Miller Continues to Set Tone in USC's Run Game

USC Trojans running back King Miller did not see any action as a true freshman in the 2024 season. 

That all changed in 2025 for the walk-on.

Miller emerged as one of College Football's most explosive running backs after carrying the load during Waymond Jordan's season-ending injury. He appeared in all 13 games for the Trojans in 2025, and in seven starts running the rock, he rushed for 972 yards on 156 carries and eight touchdowns. 

Fast forward to 2026 and with even higher responsibilities, Miller has not missed a step. 

Miller's production week by week has been something that, paired up with a healthy Jordan in the backfield, provided head coach Lincoln Riley with a formidable one-two punch. 

This narrative punch was pushed further following the Trojans' signature 31-23 win on Saturday against the Penn State Nittany Lions for their annual "White-Out" Game. On 19 rushing attempts, Miller rushed for 102 yards and scored a touchdown for his efforts. 

Looking ahead, the Trojans and Riley have all the momentum heading into their first bye week of the season. With a much-needed Big Ten road win in an atmosphere as hostile as Penn State's, it sets the precedent for the remainder of the season.

"This'll be a big spark for us going into the bye week; going into this next stretch of the season. Huge contributions on all sides," Riley said following the win, via USC Athletics. 

The continued success of the backfield, mixed with the triumphant return of true freshman Trent Mosley — 111 receiving yards on nine receptions and one touchdown — has catapulted USC's offense in time for more Big Ten play. Coming off the bye week, the Trojans will receive more frequent flyer miles as they head to Camp Randall Stadium on Oct. 24 to play the Wisconsin Badgers. 

Since losing their first game of the season to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, the Badgers have won four consecutive games — including beating Penn State on Sept. 26 — and remain undefeated in Big Ten matchups. 

USC will have to find a way to neutralize the Badgers' defense, as they rank fifth in the Big Ten with the fewest rushing yards allowed (568) and the lowest average yards per game (94.7).

Dating back to last season, Miller was efficient on the road, recording 246 rushing yards on 55 carries. That carried over to this season, as Miller is up to 202 yards on the ground on 35 rushing attempts and two touchdowns.