Nov 29, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley (right) and defensive tackle Jahkeem Stewart (4) pose with fans after the game against the UCLA Bruins at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.Anwar StetsonSun, November 30, 2025 at 9:57 AM UTC·5 min readLOS ANGELES--- USC defeated crosstown rival UCLA 29-10 at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Saturday night, securing a 9-3 record to end the regular season.
After Lincoln Riley's fourth season at the helm, he lauded the culture his program is building, saying that while there will be better teams in future seasons at 'SC, this 2025 squad may be the most "important", in shifting the program back to where it once was.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"I thought last year’s team paved the way for this year’s team to take some big steps, and we did that," Riley told reporters after the victory. "This year’s team certainly paved the way for the future here, which couldn’t be more exciting. So proud of these guys, proud of the win. Rivalry games are always tough, and just a great way to end the season.”
Riley is 35-17 as USC's head coach, and while the team has yet to make the College Football Playoff, both the players and coaches believe that the program is headed in an incredibly positive direction. Undefeated at home for the first time in Riley's tenure in Troy, the Trojans' three losses all came to ranked opponents on the road---Illinois, Notre Dame, and Oregon.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementPlayers like Jayden Maiava, whose future at the program is up in the air, lauded the culture built into the walls of the Coliseum in his two years in Los Angeles.
"I wish you could be in the locker room with us," he implored reporters after the home victory against Iowa. He praised the harmony and energy of a team that feels different than last season.
Maiava, a junior, could declare for the NFL draft, return to USC, or transfer to another school for his senior season. With highly touted freshman Husan Longstreet waiting in the wings, there could be a quarterback competition to compliment the growing culture at USC next spring.
"I've been worried about this game," Maiava said when asked about his future, "[I'm] focused on enjoying this win with my loved ones and my teammates. That's where I'm at right now." The 6'4" dual-threat quarterback came into his own this year as one of college football's most improved quarterbacks, credited the seniors on his team for "paving the road" for the culture this program has built.
One of those seniors is linebacker Eric Gentry. The Philadelphia native, whose been at the program longer than almost anyone else, echoed those statements with a definitive and triumphant exclamation point for the year. When asked about the difference between the 2025 USC Trojans and the team he debuted with in 2022, Gentry told reporters that this squad was “tougher," and "more resilient."
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"No ego," Gentry continued, "Everybody listens to each other. The coaches listen to the players. Players listen to the coaches. And being able to handle adversity more than anything. People having their head right, whenever stuff doesn’t go right, and whenever stuff does go right. Mic drop. Thank you.”
USC fans have high expectations: when is USC going to compete with and beat the true contenders in this sport? The Oregon's, the Notre Dame's, the Ohio State's of the world? When will our defense strike fear into the hearts opponents like Troy Polamalu, Clay Matthews, and Willie McGinest once did? When will we compete for a national title? When will it be like "the good ol' days?" Riley says that in the future, when the USC of yesteryear has returned, the fanbase will look back at this season as a turning point.
"We’ll have better teams here in the future than this team," Riley continued, "but I don’t know if we’ll have had a more important team." He added that "this will be one of the [seasons] that everybody will point to. I promise you that’s going to happen.”
Riley said that this year "flew by", as years tend to do when they're fun. But as fast as this year went, the 2025 regular season also shows that building a winning program takes time.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementOn the heels of a massive new football facility set to be ready in 2026, and the number one recruiting class in the nation, it seems that a new sun is peaking through Troy's horizon, just as it sets on the 2025 regular season. It certainly helps to hear the victory bell ringing in the Coliseum as it rises.
AdvertisementAdvertisement