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No. 20 USC football tops Northwestern, making the most of a short week – San Bernardino Sun

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USC quarterback Jayden Maiava scrambles for a first down past Northwestern defensive backs Robert Fitzgerald (6) and Josh Fussell (13) during the first half on Friday, Nov. 7, 2025, at the Coliseum. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)

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LOS ANGELES — A shortened week. An unranked opponent that was coming off a bye. USC’s Friday night game against Northwestern had all the makings of a trap game.

The Wildcats kept things interesting for a while, but No. 20 USC used a balanced offensive performance to take control in the second half and pull away for a 38-17 win.

“We had probably our most complete week, and it had to be because it was such a short week,” USC head coach Lincoln Riley said. “We didn’t have time to waste. I thought the guys dove into the preparation, the challenge, and met it head-on. And I think you saw that tonight.”

The Trojans (7-2 overall, 5-1 Big Ten) stayed in the hunt for a potential spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff while rolling up the most yards (482) and points anyone had scored against Northwestern’s defense this season.

USC quarterback Jayden Maiava completed 24 of 33 passes for 299 yards and two touchdown passes and ran for another TD. Makai Lemon had a touchdown catch and a scoring run while hauling in 11 receptions for a career-high 161 yards, and Ja’Kobi Lane had seven catches for 74 yards.

Running back King Miller added a game-high 127 rushing yards on 15 carries.

All was running smoothly in the first quarter, with both teams scoring a touchdown apiece and only one penalty between the two of them – Northwestern (5-4 overall, 3-3 Big Ten) was called for a pass interference.

After struggling to mount drives of significance while holding off Nebraska last week, USC opened its first home game in nearly a month with a 16-play touchdown drive. Lemon capped the drive with a 7-yard catch for his seventh touchdown grab of the season. Maiava had nine completions on the drive – the same number he managed all night in Lincoln.

“I mean, we knew Nebraska was an outlier in their passing game,” Northwestern coach David Braun told reporters. “Nebraska had done a great job against USC, but you knew USC was going to find a way to respond. They’re talented. Talented wide receivers. Quarterback plays at a very high level. Coach Riley is a great coach. And ultimately, we ended up playing on our heels most of the night.”

Northwestern countered with a 13-play drive that ended when Griffin Wilde dove to make an 8-yard catch with 45 seconds left in the opening quarter.

The defense wasn’t shaken, according to safety Kamari Ramsey.

“Just trust one another,” Ramsey said. “That’s what it is. Just making sure you’re doing your job and your brother next to you is gonna do his job. That’s it.”

The second quarter got messy. But there was some success in creativity for the Trojans, too.

Lincoln Riley dialed up an especially sneaky fake punt on a fourth-and-6 that saw third-string quarterback Sam Huard connect with Tanook Hines on a 10-yard pass for a first down. Huard had changed his uniform number before the game to No. 80 – the same as punter Sam Johnson.

“Several of our staff members were involved in it and had it at the right time, and we had confidence in it,” Riley said. “Sam stepped in there and made a good throw, had a guy kind of in his face. Tanook made a nice play, and it was a key point in the game.

“We’ve got some creative guys on staff. Credit to a lot of our staff members for helping us put that one together.”

Jayden Maiava, who used his legs significantly during the win in Nebraska, scrambled for a 6-yard touchdown three plays after the trick play.

Northwestern caught up once again with 7:20 left in the second quarter. Running back Caleb Komolafe broke off a 37-yard run to get the Wildcats to the 2-yard line, then his teammates collectively pushed him into the end zone to even the score at 14-14.

USC was given its first penalty of the game at the least opportune time. Maiava threw a long pass to Hines, who scooped up the ball while diving to the ground. However, the play was negated due to an illegal man downfield penalty caused by right tackle Justin Tauanuu.

Maiava threw an interception for the fourth straight game when he was picked off by defensive lineman Najee Story with 2:47 remaining until halftime. Story rumbled 25 yards toward the end zone, but Maiava didn’t stand idly by – he rushed in and dropped a shoulder to tackle Story and dislodge the ball just before he reached the goal line.

“I thought getting back to (Lemon) was the right read, so I made the throw,” Maiava said. “I don’t even know where he came from, honestly. I just saw him running with the ball. I saw him down the sideline, so I just go out there and sacrifice my body for my brothers and the chance to get the ball back.”

The fumbled ball bounced into and out of the end zone, resulting in a touchback and that kept the ball in the hands of the USC offense.

The Trojans didn’t squander the opportunity and used the speed of walk-on running back King Miller for a go-ahead touchdown. Miller churned out a 55-yard run, then Maiava and Lane teamed up for a 13-yard reception to get USC to the 12-yard line.

Miller finished the drive with a swift run up the left side for a touchdown and a 21-14 lead.

“We just needed momentum,” Miller said. “My teammates called on me to go down there and just do what I had to do. I just wanted to execute the play.”

USC added a third-quarter touchdown when Lane pulled in a Maiava pass with one hand and secured it for a 10-yard touchdown catch and a two-touchdown lead.

“Whenever the ball is in the air, I try to make the most out of that opportunity because they don’t come often,” Lane said. “Just making the most out of every opportunity so I can do my best for the team.”

Northwestern added a Jack Olsen 33-yard field goal with 17 seconds left in the third, but Lemon scored on a 4-yard jet sweep for a 35-17 lead with 11:14 left in the fourth to help ice a win that kept the Trojans in the national title conversation into mid-November for the first time since Riley’s first season in 2022.

The Trojans held Northwestern to 27 yards of offense in the fourth quarter, and Ryon Sayeri tacked on a 22-yard field goal with 4:39 left for the final points. It was the second straight game that USC held an opponent to a field goal in the second half.

Preston Stone passed for 150 yards and Komolafe rushed for 118 yards and a score for the Wildcats.

“We were excited about the challenge that this became,” Riley said. “Flipping time zones, the tough battle in Lincoln just a few days ago, and then having to turn over and play a really good football team coming off a bye week. I just felt like these last two games would be a really important stretch for this season, and it’s cool to see our guys respond.”



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