LOS ANGELES — USC put together one of its most complete performances of the season Friday night, defeating Northwestern 38–17 at the Coliseum to strengthen its Big Ten and College Football Playoff hopes.
After a slow start, the Trojans’ offense found its rhythm behind quarterback Jayden Maiava and wide receiver Makai Lemon, while the defense tightened up in the second half to keep the Wildcats in check.Northwestern struck first on its opening drive when quarterback Preston Stone connected with Griffin Wilde for a 4-yard touchdown, putting the Wildcats up 7–0. USC quickly answered with a 7-yard touchdown pass from Maiava to Lemon, tying the game at 7–7.
In the second quarter, USC pulled off one of the night’s biggest highlights—a perfectly executed fake punt that kept a key drive alive. That trick play set up a 6-yard Maiava rushing touchdown, giving the Trojans a 14–7 lead. Northwestern kept it close when Caleb Komolafe punched in a short touchdown run to even the score, but King Miller responded with a 12-yard rushing touchdown that put USC ahead 21–14 at halftime. The Trojans began to pull away in the third quarter. Maiava found Ja’Kobi Lane on a 10-yard strike to extend the lead to 28–14, and after Northwestern’s Kyle Cunanan hit a 33-yard field goal, USC’s offense broke the game open in the fourth. Lemon added another score—this time on a jet sweep—to push the lead to 35–17 before the Trojans capped the night with a late field goal.
Maiava finished the game with 299 passing yards, three total touchdowns, and no turnovers. Lemon was nearly unstoppable, hauling in 11 catches for 161 yards and two touchdowns, while Miller once again powered the run game with 127 yards and a score.Defensively, USC held Northwestern to just a field goal in the second half and forced two key turnovers. Stone finished with 150 passing yards and one touchdown, while Komolafe led the Wildcats with 118 yards on the ground.
With the win, USC improves to 7–2 overall and 5–1 in Big Ten play, keeping them firmly in the conference title picture. Northwestern drops to 5–4, unable to sustain its first-half momentum against a Trojan team that continues to heat up in November. USC now turns its attention to its next conference matchup as it looks to continue its playoff push down the stretch.
