USC Ends Regular Season with Victory Over UCLA, Eyes Future with Foundation Set
LOS ANGELES - The Victory Bell is staying in cardinal and gold, and USC is walking away from its regular season finale with more than just a win over crosstown rival UCLA. Saturday’s 29-10 victory capped off a 9-3 campaign for the Trojans - a season that, while falling short of College Football Playoff hopes, is being embraced within the program as a critical building block for what’s to come.
The message from head coach Lincoln Riley to his team in the days leading up to the rivalry game was simple: pave the road. That idea - of laying a foundation, setting standards, and embracing the grind - resonated inside the locker room. And after the final whistle, players weren’t shy about acknowledging both how far they’ve come and how far they still have to go.
“We still ain’t (expletive),” quarterback Jayden Maiava said bluntly postgame. The sentiment wasn’t defeatist - it was honest. For a team that had bigger aspirations, the win over UCLA was a reminder that growth isn’t always linear, and success isn’t always measured by rankings alone.
Senior Day Reflections and Future Paths
Roughly 30 Trojans walked during Senior Day ceremonies before kickoff, signaling not just the end of a chapter but the beginning of many new ones. Some, like linebacker Eric Gentry, are out of eligibility.
Others, like safety Kamari Ramsey, are preparing for the next level. And then there’s a group in between - players like redshirt senior running back Eli Sanders, long snapper Hank Pepper, defensive lineman Keyshawn Silver, and wide receiver Jay Fair - all of whom are weighing their futures.
Notably absent from the ceremony were junior receivers Ja’Kobi Lane and Makai Lemon, both eligible for the 2026 NFL Draft but opting not to tip their hands just yet. Maiava, too, kept his plans close to the vest.
“I’ve been worried about this game,” he said. “I’m focused on enjoying this win with my loved ones and my teammates, so that’s where I’m at right now.”
The ambiguity is understandable. For many players, the decision to return or move on isn’t just about draft stock - it’s about timing, fit, and unfinished business.
Gentry’s Final Stand
If Saturday was indeed Eric Gentry’s final game in a USC uniform, he made sure to leave a lasting impression. The veteran linebacker led the defense with five tackles and a pass breakup, and his impact extended beyond the box score. He was disruptive, vocal, and steady - everything you want from a senior leader in a rivalry game.
“Start fast,” he said with a smile when asked what advice he’d leave behind for the defense. It was a nod to the Trojans’ tendency to open games slowly, but the message went deeper.
“This has been a very, very important year,” Gentry added. “We were able to play in the Big Ten, win against teams who were physical, and playing in their type of weather, too. My message more than anything is just have fun while you’re doing it - and more than anything, just give effort, focus, because we all come out here for one common thing, and it’s football.”
Coliseum Stronghold and Big Ten Statement
USC finished the regular season undefeated at home, and Saturday’s crowd of 69,614 marked the second-largest turnout at the Coliseum this season - trailing only the Michigan game, which drew 75,500.
That home-field edge mattered. The Trojans notched wins over Big Ten opponents Illinois, Michigan, Nebraska, and Iowa, staking their claim as a legitimate contender in their new conference home. While they didn’t punch a ticket to the playoff, they did send a message: USC can go toe-to-toe with the Big Ten’s physical style and come out on top.
Whether a 9-3 finish is considered a success or a stepping stone depends on your perspective. Inside the walls of the program, though, there’s a firm belief that something meaningful is being built.
A Brotherhood Taking Shape
The word that kept surfacing postgame was *brotherhood. * It wasn’t just talk - it showed in the way players carried themselves, celebrated together, and even coordinated matching warm-ups on game day.
That unity isn’t accidental. It’s been a point of emphasis all season long, and Riley made sure to highlight it in the aftermath of the win.
“We’ll have better teams here in the future than this team,” Riley said, the Victory Bell ringing in the background. “But I don’t know if we’ll have had a more important team.”
He’s not wrong. Every program has a turning point - a season where culture gets cemented, where leadership emerges, and where the foundation for future success is laid. For USC, 2025 might be that year.
“Things are good here right now,” Riley added. “We’ll look back when things are really, really, really good here, and this will be one of the ones that everybody will point to. I promise you that’s going to happen.”
The road ahead is still under construction, but one thing’s clear: the Trojans are laying down the pavement with purpose.