Some former USC stars helped their teams in Week 9, but the overall picture was a mixed bag for the Trojans in the NFL. Amon-Ra St. Brown turned in the cleanest performance of the group, Woody Marks handled a bigger workload in Houston, and Caleb Williams endured the roughest outing of his season before still helping Chicago finish strong.
St. Brown was the most productive former Trojan on the field.
He didn’t score, but he still put together one of his best games of the year, finishing with 8 catches for 86 yards. That production made him the top offensive piece for the Detroit Lions and helped carry them to a win.
Marks also made the most of his chance. With David Montgomery out again, the Houston Texans leaned on him in the run game, and he answered with 18 carries for 70 yards in the win. Houston’s passing attack has been carrying plenty of the load, but Marks gave the ground game a steady presence.
Calen Bullock was active for Houston on the other side of the ball, too. He finished with 5 tackles and a pass deflection while helping the Texans defense continue its upward trend. Chris Roland-Wallace had a quieter day, recording 2 total tackles, though he remains in a spot where his reps could still matter down the stretch.
Drake London had the kind of game that leaves you wanting more. In a matchup where Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati offense put on a show in Madrid, the Falcons couldn’t keep pace.
London caught all 5 of his targets for 68 yards, a solid line that still felt like it left bigger numbers on the table. He has the talent to stack up with Cincinnati’s Jamar Chase and Tee Higgins, but this was only an average day for him.
Makai Lemon kept doing what he’s been doing: producing enough to stay noticeable even when the offense around him is struggling. The Philadelphia Eagles continue to have issues, but Lemon finished with 6 catches for 61 yards and keeps trending in the right direction with steady weekly output.
Jordan Addison’s numbers were limited again as the Minnesota Vikings offense looked even worse with Carson Wentz at quarterback. Addison managed just 2 catches for 28 yards, but there may be a brighter path ahead. Kirk Cousins is returning to Minnesota, and that should skyrocket his opportunity.
Then there was Caleb Williams, whose night swung from brilliant to disastrous and back into something salvaged by the end. He opened by looking like the best quarterback in the NFL in the first quarter, then threw 3 interceptions in the second quarter and finished with 4 total on Sunday night.
Even so, he still led the Chicago Bears on an impressive game-winning drive. The stat line ended at 279 passing yards and 2 touchdowns, and Week 9 gave him a tough test that he didn’t handle perfectly, but he did handle it as well as he could.
In Other News...
Indiana Faces One Offensive Concern Fans Cant Ignore Vs USC
ESPN analyst Greg McElroys preview of No. 9 Indiana against No. 18 USC centered on a familiar sort of late-season tension: one team bringing a sturdy defense, the other trying to sort out its offense while the quarterback picture remains unsettled. McElroy sounded confident in Indiana on that side of the ball, even as he weighed the recent form of both programs and the key players who could end up deciding the matchup.
For USC, the bigger concern is less about the name on the jersey than the rhythm of the offense itself, especially with the uncertainty under center and the struggles that have shown up in recent games. Indiana has its own offensive issues to clean up after a recent slide in the rankings, but this game still feels like one where the Trojans ability to get organized on offense may determine whether they can keep pace with a Hoosiers team that has earned respect for how it defends. [Read more 🡒]
USC Just Landed A Recruit Who Could Boost Womens Golf Fast
USC womens golf added an important piece to its future with the signing of Eliana Saga, one of the nations top junior players and a member of the U.S. Junior National Team. She arrives with a rsum that already includes international experience and multiple top finishes, and she becomes the Trojans first signee in the class of 2027.
For Justin Silversteins program, the timing matters as much as the talent. Landing a player with Sagas profile gives USC an early foundation for the next recruiting cycle, and it signals the kind of ceiling the Trojans are aiming for as they keep building toward the seasons ahead. [Read more 🡒]
USC Is Bringing Real Swagger Into Its Biggest Test Yet
USCs week of preparation for Indiana has come with a little extra edge, and not just because of whats at stake. Defensive tackle Jahkeem Stewart and running back Waymond Jordan both talked about the Trojans trash-talking culture as part of the way the team gets ready, a sign that this group is leaning into the kind of swagger that can travel well when the pressure rises.
The timing matters because this is one of those games with real College Football Playoff implications, and USC is walking into it as the underdog. The availability picture adds another layer, with tight end Walter Matthews questionable for the Trojans while Indiana is dealing with its own issues, including the absence of starting running back Turbo Richard and an uncertain quarterback situation because of injury. [Read more 🡒]