USC falls short in Indiana as another road letdown sinks CFP hopes

This one's going to sting. The USC Trojans suffered a frustrating 27-13 loss against the Indiana Hoosiers at Memorial Stadium on Saturday afternoon, effectively zeroing their chances at a College Football Playoff berth. USC fell to 7-3 and 2-2 on the road.

While the game got away from them in the final stages, it remained a close contest for the majority of the afternoon. The Trojans were hindered by numerous miscues on both sides of the ball, including eight penalties committed for 87 total yards. 

"We're right there, close tonight," said head coach Lincoln Riley. "This game came down to a couple of plays. We did a good job putting ourselves there, but we got to go shut the door, and we understand that...we're going to get back on the plane, get back to LA, correct what we need to correct and get onto the next one."

Quarterback Jayden Maiava completed 26 of 42 passes, throwing for one touchdown and matching a career-high three interceptions. Kickers Caden Chittenden and Ryon Sayeri each missed a kick in the contest, preventing the Trojans from adding points on a pair of crucial drives. 

Sayeri's miss came at the end of USC's opening drive, which saw the offense get as far as the Indiana 31-yard line before a holding penalty pushed them back. Three plays later, his kick clanged off the left post from 51 yards out.

Indiana controlled momentum for the majority of the opening half, getting on the board with the game's first score on its opening drive when quarterback Grant Wilson found his tight end Brock Schott for a 13-yard touchdown. Wilson started in place of the usual Hoosiers' starter, Josh Hoover, who was active but held on the sidelines as he continues to nurse an injury to his throwing arm.

The seventh-year senior played well, throwing for 305 yards and a pair of touchdown passes. He threw a crucial interception, however, late in the first half that helped the Trojans stay in the contest.

As Indiana led 10-3 with under a minute remaining in the half, Wilson was picked off by USC linebacker Deven Bryant. It was the first career interception for the redshirt junior, who gave the Trojans possession at their own 40 with 37 seconds remaining.

On the first play of the new drive, Maiava found wide receiver Kayden Dixon-Wyatt for a 51-yard gain down the sideline to get USC deep in Indiana territory. Two plays later, Maiava connected with receiver Zacharyus Williams for a seven-yard touchdown catch, and the game went into halftime even at 10.

USC's defense, despite making numerous clutch stops, also squandered major opportunities in the second half. Safety Prophet Brown saw a potential interception slip through his hands on a throw from Wilson during Indiana's opening drive of the third quarter. A few plays later, cornerback Jontez Williams had a pass from Wilson bounce right off his chest as he failed to secure the easy interception at the goal line.

Indiana capped the drive with a field goal to claim a 13-10 lead before USC answered with a field goal of its own to tie the game back up. The Hoosiers answered once more, however, slicing their way down the field in just five plays, using a one-yard rushing touchdown from Khobie Martin to help reclaim a 20-13 advantage.

Martin stepped up as the lead running back for Indiana, collecting 89 total yards on top of his score. Running back Turbo Richard, their usual lead back, also did not play on Saturday as he dealt with a shoulder injury.

The USC offense went completely dry the rest of the game as mistakes continued to pile up and create costly moments. Chittenden missed a 27-yard kick on the ensuing drive after Martin's touchdown, leaving three huge points off the board.

After the Trojan defense forced a big stop, Maiava threw his second interception of the day to linebacker Isaiah Jones deep in Hoosier territory. Jones came sprinting across from the middle of the field to cut off the pass intended for Dixon-Wyatt, killing the USC drive at Indiana's six-yard line.

Star receiver Charlie Becker scored the dagger for the Hoosiers on their next drive, getting loose down the sideline for a 42-yard touchdown grab. Becker finished with 75 yards on just three receptions.

On the other side, freshman receiver Trent Mosley was the lone consistent bright spot in the passing game, hauling in nine catches for 130 yards. He kept drives moving, making a handful of chain-moving catches including a 34-yard grab, but couldn't find the end zone as the rest of the offense failed to match his production.

Maiava's third and final pick came in desperation on USC's final offensive drive, as his 4th-and-13 heave towards Tanook Hines was snagged out of the air by defensive back Jamari Sharpe.

The Trojans are now fifth in the Big Ten at 4-3. Under Riley, the program is just 7-12 in true road games. This was a chance to shift the narrative that his team can win in hostile environments. Instead, it will only become more magnified.

First, it was a 24-7 loss in Madison to an unranked Badgers program, where USC recorded its fewest single-game point total throughout Riley's tenure. Now, it's a frustrating loss in Bloomington at the hands of the defending champs, in which there were countless chances to come through.

It will be a long flight home for a demoralized group as they prepare to host Maryland next Saturday in the final home game of 2026. 

Kickoff is scheduled for 3:15 p.m. PT.