USC’s latest defeat has pushed one of its biggest names to the edge. After watching the Trojans fall to Indiana, the former USC star Keyshawn Johnson struggled to find the words to describe what went wrong. But his frustration quickly turned into a blunt message for Lincoln Riley, making it clear that he believes the program needs a fresh start.
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“So… I tried. I tried my best,” Johnson said in a video on X on November 14. “But in all honesty, though, it’s time to—ok, you know what I mean? It’s time to find somebody else. It’s just time to find somebody else. I’m sorry. I don’t even know what to say. I just—where did we go wrong? It’s unbelievable. I don’t even—I just don’t even know what to say.”
Former Trojan WR Johnson looked utterly disappointed with the team’s performance, and his reaction said it all. Before uttering a single word, he could only shake his head in disbelief, visibly frustrated by what he had just witnessed as he stayed speechless.
USC entered Week 11 with a 7-2 record and a chance to make a statement against Indiana. Trojans had the talent and offensive ability to expose Indiana’s defense; however, they lost 27-13.
The game was full of turnovers and errors from both sides, but Indiana capitalized on USC’s mistakes more effectively. USC managed to move the ball deep into the 30-yard line in Indiana territory but still failed to put any points on the board for a big part of the game. The Trojans converted just 2 of their 11 third-down attempts.
USC quarterback Jayden Maiava had some impressive moments, but he also threw three interceptions. When USC was trailing 20-13, they drove inside Indiana’s red zone. Maiava forced a pass instead of making a safer decision. The pass was intercepted and ended a promising scoring opportunity.
Maiava’s second costly mistake came in the late fourth quarter. This interception was even more damaging because USC needed a score to stay in the game. The Trojans have shown flashes of being an excellent team over the past few seasons. They can move the ball, compete against strong opponents, and look impressive for stretches. But when the pressure rises, they make costly mistakes and fail to finish games.
USC is struggling to put a win on the board in away games against ranked opponents since 2022. USC’s loss to Indiana was its third defeat of the season, dropping its record to 7-3. With three losses, USC’s chances of making the 2026 playoff have become extremely slim, and their 13-year playoff drought will still keep going. Even after all the buzz around his position as the head coach, Riley remains positive about his future with the Trojans.
“Absolutely,” Riley told reporters after the game. “I believe in what we’re doing and I believe in myself. I believe in our leadership, and I believe in our administration. So I believe in everything that’s happening here. Trust me, there’s nobody that wants it as bad as all of us involved. We know how close we are as a group; we know how close we are as a team. We got a good view of that tonight. We’re going to keep battling; we will get there, and all this will continue to make it sweeter when that time does happen.”
USC will play its last home game of the season next week against Maryland in Memorial Coliseum. They will end their regular season against the UCLA Bruins on November 28. On the other hand, the Hoosiers will continue their run to secure a spot in the CFP. They have a strong grip on the spot now after improving to 9–1.