Husker Football Falls To USC In LA

Nebraska drove down to the Trojans’ 14-yard line in the final seconds but couldn’t reach the end zone, as the Huskers suffered a 28-20 setback at USC on Saturday afternoon at the L.A. Coliseum.

The Huskers slipped 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 began the scoring in LA on Saturday when Maiava’s pass was intercepted on USC’s second drive of the afternoon by Ceyair Wright, who returned it 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 a touchdown from Tommi Hill 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 evened the game at seven with a nine-play, 65-yard scoring drive on the ensuing possession, capped off with 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 field in eight plays to give USC a 14-7 advantage after its second consecutive 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 their own, marching 75 yards in nine plays while converting two third downs to lock 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 sophomore running back with 9:21 remaining in the first half. 

Nebraska grabbed 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 answered immediately 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 strip sack of Maiava on the USC 16-yard line with 4:10 left in the third quarter.

The Nebraska offense couldn’t capitalize with a go-ahead score, but a 30-yard field goal by Hohl brought 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 it 21-20 with 12:58 left in the game.

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 grow the lead to 28-20 with 2:45 remaining.

Trailing by eight with 2:45 left on their own 25-yard line, the NU offense drove down to USC’s 14-yard line after Jaylen Lloyd pulled in a 24-yard reception with five seconds remaining. A false start pushed the Big Red back five yards, while Raiola’s final attempt on the last play of the game 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 apiece.

Nebraska returns to action next weekend for the final home game of the season when the Huskers host Wisconsin at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 23. Kickoff between the Big Red and Badgers is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. on Big Ten Network.