Lincoln Riley Calls USC Trojans Upset Win Over Michigan 'Important Step' For Program

USC quarterback Jayden Maiava was 25 of 32 for 265 yards and two touchdowns to his star receivers Ja'Kobi Lane and Makai Lemon, who reeled in nine receptions for 93 yards.

"Tough response. Our football team, proud of them, just the way the guys handled the bye week," Riley said. "I thought we really attacked it, dominated the football game on all sides. Was just a really awesome performance, gritty, tough performance. They were not going to come out here with anything less than that. One of the best weeks of preparations that we have had since I've been coaching here."

First Half

The Trojans marched right down the field with an 11-play opening drive that was capped off by a two-yard touchdown pass from Maiava to Lane to take an early 7-0 lead. USC had all of the early momentum until a big hit from Michigan cornerback Jyaire Hill forced tight Lake McRee to fumble in the red zone.

It took a while for Michigan's offense to get rolling in the first half. Late in the second quarter, five-star freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood engineered a 14-play drive, that ended with him connecting with receiver Donaven McCulley for an 8-yard touchdown to tie the game.

However, the Trojans would respond by going into their three-minute offense. Maiava drove them down the field and connected with Lemon, who made an acrobatic catch with a Michigan defensive back draped all over him for a 12-yard touchdown with 14 seconds remaining in the half to put them back up by seven.

Second Half

On the Trojans opening possession of the second half, they faced a 3rd-and-26, a simple handoff to Miller turned into a 49-yard gain. Two plays later, Miller's 15-yard touchdown run extended the Trojans lead to 21-7.

"It's just what he does in practice," Riley said. He's a hard worker. He's a humble guy. He cares a lot about the team."

Michigan was able to stay alive, after the Trojans second turnover in the red zone. This time it was Maiava who floated a pass over the head of Lemon and landed in the waiting arms of Wolverines defensive back Zeke Barry.

All of sudden, it appeared the game was turning into a story that has been told numerous times over the last two seasons under Riley. On the ensuing drive, Underwood began carving of the Trojans secondary, until safety Bishop Fitzgerald picked off him deep into their territory. Ryon Sayeri's 54-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter made it a three-score game.

Michigan responded after a missed tackle from safety Christian Pierce led to a 69-yard touchdown from Underwood to Andrew Marsh for a 69-yard touchdown to make it 24-13.

But in a surprise appearance, sophomore Bryan Jackson saw his first appearance since suffering a turf toe injury in week 1, despite being listed as out on the injury report.

"We were able to get in communication with the league office, explain the situation," Riley said. "Our doctors medically cleared him, and it just became a wellness issue for us here, so we made sure to clear it. The kid was ready to go and then stepped up. You got to have tough guys that pay through stuff if you want to win at this level."

And stepped up he did. Jackson's 29-yard touchdown with less than five minutes remaining in regulation sealed the Trojans victory.

Defensive Performance

The Trojans defense faced plenty of scrutiny over the past two weeks after a disappointing showing against Illinois in week 5. The overall toughness and level of execution was put into question and defensive coordinator's squad responded in a big way.

They made life uncomfortable for Underwood, who never settled into this one. Other than the one explosive pass play, it was a quiet night for the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2025 recruiting cycle. And the Trojans limited Michigan to just 109 yards on the ground and just 3.5 yards per rush.

Future Outlook

Saturday was a massive recruiting weekend for the Trojans. A large number of commits for their No. 1 ranked recruiting class in the 2026 recruiting class, headlined by five-star tight Mark Bowman and offensive tackle Keenyi Pepe, and four-star quarterback Jonas Williams.

But they also had numerous recruits in the 2027 and 2028 recruiting class that they were looking to impressive with a big-time Big Ten win over a ranked opponent.

"It was a big opportunity, there's no question. I feel like it was a big opportunity we did not want to miss. For those recruits and people that were in the building tonight, I would imagine a lot of people would say that's what it used to feel like here at the Coliseum, that was an epic atmosphere. The place was on fire. And I think it was great for our guys, our players, our future players, LA, just everyone to see that. And it was an important step."

Looking Ahead

USC will travel to South Bend next week to renew their annual rivalry with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. And with the future of the rivalry in the air, that will build up the intrigue for this upcoming matchup.