WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) — Jayden Maiava and Waymond Jordan each had touchdown runs Saturday, and 360-pound defensive tackle Jamaal Jarrett rambled 70 yards on an interception return for a socre to to lead Southern California past Purdue 33-17 after kickoff was delayed for 3 hours, 5 minutes because of weather.
The Trojans (3-0, 1-0 Big Ten) got their first win in the Eastern time zone since September 2012 at Syracuse, ending a nine-game skid — albeit with an unexpected 6:45 p.m. EDT start that coach Lincoln Riley joked at halftime was more like West Coast time.
“I think this year we have a little chip on our shoulder when it comes to road games,” said receiver Ja'Kobi Lane, who had three catches for 115 yards. “We know what kind of mindset we have to have in the fourth quarter and it's not to settle.”
Maiava finished 17 of 28 with 282 yards on a day the highest-scoring team in the Football Bowl Subdivision was held to a season-low point total. Jordan ran 18 times for 77 yards. Eli Sanders had 10 carries for 75 yards.
Purdue (2-1, 0-1) lost for the first time under new coach Barry Odom, who coached Maiava two years ago at UNLV. Ryan Browne was 24 of 39 with 305 yards, one TD and three interceptions while scoring the first rushing TD against the Trojans this season on a 34-yard run when he scooped up an errant, bouncing lateral and scooted down the sideline.
USC took at 10-0 lead on Maiava's 3-yard TD run to open the second quarter and extended the margin to 17-3 on Jordan's 6-yard run late in the first half. The Trojans started the second half with two field goals, then got Jarrett's to make it 30-10 late in the third quarter. Purdue couldn't recover.
“A good team and you've got to step into the ring and into the arena and be ready for them to swing,” Odom said. “And we kept swinging, so we'll learn from today in a lot of different ways.”
Southern California: When the Trojans couldn't rely on their video game offense for points in their first trip to Ross-Ade Stadium since 1976, they still did enough to snap a 14-game losing streak when playing in the Eastern or Central time zones. Will it be enough to make the Top 25? Maybe.
Purdue: The Boilermakers have exceeded last year's victory total and though they were competitive, it didn't feel like they passed this season's first big test. They gave up four sacks, had three turnovers on red-zone possessions, had no takeaways and didn't do quite enough to win on a day they honored former quarterback and CBS analyst Gary Danielson and the 2000 Rose Bowl team.
Less than 30 minutes before the scheduled start, lightning strikes forced officials to clear Ross-Ade Stadium. Over the next three hours, nearly 1.3 inches of rain fell.
At one point, fans briefly began to re-enter the facility before being instructed to leave again because of lightning. But the front cleared out and the game was played in sunny, cool conditions.
“We were literally walking out to the field and then we had a delay," said USC safety Bishop Fitgerald, who intercepted two passes. “It's 30 minutes, turns out to be an hour, coach Riley comes back in says we've got another hour.”
Southern Cal: Hosts Michigan State next Saturday.
Purdue: Faces a more daunting challenge next Saturday at No. 8 Notre Dame.
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Southern California defensive tackle Jamaal Jarrett (0) celebrates as he returns an interception for a touchdown against Purdue during the second half of an NCAA college football game in West Lafayette, Ind., Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
NEW YORK (AP) — Bo Bichette and the New York Mets agreed Friday to a $126 million, three-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press.
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the deal was subject to a successful physical and had not been announced.
A two-time All-Star shortstop with the Toronto Blue Jays, Bichette will move to third base with the Mets, who have Francisco Lindor at shortstop. Bichette has never played a professional game at the hot corner.
Bichette can opt out of the deal after the first or second season to become a free agent again. He would receive $47 million for one year and $89 million for two years, the person said.
The deal does not contain any deferred money and Bichette gets a full no-trade provision. His $42 million average annual value ties for the sixth-highest in baseball history.
It was the latest big development in an eventful offseason for the Mets, who angered fans by letting popular slugger Pete Alonso and star closer Edwin Díaz leave in free agency. President of baseball operations David Stearns also traded two other stalwarts, outfielder Brandon Nimmo and versatile veteran Jeff McNeil — both homegrown players.
New York signed closer Devin Williams to a $51 million, three-year contract, infielder Jorge Polanco to a $40 million, two-year deal and reliever Luke Weaver to a $22 million, two-year agreement.
Although he lacks Alonso's prodigious power, Bichette is a proven hitter with lightning-fast hands and a penchant for line-drive doubles. He would give the Mets a dangerous right-handed bat to help complement lefty slugger Juan Soto.
Because of his inexperience at third, however, Bichette becomes the latest question mark in the field for New York even though Stearns has insisted the team must improve its defense and is determined to do so.
Polanco has one pitch of major league experience at first base, where he and Mark Vientos, previously a third baseman, are the leading candidates to replace Alonso.
New York had planned to start Brett Baty at third, where he provides a strong glove. Baty, who also has experience at second base, is viewed as a versatile defender who could see time in the outfield and perhaps at first.
Or, the Mets could look to trade Baty for pitching or outfield help. Gold Glove winner Marcus Semien is set to play second after arriving from Texas in a November trade for Nimmo.
Bichette batted .311 with 18 home runs, 94 RBIs and an .840 OPS in 139 games for the Blue Jays last year. He homered off Shohei Ohtani in Game 7 of the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Late last season, Bichette sprained his left knee in a Sept. 6 collision with New York Yankees catcher Austin Wells, keeping the infielder out of the lineup until the World Series. He returned for Game 1 against the Dodgers and played second base for the first time in six years.
Bichette led the American League in hits in 2021 and 2022. He finished second in the major leagues in batting average last season to Yankees slugger Aaron Judge.
Bichette turned down a $22,025,000 qualifying offer from the Blue Jays in November, so they would receive an extra draft pick in July after the fourth round if he completes his deal with the Mets.
New York would forfeit its second- and fifth-highest draft picks, along with $1 million in 2027 international signing bonus pool allocation.
Bichette was one of the last remaining big-name hitters on the free agent market after outfielder Kyle Tucker spurned the Mets and agreed Thursday to a $240 million, four-year contract with the Dodgers.
Bichette, who turns 28 in March, has spent his entire career with the Blue Jays since they selected him in the second round of the 2016 amateur draft. He is a .294 career hitter with 111 home runs and an .806 OPS in 748 major league games.
He is a son of former big league slugger Dante Bichette, a four-time All-Star outfielder.
Also Friday, the Mets claimed infielder Tsung-Che Cheng off waivers from Tampa Bay.
AP Baseball Writers Ronald Blum and David Brandt and AP Sports Writer Dan Gelston contributed to this report.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/mlb
FILE - Toronto Blue Jays' Bo Bichette celebrates his three run home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the third inning in Game 7 of baseball's World Series, Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025, in Toronto. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson, File)
FILE - New York Mets President of Baseball Operations David Stearns responds to questions during a news conference about MLB trade deadline deals, Tuesday, July 30, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith, File)
