His cross had simply been picked off, a most unlucky flip at a most unlucky time for USC, when Jayden Maiava took off sprinting towards the pylon.
The previous month to that time hadn’t been one to recollect for the Trojans quarterback. The week earlier than, at Nebraska, Maiava accomplished simply 9 passes. Two weeks earlier than that, he struggled by way of a rain-soaked loss in South Bend. This interception was his sixth in 5 weeks — and a cross he certainly most popular to have again.
However as Northwestern’s Najee Story rumbled towards that very same pylon with ball in hand, USC’s quarterback closed in, lowered his shoulder and catapulted his complete physique towards the 288-pound defensive deal with. On a Friday night time full of unusual twists for the Trojans, who walked away with an 38-17 win over Northwestern, none was extra consequential than that second, as Maiava’s hit jostled the ball unfastened and it bounced in the long run zone and out of bounds.
THIS PLAY WAS CRAZY 😱
Jayden Maiava throws an interception to Najee Story after which Maiava forces Story to fumble into the tip zone for a touchback 👀 pic.twitter.com/7bJqzJAuZo
— FOX Faculty Soccer (@CFBONFOX) November 8, 2025
“Shoot,” Maiava stated, “I just thought I’d go out there and sacrifice my body for my brothers.”
On this case, his sacrifice made all of the distinction. The fumble gave USC possession — and turned the tide in a sport that the Trojans completely couldn’t afford to present away as they cling on to slim hopes of constructing the Faculty Soccer Playoff.
It barely appeared to matter that Friday’s game-breaking second started with a foul mistake from Maiava. Teammates had been too in awe of their quarterback to do not forget that half.
“Just shows you what type of player he is,” USC wideout Makai Lemon stated.
“He does everything,” added working again King Miller. “He’s Superman, you know?”
However it was USC’s protection that performed hero from then on. A unit that appeared not way back like a obvious drawback for USC held Northwestern to simply three factors within the second half, the second time in two video games the group allowed only a discipline aim after halftime.
USC defensive deal with Jahkeem Stewart wraps up Northwestern working again Caleb Komolafe through the first half Friday.
(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Instances)
“We just kind of got settled in,” security Bishop Fitzgerald stated. “We started stopping the run. We won early downs. So we got them off schedule.”
The schedule was its personal subject coming in, after a shorter-than-usual turnaround from the Nebraska journey. However after halftime, not one of the considerations that adopted USC into Friday night time would look as urgent by Saturday morning. Northwestern, after gashing the Trojans early on the bottom, managed simply 103 complete yards within the second half.
Maiava additionally was a lot sharper as a passer. Other than his second-quarter interception, Maiava accomplished 24 of his 33 passes for 299 yards and two touchdowns. Greater than half of that output got here from Lemon, who bounced again from his worst week of the season to reel in 11 catches and a career-high 161 receiving yards. Fellow wideout Ja’Kobi Lane was practically simply pretty much as good with seven catches for 74 yards, together with an acrobatic, one-handed rating.
As soon as once more, the Trojans’ offense benefited from a giant efficiency from Miller, the walk-on-turned-starter who continues to thrive since taking up USC’s backfield. It was Miller who would make Northwestern pay after dropping that fumble in the long run zone in what amounted to a 14-point, second-quarter swing.
USC working again King Miller carries the ball forward of the Northwestern protection within the second half Friday on the Coliseum.
(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Instances)
On the very subsequent play, Miller burst by way of a gap in Northwestern’s protection and sprinted 55 yards. Two performs later, he punched in a landing to present USC a 21-14 lead. It was the final factors the Trojans would want to safe their fifth Huge Ten victory of the season.
USC tried to set the tone immediately with a 16-play opening drive. Maiava had 9 completions on the primary possession alone, capped by a landing to Lemon.
However after matching that with its personal lengthy landing drive, Northwestern instantly stopped USC for what gave the impression to be a 3 and out. The Trojans despatched out the punt group.
Solely after the very fact would anybody discover that the participant carrying the standard No. 80 worn by USC punter Sam Johnson was on this case backup quarterback Sam Huard, whose quantity had formally been modified from No. 7 weeks earlier, in anticipation of this specific name.
“We’ve got some creative guys on staff,” USC coach Lincoln Riley stated.
The diabolical name paid off. Huard accomplished the faux punt cross for a primary down. 5 performs later, Maiava took off towards the tip zone and punched it in for his team-leading sixth speeding rating of the season.
Northwestern matched that effort, too, marching down the sphere behind working again Caleb Komolafe, who had 117 all-purpose yards within the first half alone. He completed with 158.
USC’s protection didn’t get its first cease till the ultimate 5 minutes of the primary half. However on the following drive, Northwestern very practically flipped the sport on its head, as Maiava threw that decide in the course of the sphere.
Nobody may’ve predicted that, seconds later, the sport would flip once more, again within the Trojans’ course. Miller ripped off a future quickly after that, and USC discovered its stride, cruising the remainder of the way in which to victory.
