What Nebraska's 'Blackout' Means for USC Trojans' Matchup

The USC Trojans' hopes of reaching the College Football Playoff are still alive after the 34-24 loss to the No. 12 Notre Dame Fighting Irish, but the Nebraska Cornhuskers are doing everything they can to stay alive, including a blackout for the matchup with USC.

Nov 16, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches game action against the Nebraska Cornhuskers during the second half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

While the USC Trojans are currently entering their second and final bye week of the season, anticipation is already growing for USC's upcoming matchup against the Nebraska Cornhuskers in Lincoln.

Nebraska's home game against USC is set to be a "Blackout" under the lights at Memorial Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. PT (6:30 p.m. local) on NBC.

USC has struggled to win on the road in the previous seasons under coach Lincoln Riley, and it's remained the case this year. Both of USC's losses this season have been away from the Coliseum. Will the Trojans be able to handle what is expected to be a rowdy environment in Nebraska?

USC. Nebraska. Memorial Stadium. At night. Black-out. Season on the line. It doesn’t get better than this 🍿 pic.twitter.com/0hKkk9yaxN

— Trojan Football ✌️ ᶠᵃⁿ (@TrojanFBx) October 21, 2025

In 2024, USC failed to win on the road against Maryland and Minnesota. With over 80,000 fans cheering against the Trojans, the deck is stacked against USC coach Lincoln Riley and his team.

However, the Trojans should benefit from the bye week before another road game. USC offensive tackle Elijah Paige has missed three games and a return could be imminent against the Cornhuskers.

USC's Season On The Line Against Nebraska

Oct 18, 2025; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Southern California Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava (14) drops back to throw the ball in the first half against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

The Trojans are looking to rebound against Nebraska after suffering another gut-wrenching loss on the road, losing 34-24 to the No. 12 Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

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The other road loss that USC suffered came in Champaign, where the Trojans lost 34-32 to the Illinois Fighting Illini on a game-winning field goal as time expired.

A win over Nebraska in a hostile night environment in Lincoln will be huge for USC as they try to keep their slim hopes at the College Football Playoff alive.

USC needs to win out to have a chance to make a case for a playoff spot, and that winning streak needs to start with a win over Nebraska.

Nebraska's Matchup Against Northwestern Before USC

Oct 11, 2025; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Northwestern Wildcats running back Joseph Himon II (6) runs with the ball during the fourth quarter against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Before playing USC on Nov. 1, Nebraska will play at home against the Northwestern Wildcats. While many are expecting the Cornhuskers to bounce back from their 24-6 loss to Minnesota on the road, beating Northwestern won't be an easy task.

Northwestern has been one of the surprises in the Big Ten this season under third-year coach David Braun. The Wildcats are 5-2 on the season and enter Lincoln with a four game winning streak that has been highlighted by an upset 22-21 win over Penn State in Happy Valley.

It is crucial that Nebraska rebounds from the loss to Minnesota and improves to 6-2 on the season. A quality win over Northwestern on Saturday will give the Cornhuskers momentum going into the game against USC.

Quarterback Duel Matchup Between Jayden Maiava and Dylan Raiola

Oct 18, 2025; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Southern California Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava (14) passes the ball against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the first half at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael Caterina-Imagn Images | Michael Caterina-Imagn Images

The Nov. 1 matchup in Lincoln will be highlighted by the quarterback duel between Nebraska's Dylan Raiola and USC's Jayden Maiava. Maiava and Raiola have been two of the top quarterbacks in the Big Ten this season.

Maiava has taken USC's offense to the next level this season, as he leads the Big Ten in passing and is third in college football with 2,180 yards, 15 touchdowns, and four interceptions, with a QBR of 92.1.

Raiola has experienced his highs and lows for Nebraska this season, as he has thrown for 1,768 yards, 16 touchdowns, and five interceptions. When the game between Nebraska and USC on Nov. 1 was announced as a "Blackout" back in August, Raiola said that the Trojans won't be ready to play because it'll be cold and at night.

Oct 17, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers quarterback Dylan Raiola (15) runs the ball against the Minnesota Golden Gophers during the first half at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

We'll see if Raiola can back up his comments and lead the Cornhuskers to a win over USC. The biggest key for USC entering the matchup against Nebraska will be to force Raiola into committing turnovers. If the Trojans can capitalize on forcing Raiola into mistakes, they'll come out of Lincoln with a signature road win.