LOS ANGELES, CA — USC suffered its first defeat of the season last Saturday, falling 34-32 at Illinois on a last-second play. The Trojans mounted a dramatic fourth-quarter rally and took the lead with under two minutes to go, but Illinois sealed the win with a 41-yard field goal as time ran out.
“We gave up a couple of runs, and the pass interference was obviously a key play,” USC head coach Lincoln Riley said of llinois’ final possession. “I’ll want another look at that one. I thought it was a pretty competitive play. We knew their kicker was strong, especially with the wind at his back, so they didn’t need much to get into range. Still, we’ve got to be better. We need to pressure the quarterback more, stop the run more consistently, and force them backward, which we just didn’t do today.”
Lincoln Riley and USC dropped their first game of the 2025 season last Saturday in a 34-32 loss to Illinois – Image Credit: Amber Douglas Rodriguez/Latino Sports
Defensively, USC surrendered 502 yards of offense while tallying just one sack against an Illinois front that had allowed the most sacks in the Power Four heading into the matchup.
The Trojans now enter a bye week before returning home to face No. 20 Michigan (3-1, 1-0). Michigan slipped one spot in the rankings last week.
The Wolverines are also coming off a bye and will host Wisconsin this weekend.
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