Four Observations From Nebraska's Loss to No. 23 USC

Nebraska fell to 6-3 with a 21-17 loss to No. 23 USC. The Huskers had trouble stopping the run and suffered an injury at quarterback. Plus, how Matt Rhule's use of timeouts and thoughts on the Blackout.

Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola attempts to evade the USC rush. He was injured on the play and did not return to the game. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

LINCOLN—The November woes continue for Nebraska football.

The Huskers opened the month with a 21-17 loss to the No. 23 USC Trojans on Saturday. Here are four observations from the game.

Dylan Raiola

Nebraska had to play most of the second half without its starting quarterback.

Early in the third quarter, Dylan Raiola stepped up in the pocket and was sandwiched between a pair of Trojan defenders. He lost the ball, recovered by USC, but as he went to the ground, his ankle bent and was landed on.

Dylan Raiola got CRUNCHED on this tackle 😳

📺: NBC pic.twitter.com/T8a8s4kSAe

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 2, 2025

He would not return to action. The Husker Radio Network would report at the start of the fourth quarter that Raiola told coaches, "I can't go."

"Dylan wanted to play," Nebraska coach Matt Rhule said after the game. "From a medical perspective, they said he can’t run. He said I can move around, but I can’t run, and I didn’t think it was the respectable thing to do to put a guy out there who can’t run.

"At the end of the day, I just don’t think you can put a guy out there who can’t protect himself; I don’t think that’s the right thing to do. The trainers didn’t want him to go out there, but they didn’t say that he can’t. They just said he shouldn’t be out there, so I told Dylan, 'I love you too much to play when you’re hurt like this.'"

Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola is helped off the field after suffering an injury against USC. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

With that, true freshman TJ Lateef was called on for his first action in a game of consequence at the collegiate level. Lateef would hand the ball off 11 times, run it himself six times, and attempt seven passes. He finished 5-of-7 through the air for seven yards, including one completion for 11 yards.

Lateef ended with 18 yards rushing, good for second on the team behind Emmett Johnson. Johnson, Nebraska's first 1,000-yard running back since Devine Ozigbo in 2018, was asked to carry the load, especially in the second half. He finished with 29 carries for 165 yards and a touchdown, adding two catches for 15 yards.

"I think TJ (Lateef) has a bright, bright, bright future and he’s going to do a lot of good things," Rhule said. "I thought he did admirably. If he has to play next week, with the full week, I think he will play really well. Proud of him, proud of his effort, and proud of the way he went out there and did it."

Nebraska quarterback TJ Lateef drops back to pass against USC. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

The Good and the Bad on Defense

In the battle of the top passing offense in the nation and the No. 2 pass defense, it was the defense that came out on top.

USC quarterback Jayden Maiava was held to 135 yards and no touchdowns, completing 9-of-23 passes. He also threw one interception. As a starting QB, Maiava had never completed fewer than 15 passes and had never thrown for fewer than 221 yards.

Maiava's numbers are boosted by a trick play, a second-half flea flicker, that moved the ball 43 yards down the field and set up the eventual go-ahead touchdown.

USC quarterback Jayden Maiava scrambles against Nebraska. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

On the ground, the Blackshirts were just as susceptible as they've been all season.

USC ran for 202 yards on 38 carries. Every Husker opponent this season has notched at least 30 rushing attempts against the Big Red. Only Michigan (286) ran for more yards on the Blackshirts in 2025.

King Miller averaged 7.2 yards a carry, toting the rock 18 times for 130 yards and a touchdown.

"Anytime we give up 200 rushing yards, we’re not going to be happy," Rhule said. "At the same time, I don’t think anyone has held them to 21 points. They’re explosive, so I thought they had some really, really good moments, some valiant moments. We lost the game, so we’ll have to get better."

Southern California Trojans running back King Miller runs against the Nebraska Cornhuskers during the fourth quarter at Memorial Stadium. | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

Nebraska's defense is what it is at this point in the season. But with that reality comes the decision whether to get creative with how to combat that or continue to allow teams to run all over you, even if the passing numbers are exceptional.

The Timeouts

When Nebraska turned the ball over on downs with 1:26 to play, USC was able to simply run out the clock since the Huskers had just a single timeout remaining. When did those timeouts get used? Back in the third quarter.

The first came midway through the quarter, after a USC player shoved Turner Corcoran after a play in front of an official. No flag was thrown, and Rhule was heated. He was animated in his conversation with an official, eventually taking a timeout before the next play could be snapped.

Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Matt Rhule watches play against the Southern California Trojans at Memorial Stadium. | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

Just a few plays later, Nebraska had a fourth and one at the USC34. At first, the Huskers attempted a hard count, and it seemed as though they would be trying to pick up the first down. Rhule called a timeout to discuss.

But out of the timeout, Kyle Cunanan ran onto the field to attempt a 52-yard field goal. His kick would hit the crossbar at the base of the right upright, leaving the Huskers without points.

Two timeouts and zero points.

Ultimately, a three-spot there doesn't make a difference in the game that ended with a four-point difference. There's also no way of knowing how the game plays out if Nebraska picks up a first down and scores a touchdown to go up 21-6.

What we do know is that Rhule has baffled onlookers with his use of timeouts, especially this season. In this particular instance, at least, the use of those timeouts to come out with no points and then potentially need them in the closing minutes makes them appear larger in the loss.

The Blackout

Everything feels better in a win, but what the Nebraska Athletic Department put on this week, and the Husker faithful pulled off, is nothing short of admirable.

When's the last time NU went all-in on something different? Volleyball Day in Nebraska comes to mind, but do you have to go all the way back to the Big 12 campaign of Red Out Around the World?

Nebraska defensive lineman Riley Van Poppel warms up ahead of the game against USC. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

Nebraska largely stays in a specific lane of tradition, and there's nothing wrong with that. Every now and then, the Huskers swerve a bit with alternate uniforms, but everything keeps with what's essentially the same.

But on Saturday, with a packed Memorial Stadium and nearly every seat filled with a person wearing black, the Huskers jumped to a different road entirely. The uniforms, the tunnel walk, the field, the balloons, the mascots... if there was a spot to swap out for black, Nebraska did it. It looked astounding in person, and social media made it sound like the TV product was equally as pleasing to the eye.

Nebraska Cornhuskers students cheer during warmups before the game against the Southern California Trojans at Memorial Stadium. | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

And not just around the stadium, but everywhere across Lincoln was buying in. The Railyard was blacked out. People tailgating all over were donning their black. I made a trip to Target earlier in the day and the only people wearing red were the employees.

"I thought the crowd was amazing," Rhule said. "The energy was amazing. The atmosphere was electric.

"I thought it was special."

No, the game didn't end with a victory. Yes, this should be an annual event for Nebraska fans to go all-in on with Husker Athletics, creating a new tradition for the future of NU.

Tom Osborne Field saw the red swapped for black with Nebraska's blackout game against USC. | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

Have a question or comment for Kaleb? Send an email to kalebhenry.huskermax@gmail.com.

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Nebraska Football 2025 Schedule

• Aug. 28 Nebraska 20, Cincinnati 17
• Sep. 6 Nebraska 68, Akron 0
• Sep. 13 Nebraska 59, Houston Christian 7
• Sep. 20 Michigan 30, Nebraska 27
• Oct. 4 Nebraska 38, Michigan State 27
• Oct. 11 Nebraska 34, Maryland 31
• Oct. 17 Minnesota 24, Nebraska 6
• Oct. 25 Nebraska 28, Northwestern 21
• Nov. 1 USC 21, Nebraska 17
• Nov. 8 at UCLA 8 p.m. FOX
• Nov. 22 at Penn State TBA
• Nov. 28 (Black Friday) vs. Iowa 11 a.m. CBS

Home games are bolded. All times central.

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