Nebraska drove to the Trojans’ 14-yard line in the final seconds but could not reach the end zone as the Huskers suffered a 28-20 setback at USC on Saturday afternoon at the LA Coliseum.
The Huskers fell to 5-5 overall and 2-5 in the Big Ten, while USC improved to 5-5 and 3-5 in the conference.
Dylan Raiola completed 27 of 38 passes for 191 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. Emmett Johnson led the NU rushing attack with 10 carries for 55 yards, followed by Dante Dowdell with eight carries for 52 yards. Jahmal Banks hauled in five receptions for 55 yards, while Johnson had seven catches for 36 yards and a touchdown.
Jayden Maiava was 25 of 35 passing for USC with 259 yards, three scores and an interception. Woody Marks had 146 yards on the ground on 19 carries, while Duce Robinson tallied four receptions for 90 yards and a touchdown.
The Blackshirts started the scoring on Saturday in LA when Maiava’s pass was intercepted on USC’s second drive of the afternoon by Ceyair Wright, who returned the pass 45 yards down the sideline to give the Huskers a 7-0 lead with 11:08 remaining in the first. quarter.
Wright’s interception for a touchdown was Nebraska’s third pick-6 of the season, joining Tommi Hill’s touchdown against Colorado and John Bullock’s pick-6 at Purdue. The three interceptions for a touchdown are the most for Nebraska since the Big Red had four interceptions for touchdowns in 2013.
USC tied the game at seven with a nine-play, 65-yard scoring drive on the ensuing possession, capped by a six-yard touchdown pass from Maiava to Zachariah Branch with 5:04 left in the opening quarter.
Maiava led the Trojan offense 86 yards down the stretch in eight plays to give USC a 14-7 lead after its second straight scoring drive, highlighted by Maiava’s 12-yard scoring pass to Kyron Hudson with 13:05 left in the first half.
The Husker offense immediately responded with a score of its own, marching 75 yards in nine plays while converting two third downs to tie the game at 14. Dylan Raiola connected with Banks for 16 yards on 3rd-and-4 near midfield for the Huskers’ first third-down conversion on the drive.
Raiola extended the drive with an 11-yard pass to Janiran Bonner on 3rd and 10 from USC’s 40-yard line, which was immediately followed by a 29-yard touchdown pass from Raiola to Johnson for the first career receiving score for the second year. running back with 9:21 remaining in the first half.
Nebraska took its second lead of the afternoon after John Hohl’s 29-yard field goal gave the Huskers a 17-14 lead with 9:37 left in the third quarter.
The Big Red’s three-point lead lasted just over two minutes, as the Trojans immediately answered with a five-play scoring drive that ended with a 48-yard scoring reception by Robinson.
The Blackshirts forced their second turnover of the afternoon when Mikai Gbayor recovered Ty Robinson’s sack of Maiava at the USC 16-yard line with 4:10 left in the third quarter.
The Nebraska offense couldn’t capitalize on a lead, but a 30-yard field goal by Hohl put the Big Red within 21-20 late in the third quarter.
The Huskers’ special teams unit blocked its second field goal of the season when Wright blocked a 27-yard field goal attempt by Michael Lantz to keep the score 21-20 with 12:58 remaining.
On the ensuing possession, the Trojans used a 13-play, 84-yard scoring drive that ended with a two-yard scoring run by Maiava to extend the lead to 28-20 with 2:45 remaining.
Trailing by eight with 2:45 left at their own 25-yard line, the NU offense drove to USC’s 14-yard line after Jaylen Lloyd hauled in a 24-yard reception with five seconds left. A false start pushed the Big Red back five yards, while Raiola’s final attempt on the game’s final play was picked off in the end zone as time expired.
Bullock led the NU defense with seven tackles and a pass breakup, followed by Isaac Gifford, Malcom Hartzog Jr. and DeShon Singleton with six tackles each.
Nebraska returns to action next weekend for the final home game of the season when the Huskers host Wisconsin on Saturday, November 23 at Memorial Stadium. Kickoff between the Big Red and Badgers is scheduled for 2:30 PM on Big Ten Network.
Summary of the game
Nebraska 20
USC 28
Los Angeles, California
LA Coliseum
Attendance: 75,304
First quarter (7-7)
NEB – 11:08 – Ceyair Wright 45 INT return (John Hohl kick) – Nebraska 7-0
USC – 5:04 – Zachariah Branch 6 pass from Jayden Maiava (Michael Lantz kick), 9 plays, 65 yards, 4:25 – Tie 7-7
Second quarter (14-14)
USC – 13:05 – Kyron Hudson 12 pass from Maiava (Lantz kick), 8 plays, 86 yards, 4:01 – USC 14-7
NEB – 9:21 – Emmett Johnson 29 pass from Dylan Raiola (Hohl kick), 9 plays, 75 yards, 3:44 – Tie 14-14
Third Quarter (USC 21-20)
NEB – 9:37 – Hohl 29 FG, 11 plays, 64 yards, 5:23 – Nebraska 17-14
USC – 7:15 – Duce Robinson 48 pass from Maiava (Lantz kick), 5 plays, 75 yards, 2:22 – USC 21-17
NEB – 2:09 – Hohl 30 FG, 4 plays, 4 yards, 2:01 – USC 21-20
Fourth Quarter (USC 28-20)
USC – 2:45 – Maiava 2 run (Lantz kick), 13 plays, 84 yards, 7:39 – USC 28-20
