Los Angeles, CA—Southern California faced heavy boos from the crowd at the Coliseum as they headed into halftime Saturday, trailing Wisconsin after committing three turnovers and struggling defensively. The Trojans appeared unprepared for Big Ten competition, but they’re no strangers to making halftime adjustments—and they had plenty of work to do to turn things around.
Quarterback Miller Moss threw three touchdown passes, including two to Ja’Kobi Lane, as No. 13 USC mounted a comeback, overcoming an 11-point halftime deficit to secure a 38-21 win over Wisconsin in their first Big Ten home game.
Despite falling short in their Big Ten debut the previous week at Michigan, where they nearly pulled off a second-half rally, USC (3-1, 1-1) once again found themselves struggling early in the half. However, this time, they dominated the second half, outscoring Wisconsin 28-0 to claim their first Big Ten win in program history.
“We knew we could compete in this conference, but you’ve got to win, and you’ve got to play well,” said USC head coach Lincoln Riley. “After the way last week ended, to see the first half go the way it did, and then come back and play like we did—it says a lot about the character of these guys. They’re fighters. They don’t panic.”
Lane had a career day, hauling in 10 catches for 105 yards. Duce Robinson added to the offensive effort, scoring the go-ahead touchdown with 1:28 left in the third quarter on a dime from Moss, who threw for 308 yards on the day.
Moss briefly left the field to be evaluated for a concussion after landing awkwardly while rushing for a touchdown on a 7-yard fourth-down play early in the fourth quarter. He stayed in the game, and shortly after, linebacker Mason Cobb sealed the victory with a 55-yard interception return for a touchdown.
“That’s who we are,” said Cobb. “We just keep swinging. No matter what happens, we keep swinging until the final whistle.”
Wisconsin (2-2, 0-1) started strong, with Vinny Anthony catching a 63-yard touchdown pass from Braedyn Locke early in the game. However, the Badgers faltered in the second half and have now lost 13 of their last 15 games against ranked teams, going winless in four such matchups under head coach Luke Fickell.
Running back Tawee Walker rushed for two touchdowns in the first half, but Wisconsin couldn’t maintain their momentum, collapsing in the second half in their first game at the Coliseum since 1966.
“You can’t play two completely different halves and expect to win, especially against a top-tier team,” said Fickell. “USC made all the crucial plays after halftime—on both sides of the ball, especially on third downs.”
Locke, making his first start of the season after Tyler Van Dyke suffered a knee injury two weeks ago, completed 13 of 26 passes for 180 yards. However, Wisconsin’s offense stalled in the second half, managing just 82 yards and failing to score.
“We were attacking in the first half,” said Wisconsin safety Preston Zachman. “But in the second half, we just didn’t win those one-on-one battles. Sometimes it comes down to finding a way to win.”
USC’s Zachariah Branch muffed a punt early in the second quarter, leading to an 18-yard touchdown run by Walker on the following play. Moss fumbled later in the half after being hit deep in Wisconsin territory, but USC recovered a muffed punt early in the third quarter, sparking their comeback.
Lane caught a 6-yard touchdown pass shortly after the turnover, and Robinson made key receptions during the Trojans’ go-ahead drive, including an 8-yard touchdown pass from Moss against a blitz. Moss later finished a 77-yard drive with a fourth-down keeper, scoring while being hit and spun to the ground by a Wisconsin defender.
