Overview
- Jayden Maiava went 24-for-33 for 299 yards with two touchdown passes and a rushing score to pace the Trojans.
- Makai Lemon posted a career-high 11 receptions for 161 yards with a receiving TD and a jet-sweep score, while King Miller ran for 127 yards.
- USC totaled 482 yards and logged the most points allowed by Northwestern this season, then limited the Wildcats to 27 fourth-quarter yards.
- The result moves USC to 7-2 (5-1 Big Ten) with its College Football Playoff ambitions intact; Northwestern falls to 5-4 and remains short of bowl eligibility despite Caleb Komolafe’s 118 yards and a TD.
- The Friday win at the Coliseum followed a short turnaround from Nebraska and marked USC’s first meeting with Northwestern since the 1996 Rose Bowl, extending the Trojans’ series lead to 6-0.