Dynamic Jayden Maiava leads No. 19 USC to win over Northwestern

His pass had just been picked off, a most unfortunate turn at a most unfortunate time for USC, when Jayden Maiava took off sprinting toward the pylon.

The past month to that point hadn’t been one to remember for the Trojans quarterback. The week before, at Nebraska, Maiava completed just nine passes. Two weeks before that, he struggled through a rain-soaked loss in South Bend, Ind. This interception was his sixth in five weeks — and a pass he surely preferred to have back.

But as Northwestern’s Najee Story rumbled toward that same pylon with ball in hand, USC’s quarterback closed in, lowered his shoulder and catapulted his entire body toward the 288-pound defensive tackle. On a Friday night filled with strange twists for the Trojans, who walked away with an 38-17 win over Northwestern, none was more consequential than that moment, as Maiava’s hit jostled the ball loose and it bounced in the end zone and out of bounds.

No. 19 USC 38, Northwestern 17, end of game

Sam Huard, the third-string quarterback still wearing the No. 80 jersey that matches his punter, took over the offense.

USC started on its 33.

Harry Dalton III ran for four yards and another three yards before the two-minute timeout was triggered.

Dalton ran for 12 yards. Riley Wormley ran for six yards.

Huard took a knee twice to run out the clock.

No. 19 USC 38, Northwestern 17, 3:13 left in fourth quarter

Northwestern started on its 25.

Preston Stone passed for six yards. Stone was sacked for a loss of 10 yards. Stone’s pass was nearly intercepted by USC, but Christian Pierce dropped it at the last second.

Northwestern punted to the USC 33.

No. 19 USC 38, Northwestern 17, 4:44 left in fourth quarter

USC started on its 48.

King Miller ran for five yards. Miller ran for another 18 yards before leaving the field appearing to be protecting one sore shoulder.

Bryan Jackson ran for no gain.

Jayden Maiava passed to Makai Lemon for nine yards and Northwestern was called for a facemask penalty on the play. On first down at the Wildcats’ nine, Jackson ran for one yard. Jackson ran for five yards. Offensive lineman J’Onre Reed went down with an injury on the play, a costly issue for a depleted USC line.

On third-and-goal at the Northwestern 3, Maiava passed the ball slightly behind Lake McRee and the Wildcats knocked it away.

Ryon Sayeri hit the 22-yard field goal.

No. 19 USC 35, Northwestern 17, 11:18 left in fourth quarter

Northwestern started on its 22 after the kickoff return.

Preston Stone passed for 16 yards. Caleb Komolafe ran for four yards. Stone passed for six yards.

Komolafe ran for five yards. Stone tossed two incomplete passes. On fourth-and-five at the USC 47, Stone’s pass was tipped and fell incomplete.

No. 19 USC 35, Northwestern 17, 11:18 left in fourth quarter

USC continues to use some trick plays to keep Northwestern off balance and is pulling away in this contest.

The Trojans started on their 25 after the kickoff.

Jayden Maiava passed to Makai Lemon for 11 yards and time expired in the third quarter. USC ran for a loss of four yards. Maiava passed to Ja’Kobi Lane for 14 yards. King Miller ran for 13 yards. Maiava faked a handoff and passed to Lemon for 19 yards. Maiava passed to Lemon and had to fight for three yards. USC attempted a flea flicker, with Maiava trying to hit Lane in the end zone. Northwestern was called for pass interference on the incomplete pass. Maiava then pitched the ball to Lemon and he ran for a four-yard touchdown.

Ryon Sayeri hit the extra point.

No. 19 USC 28, Northwestern 17, 20 seconds left in third quarter

USC started on its 9 after the punt.

Northwestern started on its 25 after the kickoff.

Caleb Komolafe ran for two yards. Preston Stone tossed an incomplete pass, but USC was called for pass interference. Stone passed for a four-yard loss. Stone passed for 13 yards. On third-and-one, Komolafe ran for no gain. On fourth-and-one at the USC 49, Lawson Albright ran for two yards and the first down.

Stone passed for three yards. Robby Preckel ran for no gain. On third-and-seven at the USC 44, Northwestern substituted late and USC was allowed to counter late in the play clock and the Wildcats had to burn another timeout.

Stone passed for 32 yards, moving the ball to the USC 12.

Stone tossed an incomplete pass, Komolafe ran for two yards and Stone was sacked for a loss of five yards.

On fourth-and-13 at the USC 15, Jack Olsen hit a 33-yard field goal.

No. 19 USC 28, Northwestern 14, 7:56 left in the third quarter

USC started on its 9 after the punt.

Jayden Maiava passed to Makai Lemon for 14 yards. Maiava then went to Lemon for 52 yards. Maiava tried to go to Lemon one more time, but the pass was incomplete. Maiava pulled in a high snap and handed off to King Miller, who ran for no gain. On third-and-10, Maiava escaped from pressure, rolled to his left and passed to Ja’Kobi Lane for 13 yards. Bryan Jackson ran for two yards to the Northwestern 10. On second-and-eight at the Northwestern 10, USC was called for false start. On second-and-13, Miller ran for five yards. On third-and-eight at the Northwestern 10, USC called timeout.

Maiava passed to Lane, who pulled in an acrobatic catch.

Ryon Sayeri hit the extra point to extend USC’s lead.

No. 19 USC 21, Northwestern 14, 12:08 left in the third quarter

Northwestern started on its 25.

Preston Stone passed for three yards before Caleb Komolafe ran for 21 yards. Stone passed for no gain and tossed an incomplete pass. On third-and-10 at the Northwestern 49, Komolafe ran for seven yards. On fourth-and-three with the play clock expiring, it seemed Northwestern was trying to draw USC offsides before punting but the team called timeout instead.

Northwestern punted to the USC 9.

No. 19 USC 21, Northwestern 14, end of second quarter

USC started on its 23 after the punt.

Jayden Maiava’s deep pass was off target and out of bounds. Maiava passed to Ja’Kobi Lane for five yards. Maiava passed deep for Makai Lemon, but he couldn’t hold onto the ball after getting hit by teammate Tanook Hines.

On fourth-and-five at the USC 28 with 24 seconds left, the Trojans called timeout.

USC punted, but the Trojans was were called for illegal formation.

Northwestern took over on its 36 with 18 seconds left and two timeouts.

Preston Stone passed to Caleb Komolafe for eight yards. USC punched the ball out after Komolafe was down.

On second-and-two at the Northwestern 44 with nine seconds left, the Wildcats called timeout. Stone passed to Komolafe for a loss of one yard. On third-and-two, Robby Preckel fumbled and USC’s Anthony Lucas recovered it to close out the first half.

No. 19 USC 21, Northwestern 14, 57 seconds left in the second quarter

Northwestern started on its 27 after a kickoff return.

Caleb Komolafe ran for four yards. Preston Stone tossed an incomplete pass. And Stone tossed another incomplete deep pass.

On fourth-and-six at the Northwestern 31, the Wildcats punted to the USC 23.

No. 19 USC 21, Northwestern 14, 1:28 left in the second quarter

USC started on its 21 after the punt.

King Miller ran for three yards. Jayden Maiava tossed a pass that was intercepted by Najee Story. Maiva hit Story as he was about to enter the end zone, Story fumbled and Northwestern couldn’t grab it before out bounced of the end zone for a touchback.

USC started the new drive on its 20.

King Miller ran for 55 yards to the Northwestern 25. Maiava passed to Ja’Kobi Lane for 13 yards. USC used its top two receivers as decoys and Miller ran for a 12-yard touchdown.

Ryon Sayeri hit the extra point.

No. 19 USC 14, Northwestern 14, 3:39 left in the second quarter

Northwestern started on its 21.

Preston Stone tossed an incomplete pass, Caleb Komolafe ran for three yards and Stone passed to Komolafe for six yards.

On fourth-and-one at the Northwestern 30, the Wildcats punted to the USC 21.

No. 19 USC 14, Northwestern 14, 6:15 left in the second quarter

USC started on its 25 after the kickoff.

Jayden Maiava passed to Lake McRee for 42 yards. Maiava then passed Makai Lemon for three yards. Maiava scrambled before heaving the ball into the end zone to Tanook Hines, but the touchdown pass was erased by an ineligible receiver downfield penalty.

On second-and-12 at the Northwestern 35, the Wildcats called timeout. Maiava tossed an incomplete pass intended for Makai Lemon. Maiava slipped while trying evade a sack and lost nine yards.

USC punted to the 22.

No. 19 USC 14, Northwestern 14, 7:43 left in the second quarter

USC’s defense still has no answers for the Wildcats’ run game.

Northwestern started on its 25 after the touchback.

Preston Stone passed for eight yards. Caleb Komolafe ran for nine yards. Stone passed for five yards. Robby Preckel ran for eight yards to the USC 45 for a first down. Stone passed for six yards. Komolafe broke through a hole, bounced outside ran up field 37 yards to the USC 2. Komolafe then got a push from his teammates to score a two-yard touchdown.

Northwestern adjusted its extra point formation and USC player was offsides. The penalty was declined. Northwestern hit the ensuing extra point attempt.

No. 19 USC 14, Northwestern 7, 11:35 left in the second quarter

USC started on its 42 after Ryan Quintanar’s 17-yard kickoff return.

King Miller ran for four yards. Jayden Maiava tossed an incomplete pass intended for Lake McRee before time expired in the first quarter. Miller rushed for no gain. On fourth-and-six, USC ran a fake punt play. Sam Huard wore punter Sam Johnson’s jersey and passed to Tanook Hines for 10 yards.

(USC switched Huard’s jersey to match Johnson’s ahead of this week’s game and it was declared to Northwestern in advance, but it’s unclear whether the Wildcats noticed it.)

Maiava passed to Makai Lemon for 24 yards and then ran for 11 yards, moving the ball to the Northwestern 9. Miller ran for two yards, Maiava passed to Miller for one yards and Maiava capped the drive with a six-yard touchdown run.

Ryon Sayeri hit the extra point.

No. 19 USC 7, Northwestern 7, 49 seconds left in the first quarter

USC is still working on stopping the run, which happens to be Northwestern’s biggest offensive strength.

The Wildcats started their first drive on their 25 after a touchback.

Caleb Komolafe ran for two yards. Preston Stone passed to Drew Wagner for six yards. Komolafe ran for two yards. Stone passed to Wagner for six yards. Komolafe ran for 14 yards to the USC 45.

Stone passed to Komolafe for nine yards. Robby Preckel ran for five yards and then another five yards to the USC 26. Stone tossed the ball out of bounds under pressure. On third-and-five, Stone passed to Komolafe for 18 yards. Komolafe ran for one yard and then three yards before Stone passed to Griffin Wilde for a four-yard touchdown.

Northwestern hit the extra point to tie the game.

No. 19 USC 7, Northwestern 0, 7:51 left in the first quarter

USC started on its 18 after the kickoff was returned 11 yards.

Jayden Maiava passed to Lake McRee for five yards and to King Miller for two yards. Maiava then passed to Makai Lemon, who broke a tackle and gained 19 yards.

Miller ran for one yard. Maiava passed to McRee for five yards and Walker Lyons for nine yards.

Maiava then tossed an incomplete pass intended for Lemon. Miller ran up the middle for 12 yards. Maiava passed to Ja’Kobi Lane for eight yards, moving the ball to the Northwestern 21. Maiava tossed an incomplete pass before Miller ran for one yard. On fourth-and-one, Maiava plunged forward for two yards.

On first down at the Northwestern 18, Bryan Jackson ran for no gain. Maiava passed to Lane for a 11-yard gain and USC declined to accept a pass interference call on the play.

Maiava passed to Lemon for no gain. Maiava connected with Lemon for a seven-yard touchdown, with Lemon pushing the defensive back at the end of the play to reach the end zone.

Ryon Sayeri hit the extra point to complete the 16-play, 82-yard drive.

No. 19 USC 0, Northwestern 0, start of first quarter

Northwestern won the coin toss and deferred.

Kaylon Miller was on the six-yard line in the fourth quarter, blocking on a USC run play when he saw King Miller, his running back and twin brother, blow right past him.

“Run, run, go, go!” he remembers shouting as King bumped it outside and crossed the Nebraska goal line for the go-ahead touchdown that ultimately would be the game winner in the Trojans’ 21-17 Big Ten win last Saturday in Lincoln.

When King turned around in the end zone, it was his brother who was the first to greet him; the two brothers shared a moment as their facemasks clashed into each other. Both walk ons. Both finding opportunities to get on the field as redshirt freshmen — and both making the most of those opportunities.

“You owe me a burger,” King remembers Kaylon telling him.

LINCOLN, Neb. — During the two weeks since USC’s deflating defeat at Notre Dame, Lincoln Riley reiterated the same rallying cry with his team. Their destiny, he told them, was still in their hands. A special season was still within reach. A College Football Playoff run was still in play.

All it would take was his Trojans putting the past behind them and playing their best football.

But that’s not what happened Saturday. After two weeks preparing to put their best foot forward, USC put together one of its least impressive efforts of the season. Its offense was out of sorts. Its defense was run over on the ground. And yet still, in spite of it all, the Trojans managed to escape with a 21-17 victory.

The drill is simple. Just a basic throw-and-catch warm-up, called “Pat-and-Go,” that USC and many other football programs do virtually every day. Quarterbacks loosen their arms, while pass catchers get their legs warm, running routes on air. It’s the sort of drill where it’s easy enough to slough off a rep or two. Or to get a little casual, like playing catch in the yard.

But when Makai Lemon lines up during Pat-and-Go, there is nothing casual about what comes next. Every rep is taken seriously, every reception reeled in with intention. The junior has taken thousands of these reps, caught thousands of these passes over three seasons at USC, each filed away as a data point for Lemon to later access.

USC receiver Makai Lemon celebrates after pulling a 12-yard touchdown catch against Michigan at the Coliseum on Oct. 11.

(Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)

“I don’t know that I’ve ever seen one he didn’t catch game-like,” USC coach Lincoln Riley says. “Rarely does he ever take a rep that isn’t very intentional.”