PISCATAWAY, New Jersey — The USC football team never trailed as a 22½-point favorite against Rutgers on Saturday, but the 12th-ranked Trojans never got comfortable either.

King Miller rushed for 102 yards and a touchdown, quarterback Jayden Maiava passed for 277 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and Prophet Brown made the biggest play of the game with a 99-yard interception return for a touchdown as USC held on to win its Big Ten opener, 42-35.

USC improved to 4-0 ahead of next week’s Big Ten test against Oregon (3-1) at the Coliseum.

Rutgers had lost to UMass and Boston College in its first two games but was never out of striking range against the Trojans.

Rutgers quarterback Dylan Lonergan passed for three touchdowns and running back Antwan Raymond rushed for 122 yards and a score.

Rutgers executed a fake punt to keep a second-quarter touchdown drive alive and amassed 460 total yards, one less than the Trojans.

It was USC’s first trip to the East Coast since it played at Boston College in 2014. USC coach Lincoln Riley said the travel didn’t affect his team’s sluggish play at times.

“I don’t think it (travel) did have an impact,” Riley said. “I thought we started off the game edgy, with momentum, no matter where you’re playing, when you got somebody backed up in their half and you give up a 40-yard play on a fake punt, especially on the road, it just flips momentum, it kind of breathes life into them.”

The Scarlet Knights pulled within seven with 4:24 to play on Lonergan’s 28-yard touchdown pass to Vernon Allen III. But the Trojans converted four first downs to run out the clock.

Rutgers outgained USC 289-209 in the second half, but never took the lead.

The Trojans need to shore up their defense to compete with high-powered offenses like Oregon, Ohio State and Indiana in Big Ten play. USC gave up five plays of 20 yards or more against Rutgers. Through four games, USC has allowed its opponents to score 10 of 13 times in the red zone.

“We obviously had to play with a lot of different guys in the secondary,” Riley said. “We had some guys go down throughout the game that weren’t available. I thought we were untimely as a defense.”

Trojans star freshman receiver Trent Mosley sat out with a knee injury. Fellow freshman Kayden Dixon-Wyatt had five catches for 77 yards.

Maiava compensated with Mosley being out by utilizing nine different receivers. In addition to Dixon-Wyatt, Corey Simms caught four passes for 72 yards and a TD, Mark Bowman and Tanook Hines each caught three passes. Riley was especially impressed with Wormley and Simms.

“I think they (Wormley and Simms) are two of our stronger competitors on the team,” Riley said. “Two guys who I never have to worry about their effort or physicality or competitiveness. I think because of that they both were able to stay on the field.”

Rutgers has held a lead for just 2:54 this season. That came when it scored on its opening drive in a 37-21 loss to UMass in the season opener and never led against Boston College and USC. Turnovers continue to be a major issue. The Scarlet Knights have a -7 turnover margin after Lonergan’s two interceptions on Saturday, including the one Brown returned 99 yards for a TD that gave USC a 27-14 lead.

In the first quarter, Christian Pierce intercepted Lonergan’s pass to give the Trojans the ball deep in Rutgers territory.

Two plays later, Miller scored from 11 yards out to give USC a 10-0 lead.

Rutgers rallied to cut USC’s lead to 20-14 by halftime. On the first drive of the second half, the Scarlet Knights drove inside the 10. Then Brown came up with his long interception return.

Rutgers needed just three plays to answer, pulling within six once again on Clay Thevenin’s 17-yard run.

The teams traded touchdowns twice more before USC ran out the clock as the Scarlet Knights came up short in their bid to beat a ranked opponent for the first time since 2009.

The final drive wasn’t without some nervous moments for the Trojans. In the final minute, Maiava lost the ball on a play under center but was able to recover the ball.

Trailing by 10 late in the first half, Rutgers rolled the dice with a fake punt on fourth-and-21 from its own 16, with punter Jakob Anderson hitting Jesse Ofurie for a 40-yard gain.

Five plays later, Elias Coke hauled in a 16-yard touchdown pass to pull Rutgers within 17-14. The Trojans responded with a field goal just before the break.