Six Winners and Losers From USC’s Devastating Loss to Oregon

The No. 12 USC Trojans found themselves in another shootout but were unable to pull away. Here are the winners and losers from the Trojans’ battle against the No. 20 Oregon Ducks.

Sep 12, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches against the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns in the first half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The No. 12 USC Trojans fall to their longtime rival, No. 20 Oregon Ducks, in a 41-27 battle. Here are the winners and losers from the Week 4 loss at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

Loser: Shoot Outs and Abandoning the Run

Sep 12, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley reacts against the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns in the second half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

These two go hand-in-hand and played a factor in the Trojans’ 42-35 win in Week 3 over the Rutgers Scarlet Knights.

In what’s starting to become a trend, Trojans coach Lincoln Riley started to abandon the run once the going got tough. Redshirt-sophomore running back King Miller ended the game with 13 carries for 74 yards, despite having crucial chain-moving runs, while senior back Waymond Jordan had eight carries for 36 yards.

The up-tempo, big plays of Oregon’s offense started to take their toll on the defense – which had a strong showing in the first half. At this point, fans, analysts, and members of the media know that Riley’s offense will put up points, but it's coming at the cost of quickly putting the defense back on the field, which ultimately gets too tired and beaten to close out games.

Winner: Coliseum Crowd

Sep 26, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; A general view of United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum at sunset during the second half of a game between the USC Trojans and the Oregon Ducks. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It was a long time coming, but the Trojan faithful arrived for this one. The first win came on Sept. 16 when Southern Cal announced that the tickets for the Big Ten clash had sold out. Then on game day, social media continued its fuss about attendance 15 minutes before kickoff, but that didn’t stop fans from voicing how they felt about the Ducks as they came out of the tunnel.

The energy was especially high during the Ducks’ first drive when the Trojans defense halted them in the red zone, forcing them to settle for a field goal. The home crowd continued to make a lot of noise on every Oregon offensive possession, but more importantly, showed class when Ducks quarterback Dante Moore was carted off the field.

Loser: Secondary

Sep 26, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Oregon Ducks tight end Jamari Johnson (9) runs after a catch against USC Trojans safety Christian Pierce (6) and cornerback Prophet Brown (16) during the first half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The defensive secondary has been on notice in the Trojans’ non-conference games and may remain a concern in Big Ten play. In the first half of the action, the unit gave up four big first-down plays:

• Jamari Johnson’s 37-yard reception straight down the middle of the field.
• Messiah Hampton had a 21-yard reception on third-and-five.
• Evan Stewart’s 17-yard pickup on third-and-13.
• Dierre Hill Jr. had a 12-yard reception to set up first-and-goal, ultimately leading to a 13-10 lead at halftime.

Johnson nearly had another 30-plus-yard reception if it weren't for an offensive holding penalty that wiped out the play. In total, the defense allowed 140 passing yards and a touchdown in the first half.

To kick off the second half, Hill took a screen pass 62 yards downfield on the second play of the Ducks’ drive. He would go on to score on the ground to put Oregon ahead 20-10. The big plays on third-down continued as well:

• Facing third-and-nine on their own 26-yard line, Johnson comes down with a 34-yard reception to put the Ducks at the Trojans’ 40-yard line.
• Hill made a 28-yard play out of the backfield on third-and-two in Trojan territory. This would set up another touchdown run by sophomore running back.

The straw that broke the camel's back was a 29-yard touchdown pass by Dylan Raiola to Dakorien Moore that made it a 34-27 game. In total, the Ducks offense posted 366 passing yards and two touchdowns through the air.

Winner: Front Seven (First Half)

Sep 26, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans defensive tackle Jahkeem Stewart (4) celebrates with defensive end Kameryn Crawford (1) after a defensive stop against the Oregon Ducks during the second half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

After getting pushed around and gashed with 168 yards and two touchdowns on the ground versus Rutgers, USC’s defensive front picked up the physicality for tonight’s game. The biggest run they allowed was in the first quarter – a 45-yard rush by Jordan Davison. After that, every yard had to be earned – 93 rushing yards allowed in the half. The toughness was best personified near the end of the first half when the Trojans' defense bottled up the run, forcing the aggressive style of Dan Lanning to settle for a field goal.

There was a moment when the starting four – Luke Wafle, Kameryn Crawford, Jide Abasiri and Alex VanSumeren – were all subbed out, and the rotational guys held their ground. The return of Jahkeem Stewart was huge, and his impact will be felt as he gets healthier. Jamaal Jarrett was crucial in the goal-line stand, and Braylan Shelby made some solid plays.

Ultimately the unit was sent to the field too often and hardly had a moment to catch their breath.

Loser: Desman Stephens II

Sep 26, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans linebacker Desman Stephens II (8) celebrates after tacking Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore (not pictured) before he is charged with targeting during the second quarter at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

A lot can be said about this moment. Yes, today’s game has made it harder for defenders to play defense. Yes, these plays are bang-bang and are mostly unintentional. At the same time, Moore had already initiated the slide before Stephens came in hot. To make matters worse, Stephens’ behavior on the field and on the sideline was very poor and a bad representation of himself and the teammates who celebrated with him.

Besides the ejection, it's possible that the junior linebacker faces a suspension or punishment from Lincoln Riley.

Winner: Kayden Dixon-Wyatt

Sep 26, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans wide receiver Kayden Dixon-Wyatt (17) celebrates with tight end Mark Bowman (19) after scoring a touchdown against the Oregon Ducks during the second quarter at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

In the absence of Trent Mosley, the Trojans were able to flex their wide receiver depth versus Rutgers, but there was one constant last week and in today’s game – Kayden Dixon-Wyatt. In Week 3, Dixon-Wyatt stepped up as Jayden Maiava’s No. 1 option with five receptions for 77 yards.

Dixon-Wyatt continued to have the hot hand against the Ducks. Maiava looked to him for big plays, to move the chains, and eventually for USC’s first touchdown of the game. The true freshman finished the first half as the leading pass catcher with five receptions for 88 yards and a score.

The true freshman ended the game with seven receptions for 114 yards and a touchdown.

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