Jayden Maiava passed for two touchdowns and ran for another, Makai Lemon added two scores and No. 19 Southern California overwhelmed Northwestern in the second half en route to a 38-17 win on Friday in Los Angeles.
The Trojans (7-2, 5-1 Big Ten) scored on each of their first three possessions in the second half, with their only drive after intermission that did not produce points ending in a kneel-down. In the process, USC surpassed Northwestern’s previous season high of 34 points allowed.
Maiava rebounded from his worst statistical game of the season, a 135-yard effort on Nov. 1 against Nebraska, by producing 299 yards on 24-of-33 passing. He set the tone on USC’s opening drive, a 16-play, 82-yard possession that consumed 7:14 and culminated in Maiava’s 7-yard touchdown pass to Lemon.
Lemon reached the end zone again early in the fourth quarter. USC’s offensive line misdirected the Northwestern defense toward the short side of the field when Maiava made a quick pitch to Lemon.
The junior wide receiver carried the ball for an untouched, 4-yard touchdown, punctuating a career night. He had 11 receptions for a personal-best 161 yards.
Lemon’s two scores bookended the touchdown-scoring on a night that saw Northwestern (5-4, 3-3) keep pace early with the prolific Trojans. The Wildcats scored on drives of 13 and seven plays, each going 75 yards, to stay knotted with USC at 14-14 in the second quarter.
Preston Stone threw a 4-yard touchdown to Griffin Wilde, and Caleb Komolafe capped Northwestern’s second scoring drive with a 2-yard carry midway through the second quarter. Komolafe’s score was the last time the Wildcats found the end zone, thanks in part to a fumble forced by Maiava.
The USC quarterback threw an interception, picked off by Najee Story, in Trojans territory late in the second quarter. Maiava recovered to chase the Wildcats lineman down and delivered a diving shoulder tackle as Story leapt toward the pylon, jarring the ball loose to prevent a score.
Stone finished 20 of 30 for 150 yards. Komolafe rushed for 118 yards on 17 carries.
King Miller led USC with 127 rushing yards on 15 attempts, and he scored on a 12-yard carry with 1:23 to go before halftime. Earlier in the quarter, Maiava had a 6-yard scoring run.
