Three Keys for Northwestern to Upset USC on the Road This Friday

Ryan Cole

Nov 5, 2025, 23:17

Ryan Cole

Nov 5, 2025, 23:17

Updated at: Nov 5, 2025, 23:17

Northwestern needs one more win for bowl eligibility.

Northwestern plays No. 19 USC at 8 p.m. CT this Friday, entering the contest as 14.5-point underdogs per ESPNBET. An upset would be huge for the Wildcats, who currently sit at 5-3 on the season, one win away from bowl eligibility.

It will be a tough task, but Northwestern is well rested coming off a bye week, and the 'Cats have already beaten Penn State on the road this season. Winning this game is doable if Northwestern plays its brand of football. Here are three keys for the Wildcats in a huge night game out west:

Zero turnovers

Is it unrealistic to expect Preston Stone and the offense to be perfect in this area? Maybe. But it needs to happen for Northwestern to get a win. After eight games, we know that the 'Cats lose when they turn the ball over. When they don't, anything is possible.

It's all about possession for NU. This team is capable of wearing down defenses on long, grueling drives. Those drives also give its own defense, the strength of the team, ample rest time on the bench.

This winning formula gets thrown out of wack only when Stone throws picks or someone fumbles the football. Otherwise, Northwestern's offensive line and running game is so good that it becomes pretty hard to stop as the game goes on.

A good Griffin Wilde game

The worst thing Northwestern can do in this game is panic about USC's No. 19 ranking and figure it needs to throw the ball down field more than it normally does. With that being said, it might have to throw the ball down the field more than it normally does.

If that's the case, then Wilde needs to show up. Northwestern's shallow receiver room has been a topic of discussion all season, and nothing has really changed. The group doesn't have much depth, and Wilde is the clear number one.

Stone is going to need a reliable target in this game, and it basically has to be Wilde. If Northwestern's defense looks more like it did against Nebraska and less like it did during the win-streak, the offense might need to accomplish a little more in a hurry than it normally does.

Play good run D

The Trojans have three backs with over 250 yards rushing this season, and two of those, Waymond Jordan and King Miller, have over 500. This is a potent rushing attack with a lot of horses in the stable.

Northwestern's defensive front is going to have to be stout and force quarterback Jayden Maiava to make plays through the air. He's pretty good at doing just that, with 2,315 passing yards on the season to date, but a two-dimensional offense will be too hard to stop.

It's up to interior linemen like Najee Story and Carmine Bastone, as well as tackling machine Mac Uihlein at the LB spot, to bring down these running backs. Northwestern can't let USC play Wildcat football if it wants to win using that strategy itself.

Three Keys for Northwestern to Upset USC on the Road This Friday