After a first-quarter benching, Lemon delivers a game-changing touchdown, while King Miller explodes for 124 yards and two scores as the Trojans win their third crosstown showdown under Lincoln Riley.
LOS ANGELES | If USC needed a spark, Makai Lemon lit the fuse.
Benched for the first quarter along with fellow top wideout Ja’Kobi Lane, the sophomore receiver re-emerged with the biggest play of the game — a 32-yard go-ahead touchdown in the waning seconds of the third quarter — lifting No. 19 USC to a 29–10 win over rival UCLA on Saturday at the Coliseum.
The victory moved the Trojans to 9–3 (7–2 Big Ten) and capped a perfect 7–0 home season, the best under Lincoln Riley since his debut campaign. And while USC’s College Football Playoff dreams evaporated with last week’s loss to Oregon, the Trojans seized Los Angeles bragging rights in emphatic fashion.
