LOS ANGELES — The USC football team gave Missouri State a rough welcome to FBS football on Saturday afternoon.
The Trojans’ defensive performance only allowed one touchdown in the first half, and defensive end Kameryn Fountain was one of the most productive players on the field with one sack, two tackles for loss and two solo tackles.
Fountain has repeatedly been referenced as one of the most improved players throughout fall training camp.
“He improved every single day and learned from his mistakes,” defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn said. “And when you look at him right now compared to this past year — on and off the field — it’s like a completely different person.”
Quarterback Jacob Clark was one of the Bears’ best chances at scoring, but the Trojans neutralized the passing game. Missouri State logged just 100 passing yards in the first half and Clark had -8 rushing yards in that same timeframe.
Missouri State, which was an FCS team before this season, squeaked out a field goal in its first drive of the game and had the confidence to attempt a reverse flea flicker on its next possession, but USC’s defense sniffed out the play and pushed the Bears back 11 yards.
Fountain’s sack was equally aggressive — and the Trojans’ first of the season. He rushed forward into the play and, dragging a clingy lineman behind him, bulldozed into Clark.
He didn’t stop there. He spotted running back Shomari Lawrence from across the hashmarks and sprinted diagonally for a tackle that resulted in a two-yard loss.
Head coach Lincoln Riley told reporters that Fountain was one of his fall camp MVPs. He also said that the objectives that needed to be completed to win the day on Saturday included the ability to tackle. Fountain can check that off the list.
“Those things that you see in practice, but you start to see way more of when you get in just a full live, true ball,” Riley said.
“Camp, spring, all that — it’s defense versus an offense, or it’s kickoff return versus our own kickoff, and it’s always our same people,” he continued. “There’s always competition. Now we’re all going to actually be on the same sideline and playing against another opponent. And how we compete together, how we play well off of one another, is something you always look forward to.”
Weekly captains
Quarterback Jayden Maiava, linebacker Eric Gentry, safety Kamari Ramsey, defensive lineman Devan Thompkins and offensive lineman Kilian O’Connor were all named captains for Saturday’s game.
Captains will be decided weekly, similar to the system that USC had last season.
“It gave some different guys an opportunity to step up,” Riley told reporters on a Zoom call. “And then also if you are a captain, that doesn’t mean you’re going to be one the next week just because I was elected in August. If you’re a great leader, then that leadership ought to get better and improve.”
London leads the team
Former USC football and basketball player Drake London returned to the Coliseum to lead the Trojans out of the tunnel for the first game of the season.
“It’s an absolute honor,” London said during USC’s pregame show. “I had to come down here and support the guys. It is a full circle moment.”
London is in his third season in the NFL as a receiver for the Atlanta Falcons and hauled in 100 passes for 1,271 yards and nine touchdowns in his best season yet in 2024. He was targeted 138 times.
By the time he finished his USC career in 2021, London ranked 17th in program history in career receptions with 160 and 16th in receiving yards with 2,153.
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