It seemed like an odd matchup at first. A West Coast power known for its flash paired with a conference known for its size and corn-fed brawn. Two years of patronizing questions about toughness and physicality from the rest of the Big Ten Conference had suggested as much about USC, which hadn’t given much reason to believe it belonged in a weight class where the idea of ​​three yards and a cloud of dust was sacrosanct.

But never did the doubt feel more misplaced in USC than it did on Saturday, with the Trojans playing the run game and the defense dominating in every sense of the word. While the Big Ten’s most powerful team got pummeled on Saturday, USC emerged from the rubble as a conference heavyweight. In the final dress rehearsal before the Big Ten slate begins, USC clawed its way to the forefront of the College Football Playoff conversation with a 48-0 win over Utah State for its first shutout since November 2011.

For the second straight week, the Trojans’ stunning transformation on defense under new coordinator D’Anton Lynn was on full display. USC held Utah State to just 190 yards, the fewest it allowed since 2014. It gave up just two third-down conversions. And only once did USC’s defense allow Utah State to cross the 40-yard line into Trojan territory.

“It was really important to see that group really come together and play as one early in the year,” USC coach Lincoln Riley said. “We’re excited about it. We’ve got a long way to go, man.”

But the distance the Trojans’ defense has come was on full display Saturday when it trampled Utah State quarterback Bryson Barnes. A year ago, in the same building, Barnes took charge of Utah’s offense as a reserve, scoring four touchdowns and leading Utah on a last-minute drive to beat USC. The loss sent the Trojans into a tailspin, as they lost three of their last four games to end the regular season.

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This time, however, Barnes could barely move the ball. He threw for just 103 yards and finished with -8 yards on the ground, as USC’s defense refused to allow him an inch where it might have given up a mile last season.

“It was about keeping him under control, constantly pressuring him, but also keeping disciplined rush lanes,” USC defensive end Jamil Muhammad said.

The Trojans managed to do that without the help of one of their leading linebackers, Mason Cobb, who sat out the game with an injury. In his place, linebacker Eric Gentry turned in a stellar performance, leading USC with seven tackles and a sack.

He wasn’t alone. Easton Mascarenas-Arnold had seven tackles of his own, along with an interception, while Kamari Ramsey, another new addition to USC’s defense, had a sack and a forced fumble from his safety spot. In the fourth quarter, with the game well in hand, the Trojans brought in a host of reserves. And yet they still managed to maintain the shutout, allowing just 89 yards in the second half.

It was exactly the kind of defensive spectacle USC could only have dreamed of in the offseason — and exactly how it will need to play if USC hopes to compete in its first season in the Big Ten.

By Saturday night, the path to a spot in the league, both in the conference and in the College Football Playoff, had at least become considerably clearer.

Michigan, the reigning champion and USC’s next opponent, was ousted from the Big House by Texas, which struggled to move the ball with a new quarterback. Notre Dame lost on a game-winning kick to Northern Illinois, a team it paid $1.4 million to play in South Bend, Ind. Penn State needed a late comeback to overcome its defensive woes and beat Bowling Green, while Oregon narrowly edged past Boise State.

All week, Riley had been warning his team not to overlook the Aggies.

Instead, they were trampled by the Trojans.

USC also made a point of establishing the run all week, after finding little room against LSU. And from Saturday’s first drive, USC had little trouble imposing its will. Woody Marks rolled for 49 yards on his first three carries, while Quinten Joyner’s first three went for 53. Led by that pair of backs, who ultimately averaged more than eight yards per carry, USC piled up 249 yards and five touchdowns on the ground.

It was also a bonus that they both had to run through huge holes, thanks to a strong performance from USC’s offensive line.

“We just need a little hole, and they gave it to us all night,” said Marks, who finished with 103 yards and a touchdown on just 13 carries. Joyner finished with 84 yards and two touchdowns.

The rushing attack was so dominant that quarterback Miller Moss didn’t have to do much to keep USC rolling. Moss still threw for 229 yards and a touchdown in an efficient performance before being replaced by his backup late in the third quarter.

By that point, victory was within reach. All that remained was to maintain the shutout. A power outage at the Coliseum knocked out much of the stadium’s lighting in the fourth quarter, and the question of whether to finish the game at all came up.

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The lights were eventually fixed. . The defense, then consisting mostly of freshmen and reserves, held its ground. A final field goal attempt by Utah State, which could have ended the shutout, fell far short.

It was a bold statement, with USC now on the cusp of its Big Ten season. But after USC’s most dominant performance in years, the prevailing feeling Saturday was that this kind of punishment is only just beginning to unfold.

“We’re not nearly as good as we can be,” Mascarenas-Arnold said.

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This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.