EVANSTON, Ill. – โA pivotal interception by Jayden Maiava, followed byโข a decisive rushing touchdown, propelled No. 19โฃ USC to aโ 37-14โ victory overโ Northwestern on Saturday. The trojans overcame a sluggish startโค and a resilient Wildcats offense to secure the win at โRyan Field.
The game showcasedโ a back-and-forth first half,punctuated by strategic risksโค and explosive plays. USC coach Lincoln Riley gambled on aโฃ fakeโ punt that paid off, โขsetting up โa scoring drive. northwestern responded with โstrong offensive drives lead by running back Calebโ Komolafe, whoโ amassedโฃ 158 all-purpose yards.โ However, a critical interception thrown byโข Maiava briefly stalled USC’s momentum before theโ Trojans seized control in the secondโ half.
maiava’s interception, occurring in the middle of the field, quickly shifted the game’s trajectory. Shortly after,USC runningโ back Quinten Joyner broke โคfree for a significant run,igniting the โฃTrojans’ offenseโ and leading to aโ dominant second-half performance. Maiava later punctuated the โขvictory with his team-leading sixth rushing touchdown of โthe season.
“We needed a spark, and Jayden made a huge play,” โUSCโค coach Lincoln Riley said.โ
Komolafe proved a consistent threat for Northwestern, gaining 117 all-purpose yards in the first half alone. USC’s defense struggled to contain the Wildcats initially, failing toโฃ record a stop untilโ the final five minutes of the first half.
The win moves USC โto [insert current record] on the season, while โNorthwestern fallsโ to [insert current record].The Trojans will return to Los Angeles toโฃ prepare for thier next matchup against โฃ [insert next opponent], while the Wildcats will lookโฃ to rebound against [insert next opponent].
