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All eyes were on USC to see if the Trojans could bounce back from nightmare tiny crowd at season opener
By Matt Reigle
Published September 04, 2026
One of the big stories of Week 0 was the USC Trojans.
It’s not like they lost or anything; they beat San Jose State, 42-26. It was the turnout at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum that was getting a lot of attention.
And by that, I mean the measly crowd at kickoff was getting roasted all over social media.
USC FOOTBALL RIPPED FOR PATHETIC CROWD AT HOME OPENER: 'ABSOLUTELY EMBARRASSING'
USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley jogs onto the field before his team's game against Fresno State. (Photo by David Dennis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
So all eyes were on L.A. to see whether the Trojans could draw a crowd more befitting of a blue-blood Big Ten program currently ranked No. 14 in the nation.
The Trojans hosted the Fresno State Bulldogs on Friday night, a Pac-12 team that isn't one to overlook.
And sure, no one thought this was going to bring in a sellout crowd the way a big rivalry game would... but you'd think they could draw a little better than this:
Not as "ouch" as Week 0, but it's still not pretty.
Of course, as that post noted, it is a Friday before a holiday weekend in the traffic hellscape that is Los Angeles... but this is also USC football, and they look like they could have a solid year.
But nope. Still a lot of red stadium seats staring at everyone.
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But hold the phone ... this is L.A.: Not only is traffic a nightmare, but it’s also the kind of place where it’s cool to be fashionably late.
You know who shows up for kickoff and is on time for stuff?
Nerds. Poindexters. Dweebs.
USC QB Jayden Maiava warms up before taking on the Fresno State Bulldogs. (Photo by David Dennis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images))
That's why, by the time the second quarter had rolled around, the stadium had filled out pretty well, considering it was a Week 1 non-conference tilt.
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The Trojans' first home game against a Big Ten opponent will be on Sept. 26 when they host the Oregon Ducks.
https://www.foxnews.com/outkick-sports/usc-trojans-bounce-back-nightmare-tiny-crowd-season-opener