USC jumps firmly on playoff bubble with road win over Nebraska

The USC Trojans secured bowl eligibility with a come from behind 21–17 victory over the Nebraska Cornhuskers in Lincoln. Head coach Lincoln Riley maintained his perfect record in games following a bye week, as the Trojans, despite an underwhelming offensive performance, managed to outplay Nebraska at its own style of football.

Trojans Rushing Attack Leads Comeback

USC didn’t take its first lead of the game until roughly ten minutes remained in the fourth quarter. The typically explosive Trojan offense struggled to find rhythm for much of the night particularly through the air. Quarterback Jayden Maiava completed just nine passes, but it was running back King Miller, the hero of the Michigan game earlier this season, who once again stepped up in crucial moments in Lincoln.

The walk-on freshman who is seeing extended action due to injuries to Waymon Jordan and Eli Sanders, made the most of his opportunity one again. He averaged an impressive 7.2 yards per carry, surpassed 120 rushing yards, and delivered both the game-winning touchdown and a crucial two-point conversion that sealed the victory. USC’s only other touchdown also came on the ground, as quarterback Jayden Maiava found the end zone on a 16-yard keeper.

Defense Comes Up B1G

Nebraska opened the game with an impressive opening drive, marching down the field to take a quick 7–0 lead. From that point on, however, the USC defense elevated its play, allowing the Trojans to outscore the Cornhuskers 21–10 the rest of the way. The defense limited Nebraska to under 300 yards of total offense, including just 98 yards through the air.

With quarterback Dylan Raiola exiting the game in the third quarter with what turned out to be a season-ending injury, Nebraska leaned heavily on its ground game and running back Emmett Johnson. Even so, USC’s defense held firm, forcing four fumbles and recovering one off a strip sack of Raiola. Desman Stephens and Eric Gentry anchored the unit, finishing with 10 and 8 total tackles, respectively.

Fallout

For USC, the dream of a College Football Playoff berth remains alive. Nebraska, on the other hand, likely saw its hopes dashed after suffering a third loss of the season and losing its starting quarterback for the remainder of the year. The Trojans climbed to No. 20 in this week’s AP Poll, though the upcoming release of the College Football Playoff rankings will carry far more weight. USC now turns its focus to a short week of preparation before hosting Northwestern on Friday night at the Coliseum.