Nebraska comes up short in final seconds against USC
LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – The Nebraska football team found itself on the wrong end of a one-score game once again on Saturday, losing 28-20 to USC at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum.
Nebraska had a shot in the final seconds from 20 yards out, but Dylan Raiola threw an interception in the end zone to end it.
USC quarterback Jayden Maiava looked comfortable in his first start for the Trojans. He finished the game completing 25 of his 35 passes for 259 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. He also added a rushing touchdown to ice the game in the fourth quarter.
Woody Marks led the Trojans on the ground with 146 yards on 19 carries, averaging more than 7 yards per carry.
The Trojans tallied 441 yards of total offense, while eight different receivers caught a pass.
Raiola’s day ended with him completing 27 of his 38 passes for 191 yards and a touchdown.
Jahmal Banks led Nebraska through the air with 55 receiving yards, while Emmet Johnson tallied 36.
Johnson paced the Huskers in the backfield with 55 yards, while Dante Dowdell was right behind him with 52 yards.
The outcome today marks Nebraska’s ninth-straight loss when having an opportunity to become bowl eligible.
Nebraska will get another shot at bowl eligibility next Saturday as they take on Wisconsin in Memorial Stadium.
First Quarter
Both teams started the game with stall-out drives on offense. With both teams having seismic changes during the bye week, there’s a feeling out period that must be taken.
Nebraska’s defense stepped up to the task early in the first quarter. The Hollywood kid, Ceyair Wright, picked off Jayden Maiava and took it to the house, getting his first career pick-six in his homecoming.
But USC answered right back. Maiava found Zachariah Branch for a 6-yard touchdown pass, making the score 7-7.
Second Quarter
The Trojans started off the second quarter with another touchdown drive. This time, Maiava found Kyron Hudson for a 12-yard touchdown pass, making the score 14-7 Trojans.
Nebraska’s offense finally came to life. Dylan Raiola found running back Emmet Johnson in the flat for a 29-yard touchdown to tie the game at 14.
Raiola finished the first half completing 12 of his 18 passes for 105 yards, a touchdown and an interception.
E. Johnson led the Huskers in receiving with 35 yards on three catches and a touchdown.
He also led Nebraska on the ground, racking up 25 yards on four carries.
Maiava completed 16 of his 24 passes for 131 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.
Woody Marks paced the Trojans with 36 receiving yards and 55 rushing yards.
Third Quarter
The Huskers started the third quarter with a long 5:23 drive that saw the emergence of the run game. That drive ended in a 29-yard field goal from John Hohl to give the Huskers a 17-14 lead.
But the Trojans answered right back. Maiava found Duce Robinson for a 48-yard touchdown to give the Trojans a 21-17 lead.
The Blackshirts stepped up again via Ty Robinson. Robinson was able to get to Maiava and force a fumble that was recovered by Mikai Gbayor.
Nebraska was able to get a 30-yard field goal from Hohl to make the score 21-20 USC.
Fourth Quarter
This has been the defense’s game all day long. The Blackshirts forced a fourth down inside the red zone and Wright was able to block the field goal attempt.
USC iced the game with a 7:39, 13-play drive that was capped off by a 2-yard rushing touchdown from Maiava. That extended the score to 28-20 Trojans.
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ORIGINAL ARTICLE: The Nebraska football team returns to action on Saturday as they head out to Southern California to take on the Trojans.
This is the first time Nebraska and USC have met as Big Ten Opponents, and the teams will kick off at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum at 3 p.m.
The Huskers (5-4) come into this one following a bye week, but took a tough 27-20 loss to UCLA the last time they took the field.
USC (4-5) also comes into today’s matchup following a bye week. The Trojans suffered a 26-21 road loss at Washington two weeks ago.
This will be the sixth meeting all-time between the two schools. USC holds a 4-0-1 record against Nebraska, with the most recent meeting being a 45-42 victory for the Trojans in the 2014 Holiday Bowl.
USC need-to-knows
USC’s five losses have been by a total of 19 points, including an overtime loss to Penn State and a 1-point loss to Maryland.
Coach Lincoln Riley’s team features a high-powered passing attack, averaging more than 290 passing yards per game. That mark ranks them in the top 20 nationally in that category.
The Trojan offense also averages 30.5 points per game and 437.8 total yards per game.
Lincoln Riley made a big move during the bye week, benching starting quarterback Miller Moss for Jayden Maiava.
Maiava has completed 8 of his 11 passes for 66 yards in limited action this season, and brings the threat of the quarterback run to the table.
To compare Maiava to other players, he is Dylan Raiola’s size, but he can use his legs. The Huskers will have to stay true to their rushing lanes if they want to keep Maiava in check.
Makai Lemon leads USC with 33 receptions for 448 yards and three touchdowns, followed by Zachariah Branch with 35 grabs for 404 yards.
Woody Marks paces the Trojan backfield with 155 carries for 878 yards and nine touchdowns.
Defensively, the Trojans are allowing 22.2 points and 370.8 yards per game. Nebraska should be able to move the ball up and down the field on this defense.
This week’s numbers
16: USC and Nebraska have combined for 16 national championships, including 11 for the Trojans. Each school has twice won back-to-back titles.
38: True freshman receiver Jacory Barney Jr. has 38 receptions in nine games this season. He is two catches shy of the Nebraska record for catches by a true freshman in a season.
46: Nebraska senior punter Brian Buschini averages 46.4 yards per punt on the season. Buschini is challenging the Nebraska single-season punting average record held by Sam Koch, who averaged 46.51 in 2005.
Score Predictions
Nate Johnson: Huskers win, 27-17
Jake Homan: Huskers win, 29-28
Mark Fischer: Huskers win, 31-27
