The Trojans (5-2, 3-1 Big Ten) enter the week ranked No. 23 in the AP Top 25 and are coming off a bye, while the Cornhuskers (6-2, 3-2) look to extend their recent surge after a 28-21 win over Northwestern, marking the fourth win of its past five games.
For USC, the bye week came at an opportune time. The Trojans dropped two of their last three games, including a 34-24 loss at Notre Dame that revealed lingering defensive inconsistencies.
USC currently ranks No. 1 in the nation in passing offense (326.1) and in total offense (530.0) and leads the Big Ten in passing yards per completion (14.45).
For head coach Lincoln Riley, the bye week provided a reset both physically and mentally.
“You’ve worked hard, you’ve put yourself in a pretty cool position — let’s go take advantage of it,” said Riley. “This is what you work all year to do.”
Riley said he’s been encouraged by his team’s consistency and energy through the first seven games of the season.
“Sometimes as a coach, you have to manufacture energy, but with this team, we haven’t had to,” Riley said. “They enjoy competing … we’ve got a lot of guys that their presence alone uplifts the group.”
Redshirt junior defensive lineman Devan Thompkins echoed that sense of eagerness heading into the road test.
“The bye week felt a little too long,” Thompkins said. “We’re just excited to get back out there with our brothers and coaches and attack it.”
Quarterback Jayden Maiava has been the steady force behind USC’s offense. The redshirt junior has thrown for 2,180 yards and 15 touchdowns with just four interceptions, completing more than 68% of his passes.
Maiava’s chemistry with junior wide receiver Makai Lemon has anchored the passing game. Lemon leads the team with 758 yards and six touchdowns.
Riley said Lemon’s steady focus has become an example for the rest of the roster.
“He has the ability to focus and maintain focus through long stretches of time,” said Riley. “He doesn’t take many reps that aren’t intentional … that’s why he’s turned into the player he has.”
Maiava and Lemon were both in ESPN’s midseason top 25, with Maiava at 18 and Lemon 21.
Lemon, redshirt senior safety Bishop Fitzgerald and junior running back Waymond Jordan have each been named 2025 Midseason All-Americans.
Defensively, USC will look for improvement after allowing more than 30 points in three of its past four games. Junior defensive end Braylan Shelby leads the team alongside sophomore DE Kameryn Crawford with 3.5 sacks, and the front seven will be tested by Nebraska’s run-first offense.
Thompkins said the defense has used the week off to learn from its loss at Notre Dame, where the Trojans struggled to contain the Irish run game.
“I look at it as a lesson rather than a loss,” said Thompkins. “The only thing we can do from it is get better.”
Nebraska, led by head coach Matt Rhule, has found its rhythm after early-season struggles.
Sophomore quarterback Dylan Raiola has thrown for 1,909 yards and 17 touchdowns, and junior running back Emmett Johnson has emerged as the centerpiece of the offense with 837 rushing yards and nine touchdowns.
For Thompkins and the USC defense, the focus starts up front.
“We can’t get to him if we don’t stop the run,” Thompkins said. “We’ve got to worry about stopping the run first and second down, and then focus on whatever comes after that.”
Sophomore wide receiver Nyziah Hunter provides a downfield threat with 525 receiving yards, giving Nebraska a more balanced attack than in recent seasons.
Defensively, senior linebacker Javin Wright leads the Cornhuskers with 52 tackles, while senior LB Dasan McCullough has provided versatility in both run and pass defense. Nebraska also packs a punch on special teams, featuring one of the nation’s most explosive returners in sophomore Kenneth Williams, who leads the country in kickoff return average.
Nebraska tends to struggle against ranked opponents, losing 28 straight ranked games since its last victory against #22 Oregon in 2016.
Still, Riley said USC’s coverage unit will need to stay disciplined after allowing a long return against Notre Dame.
“You can have 50 great reps in a row, and at number 51 all it takes is one mistake,” said Riley. “We’ve got to rise up to the occasion against a really good player.”
Nebraska will debut its black alternate jerseys for the team’s annual “blackout” game.
“I’m excited for the experience,” Thompkins said. “I hear all the things about the stadium, and I’m ready to just go out there and play.”
USC has never lost to Nebraska, holding a 5-0-1 record in the all-time series. The two programs last met in 2024, when the Trojans earned a 28-20 win in Los Angeles.
Saturday’s matchup marks USC’s third consecutive primetime appearance on NBC and its second straight road game against a Big Ten opponent.
With both teams in the middle of the conference standings, the game could prove pivotal in shaping the rest of their seasons, particularly with USC still eyeing bowl eligibility.
For the Southern California team, Lincoln calls for temperatures in the mid-40s, which is a stark difference from the 75 degrees at home.
Both teams will need to prove themselves tomorrow at 4:30 p.m. PST on NBC.