the season with a 43-21 victory over the Nevada Las Vegas Rebels on Saturday at the Coliseum. Former Mater Dei High teammates and true freshmen JT Daniels and Amon-ra St. Brown connected for a 43-yard scoring pass. Daniels completed 22 of 35 passes for 282 yards. St. Brown had seven catches for 98 yards. USC running back Aca’Cedric Ware gained 100 yards and had one touchdown while Chase McGrath tied a school record with five field goals.
Malepeai’s second touchdown gives USC a 43-21 lead
USC running back Vavae Malepeai rushed for his second touchdown of the game on a 20-yard scamper that iced the game away for the Trojans.
McGrath bangs in fifth field goal, ties school record
USC appears to have a highly dependable kicker. Chase McGrath tied a school record with his fifth field goal of the day, this one from 36 yards.
USC takes 33-14 lead on Ware’s 15-yard run
JT Daniels hit Trevon Sidney for a 41-yard reception to put the Trojans in the red zone.
Aca’Cedric Ware rumbled into the end zone for a 15-yard touchdown run, giving him 10 carries for 100 yards on the day.
JT Daniels hits Amon-ra St. Brown for 43-yard touchdown
JT Daniels faked to Aca’Cedric Ware, moved up in the pocket and found Amon-ra St. Brown open deep for a 43-yard touchdown pass.
St. Brown, Daniels’ high-school teammate at Santa Ana Mater Dei, has been the only receiver that Daniels has had good chemistry with Saturday.
St. Brown has seven catches for 98 yards and a touchdown.
All quiet in the third quarter
Neither team could get much going offensively in the third quarter, but USC is currently on the move at the UNLV 42 yard line thanks to 12- and 11-yard runs by Aca’Cedric Ware.
USC takes 19-14 lead on Malepeai 2-yard touchdown run
A 40-yard run by Stephen Carr set the Trojans up with first and goal. After 29 minutes of game time, they scored their first touchdown of the season on a 2-yard run by Vavae Malepeai.
Fourth Chase McGrath field goal cuts UNLV lead to 14-12
A 73-yard kickoff return by Stephen Carr led to another Chase McGrath field goal, this time from 47 yards, with 9:19 left in the second quarter.
USC true freshman quarterback JT Daniels threw a would-be touchdown pass to Michael Pittman Jr. that was dropped in the end zone. A 15-yard offensive pass interference penalty then pushed the Trojans back.
Fake punt, handoff and 31-yard TD pass give UNLV 14-9 lead
A nifty UNLV fake punt and handoff resulted in a 36-yard run by Evan Austrie and a first down for UNLV at the USC 30. Then Armani Rogers hit Kendal Keys for a 31-yard touchdown pass. The Rebels now lead 14-9 with 10:32 left in the second quarter.
Chase McGrath’s third field goal gives USC a 9-7 lead
USC drove the ball 81 yards in 12 plays but settled for another Chase McGrath field goal — this time from 29 yards.
Lexington Thomas gallops for 71-yard touchdown, UNLV leads 7-6
UNLV running back Lexington Thomas faked a reverse handoff and streaked down the right sideline for a 71-yard touchdown that silenced the Coliseum and gave the Rebels a 7-6 lead with 2:37 left in the first quarter.
USC settled for two field goals from Chase McGrath.
USC takes 3-0 lead after forcing Nevada Las Vegas fumble
USC got on the board first with a 46-yard field goal by Chase McGrath.
The Trojans got great field position after a forced fumble by Isaiah Pola-Mao, making his first start at strong safety. Porter Gustin recovered Lexington Thomas’ fumble.
JT Daniels started his USC career 0-for-2 with two incompletions to Tyler Vaughns.
Center Toa Lobendahn not dressed for USC; Brett Neilon to start
USC senior center Toa Lobendahn is not dressed for the Trojans. Lobendahn missed the last two practices of the week with a pectoral strain.
Redshirt freshman Brett Neilon is snapping to JT Daniels in warm-ups and looks like the first man up to fill in for Lobendahn.
USC’s JT Daniels taking role as team’s starting quarterback in stride
JT Daniels ended his first full practice as USC’s starting quarterback by tossing deep balls to his wide receivers. He joked with Tyler Vaughns on his way off Howard Jones Field, smiling lightheartedly. Only last week, his duties would have been completed right then and there.
But Tuesday, Daniels had to hang around. USC sports information director Tim Tessalone came over to him to share some quick wisdom, stuff they had already covered in a recent team meeting about handling media interviews. Be smart, Tessalone reminded him. Then came Clay Helton, who decided Sunday to turn Daniels from a heralded true freshman into the new face of his entire program, to chat for a second.
To Daniels’ left, Amon-ra St. Brown, his roommate and high school teammate, was holding court on the first day first-year Trojans were made available to the media. When St. Brown finished, Daniels was escorted over to the spot against the fence where Helton delivers his post-practice talk because the TV demand was too much for an informal setting.
USC-Nevada Las Vegas: A look at how the teams match up
USC (0-0) vs. Nevada Las Vegas (0-0)
Saturday, 1 p.m., Coliseum. TV: Pac-12 Networks. Radio: 710.
Marquee matchup
USC’s other true freshman from Mater Dei — Amon-ra St. Brown — could make the opener against Nevada Las Vegas special
Amon-ra St. Brown was in his dorm room Sunday when he texted his roommate, JT Daniels, to ask if he had won the starting quarterback job. Daniels gave him the good news, and the high school teammates from Santa Ana Mater Dei connected on FaceTime for a quick chat.
“Let’s go get it,’ ” St. Brown said.
“Let’s go,’ ” Daniels agreed.
Looking ahead: Texas trailing Maryland 24-22 in third quarter
The few fans who have gotten into their seats at the Coliseum are being treated to a live look-in at USC’s third opponent of the season, the Texas Longhorns, on the video boards.
The Trojans play at Texas on Sept. 15 — a game that may be looking a little more manageable with the Longhorns trailing Maryland 24-22 in the third quarter.
Even if Texas ends up winning, struggling with a Maryland team that is playing without head coach DJ Durkin is a sign the Longhorns still aren’t back under head coach Tom Herman.