San Jose State coach Ken Niumatalolo credits USC after season-opening 42-26 loss at the Coliseum

USC began its 2026 college football season the way most opening weekends are supposed to go, with a steady, repeatable performance that led to a 42-26 victory over San Jose State at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

The Trojans’ win put them at 1-0 early in the year, a useful baseline for any team trying to build consistency through the grind of a full FBS schedule. In the larger picture, opening-day execution can help a program set its tone, especially when the opponent is organized enough to make the first adjustments of the season and test game-plan assumptions right away.

For San Jose State, the focus shifted quickly to what USC did well. In comments relayed through the reporting on the matchup, head coach Ken Niumatalolo expressed that USC had earned his respect after the Trojans’ win, an acknowledgment that the Spartans felt the difference in execution even as the final score included points on both sides.

Niumatalolo’s praise carries weight because San Jose State typically emphasizes discipline and preparation, and it suggests the Trojans’ advantages were not limited to one burst. When a coach publicly highlights respect rather than only frustration, it often points to a blend of factors, such as offensive rhythm, defensive structure, and overall feel for the game.

The score line itself indicates that USC was able to separate at key moments while still allowing enough scoring that the Spartans had chances to respond. That matters for how both teams will evaluate film: San Jose State will likely look for missed assignments and moments where USC’s plan turned into sustained drives, while USC will want to confirm which sequences were repeatable and which were more dependent on opponent errors.

As for what to watch next, USC’s next performance will show whether this opener was a foundation-building statement or the peak of its early rhythm. San Jose State, meanwhile, will have to translate the lessons from a difficult road opener into cleaner execution, because season-long progress often comes from tightening details after games like this, not from changing everything at once.

With both sides now past the first test of the calendar, attention will turn to how USC manages momentum and how San Jose State resets its week-to-week approach. The early-season record is only one part of the story, but it sets the tone for how quickly each staff can turn evaluation into improvement.