USC-Nebraska Play The Most USC-Nebraska Game Possible

The USC Trojans and Nebraska Cornhuskers have been two of the most disappointing teams in college football this season. Mostly thanks to their remarkable inability to close out games in the fourth quarter when the score is tight.

And as mediocre teams, they frequently manage to find themselves in close games late in the fourth quarter. Sure enough, who would have ever guessed, Saturday's game between the two new Big Ten rivals wound up being a close game late in the fourth quarter.

USC started Jayden Maiava at quarterback, essentially throwing a Hail Mary and replacing Miller Moss after a disastrous 4-5 start to the 2024 season. Nebraska's Dylan Raiola returned from injury in time to start, providing a lift for a Cornhuskers team desperate to stop a losing streak.

It was as chaotic as you'd expect.

LOS ANGELES - Nebraska Cornhuskers wide receiver Janiran Bonner runs the ball against the Southern California Trojans defense during the first half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Nov. 16, 2024. Photo: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

USC-Nebraska The Epitome Of College Football Chaos

These two teams have spent most of the year refusing to win, and they spent most of Saturday's game refusing to win.

USC allowed the first touchdown of the game on a brutal pick-six from Maiava to former Trojan Ceyair Wright. But they bounced back soon afterwards…literally. An ill-advised pass into the end zone went through the hands of a Nebraska defender, off his helmet and directly to Kyron Hudson for the touchdown.

Later, Raiola threw an easy pick, and USC had a chance in the third quarter to put some distance between them and the Cornhuskers, but fumbled in their own territory, setting up Nebraska for a field goal to make it 21-20. 

Then, in the fourth quarter, USC's desperation to lose struck again. On fourth and four, the Trojans lined up for a field goal try to push the lead to 24-20. Except Ceyair Wright blocked it, because of course he did.

The weirdness wasn't over yet. 

SC got the ball back, and on a third down, Maiava got hit as he threw, with the ball fluttering in the middle of the field. It bounced off a Nebraska player to USC receiver Makai Lemon, who was able to put the Trojans in position to convert a fourth and short.

Maiava kept a read option to put the Trojans on top 28-20, and USC had a chance to end it on a fourth down in Nebraska territory, but the Cornhuskers converted to extend the game. Nebraska drove it down to the USC red zone, but came up short on the last play as SC intercepted a desperation Raiola throw.

This game was a microcosm of the seasons for both teams. Nebraska entered 1-3 in one-score games and USC 1-5. Both have found ways to lose games they'd expect to win, particularly USC. They've been hurt by bad officiating and just a few plays from playoff contention.

But because they're Nebraska and USC, those few plays have gone the other way. Somehow, somehow, the Trojans finally won a game where they had 90+% win expectancy and a lead in the fourth quarter. Somehow, someway, the Cornhuskers found a way to lose a game in which they had a pick-six and blocked field goal.

Couldn't have written it any better.