Cody Kessler threw three of his four touchdown passes in the first half as USC opened its 122nd football season by routing Arkansas State, 55-6, tonight at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
Tre Madden ran for 106 yards on 12 carries, including a career-long 65- yard touchdown run in the second quarter as the Trojans won their 18th consecutive season opener.
Madden also caught an eight-yard touchdown pass from Kessler in the third quarter, two plays after Su’a Cravens intercepted a tipped pass thrown by Fredi Knighten and returned the ball 32 yards to the Red Wolves’ five-yard line.
USC outgained Arkansas State, 509-401, and led in first downs, 22-19, before a crowd announced at 79,809.
Kessler completed 19 of 26 passes for 236 yards in three quarters of play.
Knighten completed eight of 23 passes for 86 yards and had two passes intercepted before being replaced by James Tabary with 3:32 to play in the third quarter. The Red Wolves committed four turnovers to none for the Trojans.
USC needed just four plays and one minute, 14 seconds to open the scoring with Kessler throwing a 61-yard touchdown pass to JuJu Smith-Schuster.
Kessler threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to Steven Mitchell Jr. as time expired in the first quarter and a two-yard touchdown pass to Taylor McNamara 4:32 before halftime.
Following a scoreless first half, Arkansas State drove 78 yards on seven plays on the first series of the second half, with Michael Gordon running the final nine yards for the touchdown. Holder Cameron Birse mishandled the snap on the conversion and threw an incomplete pass.
The Trojans’ final three touchdowns came from freshmen.
Ronald Jones II ran 44 yards for a score with 3:38 left in the third quarter. Linebacker Osa Masina recovered running back Michael Gordon’s errant lateral and returned it 46 yards for a touchdown with 10:19 to play. Aca’Cedric Ware ran six yards for a touchdown with 4:16 remaining.
Versatile USC sophomore Adoree’ Jackson was sidelined after suffering an abdominal strain in the first half. Jackson is a starting cornerback, second- string receiver and returns kickoffs and punts.
The game was the Trojans first against the Red Wolves, who were playing in California for the third time. Arkansas State previously lost at Pacific in 1993 and at San Jose State in 1976.
The game was announced in 2013 and came as the result of a previously scheduled USC opponent dropping out, Sports Information Director Tim Tessalone told City News Service.
“This will be a great opportunity for our program to be displayed in one of the largest media markets in the world,” Red Wolves athletic director Terry Mohajir said when the game was announced.
Oddsmakers made the Trojans a 27 1/2-28-point favorite. ESPN’s Football Power Index gave USC a 94.7 percent chance of winning.
