Biggest Winners And Losers in USC Trojans Win Over Iowa Hawkeyes

In a second-half surge, the No. 17 USC Trojans topped the No. 21 Iowa Hawkeyes 26–21 to improve to 8–2 and 6–1 in Big Ten play. After trailing 21–10 at halftime, USC shut out Iowa in the final two quarters to secure the win.

Nov 7, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches game action against the Northwestern Wildcats during the second half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

The No. 17 USC Trojans pulled out a dominant second half 26-21 win over the No. 21 Iowa Hawkeyes to improve to 8-2 entering their final two games.

The first half was very similar to their two games prior against Nebraska and Northwestern, where the first half of play was shaky but the second half was lights out football. Despite the injuries USC faced early in the first half, the Trojans shutout the Hawkeyes in the second half and got the ball rolling on offense to earn their second ranked home win of the season.

Biggest Winners in USC Trojans

Nov 15, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches game action against the Iowa Hawkeyes during the first half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Winner: Second Half Response

If there's one thing that has stood out about this Trojans team that last three games is their ability to bounce back, especially if it's a poor first half performance.

Even with multiple injuries at key positions like right tackle and safety, the Trojans wasted no time with their backup players that kept the game in check, and helped lead the Trojans to a 26-21 win.

If fans remember the Nebraska game, when the Trojans were trailing 14-6 at the half, they rebounded to pull off a 21-17 win and only allowed three points in the second half. Against the Hawkeyes, the Trojans allowed zero points in the second half, even with key players down.

On all three sides of the ball, coach Lincoln Riley emphasized the culture win this team produced, and what it meant to have the resilience the Trojans did tonight and pull out a win, especially down the road.

"We didn't play very good football in the first half. And our team's resilience, the response at halftime, we brought the guys up right away when we came in at half, which we don't typically do," Riley said to reporters after the win. "And you can tell from the look in their eye that they knew we did play our best, and they knew we could go out and really make a run at this thing."

Winner: Makai Lemon and Ja'Kobi Lane

Oct 18, 2025; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Southern California Trojans wide receiver Ja'Kobi Lane (8) celebrates after scoring against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish with wide receiver Makai Lemon (6) during the second half at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael Caterina-Imagn Images | Michael Caterina-Imagn Images

Both wide receivers Makai Lemon and Ja'Kobi Lane made another statement for USC's explosive offense this season against the Hawkeyes.

Lemon finished the day with 153 receiving yards and one touchdown. Lemon becomes the first power four receiver to reach 1,000+ receiving yards on the season. Lane also contributed with big plays, especially a big first down that got USC into scoring position for a Bryan Jackson touchdown.

Ja'Kobi!

Ja'Kobi Lane goes up high for the grab to help set up No. 17 @uscfb's first score of the day.

📺: @BigTenNetwork pic.twitter.com/qLagrQZxda

— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) November 15, 2025

Together, the dynamic duo combined for 218 receiving yards and one touchdown from Lemon to carry the pass game.

When Riley was asked about the confidence him and the team have in Lemon, especially on milestone days, he answered with one true quality he's always seen in Lemon.

"He's fearless player, always has been. Ever since I met him when he was a sophomore in high school, he's always had just that fearless quality to him and that continues to show up to this day," Riley said. "He's worked hard at his craft and we all have a lot of confidence in him and our other weapons."

Winner: Bryan Jackson In The Red Zone

Nov 7, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans running back Bryan Jackson (21) celebrates the touchdown scored by wide receiver Makai Lemon (6) against the Northwestern Wildcats during the second half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Trojan fans have seen what walk-on running back King Miller can do when he's unleashed on the field, but what about what his counterpart in running back Bryan Jackson when the ball is in his hands?

For Jackson, the sophomore from McKinney, Texas, his impact has made waves in the running back room since the injuries of Waymond Jordan and Eli Sanders.

Although Miller does take a majority of the snaps, Jackson was put in when the Trojans got into the red zone, and he earned two USC touchdowns out of it.

Biggest Losers in USC Trojans Win

Loser: USC Injuries

Jul 24, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; USC safety Kamari Ramsey 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

In the first half, the Trojans faced more injuries to their starting lineup with safeties Kamari Ramsey and Bishop Fitzgerald, left tackle Elijah Paige and defensive tackle Keeshawn Silver. While Silver was able to return to finish the game, Paige, Fitzgerald and Ramsey all remained on the sidelines.

Taking Paige's place was Tobias Raymond who slid from left guard to left tackle, and lineman Kaylon Miller replaced Raymond at left guard to keep the offensive line intact. In place for Fitzgerald and Ramsey are the safeties Kennedy Urlacher and Christian Pierce.

Although their replacements brought the intensity, losing three starters in the first half to not return for the rest of the day does not benefit the Trojans, especially if it turns into long term injuries.

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Even without the starters in, cornerback DeCarlos Nicholson emphasized to reporters what it meant having the younger faces step up the plate and play at a high level.

"Just the preparation of everybody being ready. You never know when your time is going to come. Especially me being an older guy, I've seen it so many times. Just you got to be ready whenever your time's called upon, no matter what," Nicholson said after the win. "I was just so proud to see the guys step up and come in and just be able to deliver, even though we had some guys go down."

Loser: Iowa Pass Defense

Nov 15, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Kirk Ferentz watches game action against the Southern California Trojans during the first half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

The Trojans, in particular Lane, Lemon and quarterback Jayden Maiava, proved to the Hawkeyes highly rated pass defense that USC's air raid is that strong. USC passing game finished the day with 250 plus yards and one touchdown on the day.

Lemon and Lane have anchored the Trojans pass game for two seasons now, and this year with Maiava at the helm, the passing strength has exceeded expectations.

The combined passing effort from Maiava and the receivers put the Iowa pass defense to the test. Up against receivers like Lemon, Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz gave Lemon his flowers for his performance today.

"Going back 20-plus years, I don't know if a guy has had more of an impact on the field," Ferentz said of Lemon.