Illinois Coach Bret Bielema Reveals USC Trojans 'Riled Up' Fighting Illini Before Game

The No. 21 USC Trojans suffered their first loss against the No. 23 Illinois Fighting Illini. It was a close game, but Illinois had a game-winning field goal to take down the undefeated Trojans. What did Bret Bielema say about USC during his postgame press conference?

Sep 20, 2025; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Bret Bielema walks onto the field prior to the game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images | Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

The No. 21 USC Trojans suffered their first loss of the season against the No. 23 Illinois Fighting Illini, 34-32. It was a close matchup, but after injuries and turnovers, the Illini came out on top.

USC coach Lincoln Riley and the Trojans will now fall to a 4-1 record, while Illinois moved up to 4-1, bouncing back from a tough week 4 loss. After the game, Illinois coach Bret Bielema spoke about USC during the postgame press conference.

What Bret Bielema Said About USC Trojans

Sep 6, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Bret Bielema during the third quarter against the Duke Blue Devils at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

“Four-quarter game,” Bielema said. “First off, give credit to USC. Really good football team. Challenge today, but I thought our guys, to where we are today, responded.”

“I know playing these guys, we knew that we were gonna play a certain type of style,” Bielema said. “I know they had done some things; they did some stuff in pregame that I know our guys were riled up pretty good about.”

“Listen, USC’s really good. I remember early in the week, I saw they led the nation in yards per play or whatever on offense,” Bielema said. “I saw that quarterback was ahead of the guy we saw last week in every category. So, a really good football team that we went out and beat.”

Jul 22, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Illinois head coach Bret Bielema speaks to the media during the Big Ten NCAA college football media days at Mandalay Bay Resort. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images | Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images

“Yeah, [Makai Lemon's] a good player. You know what, and I think the great thing about USC is they have a lot of talent. Very, very deep roster of skill and all that. 18, I kinda like that kid. I coach outside backers in leagues, so I kind of watched him all week and talked a little smack,” Bielema continued.

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USC’s Comeback Not Enough

Jul 24, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; USC head coach Lincoln Riley speaks to the media during the Big Ten NCAA college football media days at Mandalay Bay Resort. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images | Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images

It was a hard-fought battle for both teams throughout the matchup. The USC Trojans had the lead with less than a minute to go in the game, but Illinois’ offense was able to drive down the field, setting up the game-winning field goal.

Despite the loss, one player on USC that must be highlighted is wide receiver Makai Lemon, who made big plays for the Trojans' offense. Lemon finished the game with 11 receptions for 151 rushing yards and two touchdowns. He was a substantial reason USC was in the game until the final seconds, making big catches.

Sep 20, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans wide receiver Makai Lemon (6) runs for a touchdown against the Michigan State Spartans during the second half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Despite being down two starting offensive linemen for the majority of the game, USC quarterback Jayden Maiava went 30-of-43 for 364 yards and two touchdowns. Maiava threw one interception, as turnovers were an issue for both teams. While it was not Maiava's best game, the final drive for the offense showed what the USC quarterback is capable of.

USC's defense struggled against Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer and the offense, but had a couple of big stops and key turnovers, including a controversial fumble recovery in the first half. The Defense has had two tough games and will have to turn things around after suffering the first loss of the season.

The USC Trojans will have a bye in week 6, then return to L.A. Memorial Coliseum to face the No. 19 Michigan Wolverines on Saturday, Oct. 11.