LOS ANGELES, CA — Rainy conditions on Saturday afternoon didn’t slow down the No. 17 ranked USC Trojans, who battled through a muddy matchup to defeat the No. 21 ranked Iowa Hawkeyes 26-21 at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. After falling behind early, USC stormed back by scoring the final 19 points of the game, fueled by highlight-reel catches from Makai Lemon and a pair of rushing touchdowns from Bryan Jackson.
The victory preserves the Trojans’ College Football Playoff hopes for at least another week.
Head coach Lincoln Riley summed it up as “a culture win,” during his opening statement in the postgame press conference. USC’s performance showcased yet another dominant second half on both sides of the ball, though the game nearly slipped away in the early stages as the Trojans struggled to keep Iowa in check during the first half.
Iowa senior quarterback Mark Gronowski controlled the tempo early, commanding both the passing and rushing attacks. The Hawkeyes arrived determined to score quickly and efficiently—and they did just that. Their opening drive featured five consecutive pass plays, capped by a touchdown from sophomore wide receiver Dayton Howard. USC was held scoreless in the first quarter for the first time all season, creating a noticeable tension throughout the stadium.
Iowa continued exploiting USC’s slow start, with Gronowski adding two more touchdowns—a one-yard rushing score early in the second quarter and a successful “Philly Special” in which the senior quarterback hauled in the touchdown pass himself.
By halftime, Iowa held a surprising 21-10 lead over the ranked Trojans.
But the momentum swung dramatically after the break as USC emerged looking like a completely different team. Quarterback Jayden Maiava took command of the offense, threading precise passes to Lemon and Ja’Kobi Lane, while the defense delivered another standout performance by shutting out the Hawkeyes for the entire second half.
USC’s offense clicked into full gear, with Lemon finishing as the game’s top receiver—10 catches for 153 yards and a touchdown. Lane added 65 yards on seven receptions. On the ground, King Miller put together another strong outing, rushing for 83 yards on 19 carries despite the wet conditions.
“I think the whole team was ready to lay it on the line today,” said Riley after the win. “That’s what you have to have to win in these big games. We had guys laying it on the line, all over the place on all three sides of the ball and there’s great examples of that.”
With the comeback win, USC’s path to the College Football Playoff becomes slightly clearer. Their biggest challenge, however, awaits next weekend as they hit the road to face No. 8 ranked Oregon in Eugene.
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