For about four and a half seconds, it truly appeared as though Northwestern had taken control against No. 19 USC.
Four and a half seconds. That was the approximate amount of time defensive lineman Najee
Story had the football in his grasp as he barreled toward the USC end zone late in the first half with the score tied at 14.
With just under three minutes remaining in the second quarter, Trojan quarterback Jayden Maiava tossed an interception to Story, a Wildcat leader in his fourth and final season with the program. It was the senior’s first interception of his collegiate career. As he turned upfield and beat USC offensive lineman Justin Tauanuu to the sideline, the only question was whether he’d make it all the way to the pylon.
He ended up just one yard short.
Maiava refused to give up on the play, diving headfirst and successfully knocking the ball through the end zone, in and out of the hands of linebacker Braydon Brus and over the back line for a touchback. The helmet of Maiava simultaneously crushed the ball and Wildcats fans’ hearts, destroying Story’s pick-six opportunity that would have been, well, storybook.
Instead, USC got the ball back at its 20-yard line. One play later and it was 55 yards downfield. After three plays, the Trojans reached the end zone to take the lead.
“We gotta do a better job on defense of just taking a breath, playing the next play,” Northwestern head coach David Braun said postgame in reaction to the 14-point swing.
That sequence, more than any other, ultimately influenced the Wildcats’ 38-17 loss. But there were other huge plays that played a role. Earlier in the second quarter, with the game knotted at seven, it appeared USC punter Sam Johnson orchestrated a perfect fake punt, firing an excellent throw to keep a touchdown drive moving.
Except it wasn’t Johnson, but backup quarterback Sam Huard instead. And at the time, neither the Fox announcers nor Braun knew it.
“I don’t think Coach Riley has faked a punt since 2017, and ultimately, it 100% falls on me,” Braun said. “One of their backup quarterbacks, No. 7, was wearing No. 80, the same number as their punter. Did not show up on the roster online, hadn’t shown up anywhere else, but they did legally submit that.”
It’s hard to blame Braun for not catching on to the trickery, and ultimately, the Wildcats’ head coach took full responsibility for the outcome. He said the change was reflected on the game-day roster provided at the stadium, vowing to check for any of those issues with a “fine-toothed comb” moving forward.
But while the 21-14 halftime deficit seemed more unlucky than anything, NU’s second-half performance was what truly sealed the blowout.
There was Northwestern’s questionable game management, which resulted in two burned timeouts in the third quarter and a punt from the USC 43-yard line on fourth-and-3 following the former stoppage. At first, it seemed like even Preston Stone thought a play was coming when the offense stayed on the field for fourth down on its opening drive of the second half.
With the play clock winding down, it was ultimately Stone who chose to use a timeout. Braun said the sideline communicated a freeze cadence without a play-call to settle for a delay of game if the defense didn’t jump offside. He also said he should have communicated with Stone much sooner regarding the specific plan, which had the intent of giving Luke Akers more space to punt.
As for the actual decision itself, NU’s head coach stood by his choice to play the field position game.
“A fourth-and-3, still just being a one-score game, I feel good about our decision to punt there,” Braun said.
Ultimately, the choice proved costly in hindsight. USC scored easily, taking eight plays to go 91 yards and snatch a commanding 28-14 advantage.
For the Wildcats, it was a game of miscues, made ever-more-frustrating by the fact that there were so many positives to indicate this team could hang with a high-powered ranked opponent. Caleb Komolafe had a career day on the ground and through the air, leading the ‘Cats in both areas and accumulating 158 yards and a touchdown on 22 total touches behind a stellar offensive line. Stone played turnover-free football and did what he needed to, throwing for just 150 yards but avoiding major mistakes to keep the Wildcats in the game.
And there were some positives on defense as well. Story also had a sack to go with his near-miracle interception. Mac Uihlein recorded 11 tackles, and although Story’s sack was the only one of the game for the ‘Cats, they consistently got in the backfield and pressured Maiava all night long.
But against USC, Northwestern needed to play almost perfect football to come out with a win, and it didn’t do so. To capitalize on Wildcat errors, Maiava picked the ’Cats apart, feeding top receivers Makai Lemon and Ja’Kobi Lane for 235 of his 299 total passing yards. Lemon and Lane looked like an all-time tandem, running filthy routes and making acrobatic catches that left NU’s defensive backs in the dust.
“This game is a story of two things,” Braun said. “Momentum swings in the second quarter and a poor second half by the ‘Cats.”
After its largest loss of the season, Northwestern is left searching for answers. This contest was one where most expected the Wildcats to lose, but few thought NU would have the game in its grasp, only to let it slip away due to largely-unforced mistakes. The Trojans turned up the heat in the second half, and ultimately, the ‘Cats were unprepared to respond.
That doesn’t mean all hope is lost. Northwestern still has three chances to clinch bowl eligibility, beginning next Saturday at 11 a.m. CT against the Michigan Wolverines at Wrigley Field. If its efforts fail against the Maize and Blue, it could still qualify by defeating a very beatable Minnesota team at Wrigley or the Illinois Fighting Illini in Urbana-Champaign.
But things must improve if the Wildcats hope to go bowling again. Komolafe and the offensive line are the backbone of this team, but the margin for error is still thin, and mistakes can doom NU against high-quality opponents. The secondary, which has been good overall in 2025, needs to step up more against opposing quarterbacks than it did against the Trojans.
The ‘Cats have shown the mettle to reach six victories in 2025. Nonetheless, they’ll need to be clicking in all phases to do so.
