No. 5 Michigan State women’s soccer squashed USC 5-0 on its home grass in a confidence-boosting rout that reaffirmed its place among the best teams in the country.

MSU came into the season ranked No. 1 in the Big Ten for the first time in program history. As the favorites, the Spartans had a lot to live up to in their opening conference game.

In the two schools’ second-ever meeting, MSU extended its series record to 2-0 and brought its season record to 5-0-2. The Spartans finished non-conference play with a 3-0-1 record against teams in the Top 25 or receiving votes in national polls. The Spartans also recorded wins over No. 7 and No. 12 teams.

Until tonight, MSU's consistency was in question. The Spartans struggled in a scoreless draw against Eastern Michigan, nearly let a three-goal lead slip against No. 12 Colorado and relied on a last-minute equalizer against Notre Dame. 

But tonight, MSU put any doubts of its excellence to sleep with its victory over the Trojans. The Spartans found their attacking flow and managed to stay solid defensively.

USC was no match for the duo of senior forward Kennedy Bell and senior midfielder Kayla Briggs, who ran riot in the first half. Without a compact defensive shape or low block, the Trojans were overrun by the Spartans. MSU looked reinvigorated, led by seasoned head coach Jeff Hosler. 

"I thought we were really good going forward," Hosler told Big Ten Network at halftime. "I liked the way we countered; I liked the way we played and created chances."

MSU continues its West Coast road trip at 4 p.m. ET on Sunday at No. 16 UCLA. The Spartans have faced the Bruins twice in their history, both last season. MSU tied UCLA in September before beating the Bruins 2-1 in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals in November. MSU's next home game is against Michigan on Sunday, Sept. 20.

The Spartans took the pitch with intent, with high scorers Briggs and Bell combining to put MSU on the scoreboard in the sixth minute. It was Briggs' fourth goal and Bell's third assist of the season.

Bell added two of her own in quick succession in the 28th and 31st minutes, bringing the score to 3-0 and her own goal tally to five. Briggs assisted the first by sending the ball across the Trojans’ penalty box to an unmarked Bell, who slotted it into the open goal. Later, senior midfielder Bella Najera played the ball to Bell, who scored with a pass into the bottom left corner despite defenders flanking her.