No. 19 USC football’s 2025 regular season ride came to an end on Saturday when the Trojans (9-3, 7-2) hosted crosstown rival UCLA (3-9, 3-6) at the Coliseum. In the 965th meeting between the two teams, USC came from behind to pull off a 29-10 victory.
It’s been a rollercoaster of a season for the Trojans, who started the year 4-0 and averaged 52.5 points per game through that span. Tough midseason losses at Illinois (8-4, 5-4) and No. 9 Notre Dame (9-2) threatened USC’s College Football Playoff hopes, which were snuffed out by a 42-27 loss at No. 6 Oregon last week.
The win over the Bruins marks the last stop on USC’s regular season tour, so let’s take a look back on a season full of ups, downs, hopes and setbacks.
The highs
The Trojan receiving corps
USC’s highly-anticipated passing game didn’t disappoint this season, as returning junior receivers Makai Lemon and Ja’Kobi Lane both showcased why they should be in the conversation about best receiving duos in the nation. Biletnikoff finalist Lemon leads the Big Ten in receiving yards (1,156) and notched 11 touchdowns on the year, including one against UCLA.
Lane, who led the Trojans in touchdowns (12) last year and was named Las Vegas Bowl MVP, was limited early this season due to injury. When he did play, Lane thrilled spectators with the acrobatic touchdown catches that have become his modus operandi. USC also saw strong play from freshman receiver Tanook Hines, who emerged as a significant threat for the Trojans. Hines posted 28 receptions for 398 yards and two touchdowns this season.
Jayden Maiava’s breakout year
The dynamism of USC’s receivers was largely influenced by the stellar play of redshirt junior quarterback Jayden Maiava. He led the Big Ten in passing yards this season and showcased that he’s more than just a mobile QB.
In his first full season as USC’s starter, Maiava is second in the nation in QBR (91.1) and is a semifinalist for the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award. Behind Maiava, the Trojans have garnered nearly 300 yards per game through the air.
Recruiting
Despite missing the playoffs this year, the Trojans appear well prepared for the future ahead. They have the No. 1 2026 recruiting class in college football, with 35 total and a whopping 20 four-star recruits.
The class is headlined by a handful of five-star prospects: Archbishop Hoban cornerback Elbert Hill, five-star Mater Dei tight end Mark Bowman, IMG Academy offensive tackle Keenyi Pepe and Hun School edge defender Luke Wafle. Trojan general manager Chad Bowden has been an instrumental figure in beefing up the potential future roster in his first year at USC following a four year tenure as Notre Dame’s first general manager.
“There’s just so, so much to build on,” USC head coach Lincoln Riley said. “This program is going to get better and better. We’ll have better teams in the future than this team. But I don’t know if we’ll have had a more important team.”
The UCLA matchup marked USC’s last opportunity for in-season visits from potential commits. The early signing period for 2026 opens this Wednesday.
The lows
Injuries
The Trojans played with injuries to significant position groups for the entire season. USC’s offensive line shifted nearly every game following nagging injuries to redshirt junior center Kilian O’Connor and redshirt sophomore left tackle Elijah Paige.
USC’s running back room was also severely debilitated by injuries to junior Waymond Jordan and redshirt senior Eli Sanders against No. 15 Michigan (9-3, 7-2) on Oct. 11. Redshirt freshman and walk-on running back King Miller became the Trojans’ workhorse and quickly proved why he belongs on the roster, recording 873 rushing yards on 131 attempts with six touchdowns. Still, USC’s lack of depth was a limiting factor as the team made its way through the season.
In the secondary, the Trojans missed redshirt senior cornerback Prophet Brown and true freshman CB Alex Graham for long stretches; both suffered injuries prior to the start of the season. Brown hasn’t seen action since the 21-17 win at Nebraska (7-5, 4-5) on Nov 1. Later in the season, injuries to senior safety Bishop Fitzgerald and redshirt junior safety Kamari Ramsey further exacerbated USC’s struggles with passing defense. The Trojans were ranked No. 44 in the nation in passing yards allowed coming into the crosstown showdown.
Defensive inconsistencies
USC’s defense has been under fire through the majority of Riley’s time at the helm. Defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn is finishing his second full year in the position after replacing former coordinator Alex Grinch at the end of 2023. Before the season, Lynn emphasized the importance of “obnoxious effort” in his defense’s execution, but the Trojans have still been plagued with struggles on that side of the ball.
Pass defense was only part of the inconsistencies for USC. The team has shown flashes of greatness in some moments, but been bogged down by missed tackles and penalties in others. They led the nation in sacks through four weeks. However, over the two games they played before UCLA, they didn’t record a single one.
USC has, no doubt, a defensive roster packed with skillful and athletic players. For those who choose to stay for next season, the question will be whether they can show up and execute more reliably than they have in the past.
Continuing road woes
USC’s struggles away from LA have been a major problem: the Trojans have lost seven of their last 10 games on the road dating back to the 2024 season. They also give up more yards per game through the air on the road (225.4) relative to at home (187.6).
It’s possible that USC is struggling to adapt to Big Ten play in its second season in the conference. Redshirt senior linebacker Eric Gentry praised the team’s ability to play physical, particularly in what he called “the most Big Ten weather we ever played in.” However, the Trojans’ key losses this season came on the road, and the onus falls on Riley to answer lingering questions about USC’s ability to get it done outside of Los Angeles.
The finish
There were no playoff implications at stake in the fight for the Victory Bell on Saturday, but that didn’t make it a meaningless matchup. The Bruins, stewarded by interim head coach Tim Skipper after a 3-0 start and the firing of DeShaun Foster, were hoping to build some momentum and avoid their first nine loss season since 2018.
“We wanted to win this battle for LA,” Skipper said. “We attacked the moment. We had good practices all week.”
The Trojans, meanwhile, were looking to end on a high note on senior night after being eliminated from the playoff picture. Strangely, neither Lemon nor Lane started the game, and Lemon didn’t see his first target until 25 seconds remaining in the third quarter. Luckily for the Trojans, that target was a 32-yard touchdown reception to give them a 14-10 lead.
“There was a violation of a team policy,” Riley said of his receivers’ early absence. “That was the decision that was made.”
USC kept the momentum rolling into the fourth, when a near-interception by Maiava was called back on a roughing the passer call. The ensuing 2-yard pass to redshirt senior tight end Lake McRee widened the gap and gave the Trojans their first double-digit advantage of the game, up 21-10. A 41-yard rushing score by Miller sealed the USC victory.
UCLA redshirt sophomore quarterback Nico Iamaleava has relied on his dual threat ability through the season, but was limited on the ground against the Trojans. He went 27-for-38, throwing for 200 yards and a touchdown.
“It was a great learning year for us,” Iamaleava said. “We’ll be back.”
UCLA won’t be back until next season, but the Trojans have established bowl eligibility and await more information on their final opponent of the year.