There were plenty of mistakes for the ’Cats in a game that once looked winnable midway through the second quarter. The turning point came on a near pick-six when Najee Story intercepted Jayden Maiava but fumbled into the end zone for a touchback.
What could have caused a seven-point Northwestern lead instead flipped momentum entirely. USC capitalized with a touchdown, and from there, miscues and questionable game management decisions compounded the Wildcats’ troubles and helped the Trojans to a 38-17 win.
For the ’Cats, Preston Stone finished 20-for-30 for 150 yards and a score, while Caleb Komolafe carried the ball 17 times for 118 yards and one touchdown. On defense, Mac Uihlein led the way with 11 tackles.
For the Trojans, Maiava went 24 for 33 for 299 yards and two touchdowns. Makai Lemon had a phenomenal outing with 11 receptions for 161 yards and a touchdown, and Ja’Kobi Lane added seven catches for 74 yards and one score. On the ground, King Miller paced USC with 15 carries for 127 yards and a touchdown.
USC opened the game with possession at its own 18-yard line after strong kickoff coverage by the ’Cats. On third down, the Trojans moved the chains with a 19-yard completion from Maiava to Lemon.
The Trojans methodically moved the ball downfield with short passes to cross into NU territory. Facing fourth down at Northwestern’s 20, Maiava powered ahead to pick up the first down. A few snaps later, after a defensive breakdown, he connected with Lemon for a seven-yard score to finish off a 16-play, 7:46 march.
To start Northwestern’s opening drive, the ’Cats moved the chains with two carries from Komolafe and a reception by Drew Wagner. Komolafe then broke free for a 14-yard gain to push into USC territory. With Joseph Himon II and Dashun Reeder sidelined, Robby Preckel took several carries and kept the drive moving.
On a crucial third down, Stone connected with Komolafe for a big gain that brought the ball inside the 10. A few plays later, on another third down, Stone found Griffin Wilde in the end zone for a touchdown. The 13-play drive drained another seven minutes, and after just two possessions, the game was tied 7-7.
After a short kickoff that reached only the 25-yard line, USC started its next drive with excellent field position at its own 42. The Trojans opened with a short run followed by an incompletion, setting up a crucial third down as the first quarter ended with the score tied. On third down, the ’Cats stopped USC on a surprising run call, but the Trojans caught them off-guard on fourth by faking the punt and completing a pass for a first down.
Maiava connected with Lemon for a 24-yard gain. After that, he kept it himself for another first down to move inside the 10. On third down, he broke several tackles and ran it in for a touchdown, giving USC a 14-7 lead.
To open Northwestern’s next drive, Stone connected with Wagner once again before Komolafe continued his strong running with a nine-yard gain. The steady, clock-draining march downfield continued with a completion to Hayden Eligon II and a run by Preckel.
Komolafe then broke loose for a 37-yard burst, bringing the ball to the two-yard line. He capped the drive moments later with a touchdown to even the score at 14-14.
On USC’s third drive, Maiava connected with Lake McRee for a 42-yard gain. The Trojans appeared to score two plays later, but an ineligible receiver downfield nullified the touchdown. The drive stalled soon after, as Najee Story came up with a huge sack that pushed USC out of field goal range and forced a punt.
Northwestern took over at its own 21-yard line but was stopped for the first time all night, going three-and-out after Komolafe was tackled a yard short of the marker on a screen pass. Luke Akers flipped the field with a strong punt, pinning the Trojans at their own 21. On the ensuing drive, Story intercepted a pass, but Maiava knocked the ball out of his hands right before he crossed the goal line, causing Story to fumble it out of the end zone and give the Trojans the ball back at their own 20.
The fumble was a major momentum shift, as it appeared NU was about to take the lead. USC wasted no time taking advantage, as King Miller broke loose for a 55-yard run to the Northwestern 25. He then finished the drive himself with a touchdown to put the Trojans ahead 21-14.
The ’Cats went three-and-out again after a short run by Komolafe and an incomplete pass to Wilde on third down, a play that involved hand-fighting from both players but failed to draw a pass interference flag on USC. Northwestern’s defense responded with a strong stand of its own, forcing a three-and-out. A series of confusing timeouts followed to end the half, and USC took a 21-14 lead into the break.
At halftime, Stone had completed 11-for-15 passes for 75 yards and a touchdown. Komolafe led the ’Cats both on the ground and through the air, recording 10 carries for 77 yards and a touchdown along with five receptions for 40 yards. Northwestern finished the half with 177 total yards.
On defense, Braydon Brus led the team with six tackles. The biggest moment came on Story’s interception that he fumbled out of the end zone, a play that would’ve significantly changed the result of the first half.
For USC, Maiava threw for 154 yards and a touchdown, while Miller paced the rushing attack with 90 yards, aided by his explosive 55-yard run. Lemon led all receivers with 53 yards and a touchdown on five catches. Northwestern was set to receive the ball to open the second half, needing a strong drive to regain momentum.
Starting at their own 25-yard line, the ’Cats opened the half with a short completion to Wilde followed by a 21-yard run from Komolafe. After some confusion at the line, NU burned a timeout, and it then faced a critical fourth-and-three situation but bafflingly chose to punt instead of going for it.
USC took over at its own nine-yard line and quickly flipped the field with completions of 14 and 52 yards, setting up first down at the Northwestern 25. On third down, Lane made a spectacular catch to extend the drive. Moments later, facing another crucial third down, Lane came through again with a highlight touchdown grab, helping USC extend its lead to 28-14.
The ’Cats began a must-score drive from their own 25-yard line and gained 15 yards on a pass interference call drawn by Wilde. After a completion to Eligon, NU faced a critical fourth down and converted on a quarterback sneak by Lawson Albright. Northwestern was then forced to burn another timeout after a late substitution, another costly mistake.
Moments later, Stone connected with Ricky Ahumaraeze for a 32-yard gain. On that same play, Evan Beernsten limped off the field with an apparent injury, although he did return later on. USC followed with its first sack of the night, forcing Northwestern to settle for a field goal that cut the deficit to 28-17.
The ’Cats entered the fourth quarter still trailing 28-17, with USC at its own 36-yard line. Mac Uihlein made a key stop on King Miller to set the Trojans back, but USC quickly answered with a 14-yard completion to move the chains.
The drive stayed alive as Miller picked up another first down on the ground before Lemon hauled in a catch to move the Trojans deeper into NU territory. Lincoln Riley then reached into his playbook for some trickery, dialing up a flea-flicker that drew a pass interference call. One play later, Maiava flipped the ball to Lemon for a rushing touchdown, stretching USC’s lead to 35-17.
To open NU’s next drive, Stone connected with Wilde for a 16-yard gain. The ’Cats methodically moved the ball downfield but struggled to pick up the pace with less than 10 minutes remaining. Facing fourth down, NU went for it but failed to convert, turning the ball over on downs.
Miller fueled the next USC drive with runs of five and 18 yards to open the series. The Trojans marched down the field, but the drive stalled after a well-timed pass deflection by Brus, forcing a field goal that extended Northwestern’s deficit to 38-17.
From there, the clock wound down and USC closed out the victory. It was Northwestern’s most lopsided loss of the season, topping its 20-point defeats at the hands of Tulane and Oregon, respectively.
The ‘Cats will be back in action on Fox at 11 a.m. CST on Nov. 15, taking on No. 21 Michigan at Wrigley Field.
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