Jayden Maiava forced a fumble after tossing an interception, a play that inspired the Trojans to pull away from Northwestern during a 38-17 win Friday.

USC football continued its 2025 College Football Playoff quest with a win against Northwestern. Look back at Trojans Wire's coverage and analysis:

The No. 19 USC Trojans took down the Northwestern Wildcats on Friday night, 38-17. It was a big win for the Trojans, who are still seeking a College Football Pl

USC football executed a brilliant fake punt deception against Northwestern, with quarterback Sam Huard disguised as punter Sam Johnson to complete a crucial pass.

What did we learn from watching the Trojans take down Northwestern on Friday night? Here are five key takeaways:

The Northwestern Wildcats put up an early fight. However, the team couldn’t keep pace with the No. 20 USC Trojans. They fell 38–17 on Friday night at the Los An

Makai Lemon had a touchdown catch and a scoring run while making 11 receptions for a career-high 161 yards, and No. 20 Southern California stayed in the College Football Playoff race with a 38-17 victory over Northwestern on Friday night.

The Trojans' defense, after giving up 14 points early, held Northwestern to just 3 points in the second half. The defense played its part in this game and ensured it would not allow Northwestern to make up any ground. Preston Stone played better than expected, but once USC's offense got ahead, he and the Wildcats could not respond.

USC's punter looked like a quarterback when he executed a fake punt. However, it was a quarterback that just wore the same number as the punter.

The USC Trojans defeated the Northwestern Wildcats, 38-17, at the LA Memorial Coliseum on November 7, 2025 and The Sporting Tribune's Jordan Teller was there to capture the following TST Images.