Bryan Jackson’s first touchdown for Wisconsin came against the program he just left, and the Badgers turned that moment into a full-scale upset.
Jackson, a former Southern California transfer, scored on a 5-yard run late in the first half to send Wisconsin ahead for good in a 24-7 win over No. 16 Southern California on Saturday night in Madison, Wis. The Badgers added to the cushion from there and handed the Trojans a rough night on both sides of the ball.
Wisconsin improved to 5-2 overall and 3-1 in the Big Ten, and this was its second win of the season against a ranked opponent. The Badgers also beat then-No.
13 Penn State 24-20 on Sept. 26.
The touchdown from Jackson came with less than two minutes left before halftime and gave Wisconsin a 10-7 edge. For Jackson, who spent the last two seasons at USC, it marked his first score with the Badgers.
Wisconsin then stretched the lead in the third quarter when Chris Brooks Jr. hauled in a 16-yard touchdown pass from Colton Joseph on fourth-and-2. That made it 17-7 and kept the pressure on a USC offense that never found any rhythm on the ground.
Joseph finished 12 of 14 passing for 58 yards and added 12 carries for 32 yards. Abu Sama III led Wisconsin with 16 rushing attempts for 71 yards.
The Badgers also got a key special-teams play from Junior Poyser, who blocked a 44-yard field goal attempt late in the third quarter.
USC quarterback Jayden Maiava threw two interceptions in the first half, matching almost all of the damage he had taken on the season entering the game, when he had three picks on 224 throws. He finished 21 of 37 for 190 yards and a touchdown.
The numbers in the run game were especially brutal for the Trojans. USC ended with 25 carries for minus-17 yards rushing.
Wisconsin’s defense set the tone early, holding Southern California to 92 yards in the first half while forcing two turnovers.
Southern California dropped to 5-2 overall and 2-2 in the Big Ten. The Trojans return home next Saturday to face No. 3 Ohio State.
Wisconsin goes on the road next Saturday to play at No. 15 Iowa.
In Other News...
USC Is Chasing A Local Recruiting Win Lincoln Riley Needs
USC is already making the early rounds in the class of 2028, and one of the names sitting near the top of the board is local defensive back Ca'Ron Williams. The four-star prospect has attracted attention from a national group that includes Oregon, UCLA, Texas and Ohio State, but USC has been persistent enough to get him on campus multiple times, which matters when the Trojans are trying to keep elite Southern California talent at home.
The timing also fits where Lincoln Riley wants this recruiting push to go next. USC has just one commitment in the 2028 class so far, and the staff is expected to turn up the pressure again in the spring of 2027, when these early evaluations start to become more meaningful. For a program built on locking down the region, landing a player like Williams would be a statement, but the Trojans are clearly still in the opening stages of that battle. [Read more 🡒]
USC's Wisconsin Loss Brought Back Familiar Problems Fans Feared
The bye week was supposed to give USC a reset, but the trip to Wisconsin instead brought back the same frustrations that have hovered over this season. Early on, the Trojans defense looked ready to make it a grind, getting after the quarterback with multiple sacks and tackles for loss while keeping the Badgers run game in check through the first half.
USC never found enough on offense to support that effort. Turnovers and an ineffective ground game kept the Trojans from building any rhythm, and once Wisconsin started to tilt the field in the second half, USCs defense had a harder time holding up. The result was a 24-7 loss that felt less like a one-off and more like a reminder of the problems fans had been hoping the bye week would help erase. [Read more 🡒]
USC Suddenly Has A Big Ten Path Fans Need To See
A strange new possibility is starting to take shape for USC and UCLA now that both former Pac-12 rivals are living in the Big Ten. With UCLA having lost starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava, the Bruins path is suddenly less certain, but the broader picture still leaves room for both programs to stay in the hunt if they finish well down the stretch. For USC, that means every remaining conference game carries extra weight, not just for playoff positioning, but for the chance to keep climbing in the league race.
The appeal is obvious for Trojan fans: a season that already feels different could end with a matchup that once belonged to the old Pac-12 stage, only now carrying Big Ten stakes. Both teams have key players and tricky games ahead, and there is still plenty to sort out before any championship scenario becomes real. Even so, the idea of USC and UCLA meeting again with a conference title on the line is the kind of late-season twist that gives the schedule a little more juice. [Read more 🡒]