Trojans Stumble Again: Another Heartbreaking Upset After Second-Half Meltdown
Maryland sensed the shift in the air Saturday night.
The Terrapins were trailing by just seven points as Phil Collins’ iconic drum solo echoed through SECU Stadium, and they took his message to heart. While the Maryland players may not have been anticipating this exact moment their whole lives, Trojan fans recognized a familiar scene: a struggling team unable to play a complete 60 minutes since Week 2.
For the second consecutive week, the Trojans (3-4, 1-4 Big Ten) held a 14-point lead at halftime, and for the second straight game, their opponent rallied to snatch victory. This time, it was Maryland (4-3, 1-3) who dashed the Trojans’ hopes, securing a 29-28 win.
“We obviously just haven’t been able to finish these games,” Head Coach Lincoln Riley said in a postgame press conference. “I own it; it’s my responsibility. I need to get this team to perform better at the end of games, and I clearly haven’t done a good enough job of that.”
Riley’s team has found increasingly painful ways to lose each week. On Saturday, Maryland blocked a 41-yard field goal attempt from redshirt senior kicker Michael Lantz with less than two minutes left—an attempt that could have sealed the game—adding to an earlier missed kick from Lantz in the first quarter.
Just a week prior, with another double-digit lead at halftime, USC allowed No. 3 Penn State (6-0, 3-0) to dominate the second half, resulting in four scoring drives of at least 72 yards.
In the previous game against Minnesota (4-3, 2-2), it was the offense that faltered, failing to score in the fourth quarter while the Gophers tallied 14 points to complete their comeback.
While USC primarily struggled with defensive issues in the first two years of the Riley era, this season’s defeats have stemmed from failures in every area: offense, defense, and special teams.
“This one reflected issues across the board,” Riley said. “All three phases had chances—stops, scoring, field goals—but we didn’t make enough plays, and that’s just how road football goes.
Throughout the season, USC has flipped from struggling in the first half to performing strongly before collapsing in the second. After nearly turning around against Michigan and Wisconsin, the Trojans have held a lead or been tied at halftime in their last three games, yet lost all three against conference opponents.
“We’ve been good enough to be in a position to win every game, but not quite good enough to pull away,” Riley said. “When you find yourself in these situations, you need to make plays to secure a win, especially on the road.”
Despite having a chance in every game, USC has lost all four by just one score. Their season record now sits below .500 for the first time in Riley’s tenure, and with four losses, the Trojans risk missing out on a bowl game.
With little left to play for this season beyond pride and the possibility of a mediocre bowl, the focus shifts.
“It really comes down to individual pride and team pride, and we’ll take it one game at a time,” said redshirt senior safety Bryson Shaw. “My father raised me to keep fighting no matter what. That’s who I am, and I know my teammates feel the same. We’ll fight every day.”
USC will return home for a Friday night matchup against Rutgers at 8 p.m.
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