LOS ANGELES — Southern California tight end Mark Bowman made one of the most spectacular plays of Week 9, but you'd be surprised where he said he learned how to do it.
Everything clicked for the No. 25 Trojans in its emphatic upset victory vs. No. 2 Ohio State, a win that was punctuated by a third-quarter catch-and-run from the freshman tight end: Bowman hauled in a pass from Jayden Maiava and was running toward Ohio State safety Jaylen McClain when he hurled him. He then proceeded to break off a few tackles en route to a 70-yard reception that set up to a touchdown two plays later.
The play got Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum shaking — and wondering how the first-year player was able to pull off the incredible feat.
MARK BOWMAN, WOW. 🤯@uscfb X
@USC_Athletics pic.twitter.com/8Q82nYZalb
— Big Ten Conference (@bigten) November 1, 2026
Turns out, coach Lincoln Riley is taking credit.
"I actually taught him how to do that," Riley said postgame with a smile. "Big-time play."
While it sounded like a joke from the former quarterback turned coach, when Bowman was asked about doing it and knowing when to do it, he had an interesting response.
"Coach Riley taught me how to do it," Bowman said. "He'll telepathically tell it to me."
It sounds like there may be some truth to it, but Bowman has been a big-time player for the Trojans this season. He has been a solid contributor with some strong play out of the gate, but had been out for the past three games due to injury.
The game against Ohio State was his first game back. He finished with three catches for 79 yards. Riley said Bowman was on a "low pitch count" for the game, and he clearly made a big impact when he stepped on the field.
"We knew we weren't going to be able to play him many reps, but obviously he's an explosive player, and him coming back, I mean, it's like anything when you get your best players back," Riley said. "It makes a big difference and he made a big difference tonight."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mark Bowman made an incredible play for USC. Why Lincoln Riley takes credit for it
