Lincoln Riley Offers Rallying Cry Ahead of USC's Marquee Matchup with Nebraska

The No. 23 USC Trojans face off against the Nebraska Cornhuskers in Lincoln on Saturday night. Coming off the bye week, USC coach Lincoln Riley gave the Trojans a rallying cry heading into the matchup against Nebraska.

Sep 20, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches game action 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

The No. 23 USC Trojans enter Saturday's pivotal Big Ten matchup against the Nebraska Cornhuskers on the road with a 5-2 record. The Trojans' hopes of making a late-season run at the College Football Playoff are on the line on Saturday night in Lincoln. USC is hoping its bye week to prepare will pay off with a statement road win over the Cornhuskers.

'Burn the Boats'

Sep 27, 2025; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley talks with players during the first half against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

Following their heartbreaking 34-24 loss in South Bend to their arch-rival, the No. 12 Notre Dame Fighting Irish, USC coach Lincoln Riley's rallying cry to the Trojans heading into Saturday night's game against Nebraska is to "burn the boats."

USC linebacker Jadyn Walker revealed the message of the bye week:

"The quote we've been saying is burn the boats. We've just got to burn the boats and move on to the next opponent, and just have that chip on our shoulder."

In the loss to Notre Dame before the bye week, USC's biggest downfall was its inability to finish on drives in the fourth quarter and costly turnovers. Many USC fans also criticized Riley's play-calling down the stretch, as the Trojans lost their third straight game to the Fighting Irish.

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Capitalizing on drives and taking care of football will be a major key for USC against Nebraska on Saturday night. Much like Notre Dame, the Trojans will be facing another hostile road environment in Lincoln when they take on the Cornhuskers.

Saturday night's game will be a "blackout" at Memorial Stadium for Nebraska, where they will also be debuting new alternative black uniforms. The game between Nebraska and USC could come down to who plays better in the fourth quarter. This is something the Trojans would like to improve on after their loss to Notre Dame.

Quarterback Duel Between Jayden Maiava and Dylan Raiola

Oct 11, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava (14) throws a pass in the first half against the Michigan Wolverines at United Airlines Field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The quarterback play between Nebraska's Dylan Raiola and Jayden Maiava will highlight Saturday night's matchup and could be the deciding factor. Maiava aims to bounce back from his performance against Notre Dame. Despite throwing for 328 yards and two touchdowns on 22-of-42 passing, Maiava threw two costly interceptions in the loss to the Fighting Irish.

Maiava has been one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the Big Ten and college football this season, ranking second in the conference in passing behind Rutgers' Athan Kaliakmanis with 2,180 yards, 15 touchdowns, four interceptions, and a No. 1 QBR of 92.0.

Raiola, who has experienced his highs and lows with Nebraska, is looking to make a statement with a win over USC. Last season in Nebraska's 28-20 loss to USC at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Raiola struggled, throwing for 191 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions on 27-of-38 passing.

Sep 6, 2025; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers quarterback Dylan Raiola (15) passes against the Akron Zips during the first quarter at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

Raiola will need to have a better performance and not commit turnovers if Nebraska hopes to earn the upset win over USC. Nebraska is currently a 6.5-point underdog against USC according to ESPN BET Sportbook.

The Cornhuskers and Trojans will face off on Saturday night at Memorial Stadium with kickoff set for 4:30 p.m. PT. The game will be broadcast on NBC.

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