%20--%3e%3csvg%20version='1.1'%20id='Nebraska_N'%20xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20xmlns:xlink='http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink'%20x='0px'%20y='0px'%20viewBox='0%200%20163%20152'%20style='enable-background:new%200%200%20163%20152;'%20xml:space='preserve'%3e%3cstyle%20type='text/css'%3e%20.st0{fill:%23FFFFFF;}%20%3c/style%3e%3cg%3e%3cpath%20class='st0'%20d='M159.1,144c-2.3,0-4.1,1.8-4.1,4s1.8,4,4,4s4-1.8,4-4S161.2,144,159.1,144z%20M159,151.2c-1.8,0-3.2-1.4-3.2-3.2%20s1.4-3.2,3.2-3.2c1.7,0,3.2,1.5,3.2,3.2C162.2,149.8,160.8,151.2,159,151.2z'/%3e%3cg%3e%3cpath%20class='st0'%20d='M157.4,145.6h1.4c0.6,0,0.8,0,1.1,0.2c0.4,0.2,0.6,0.6,0.6,1.1c0,0.4-0.1,0.7-0.3,1c-0.1,0.2-0.3,0.2-0.6,0.4%20h-0.1l1.1,2.1h-0.8l-1-2h-0.6v2h-0.8L157.4,145.6L157.4,145.6z%20M158.6,147.7c0,0,0.3,0,0.4,0c0.4-0.1,0.6-0.3,0.6-0.8%20c0-0.3-0.1-0.5-0.4-0.6c-0.1,0-0.1,0-0.6,0h-0.4v1.4L158.6,147.7L158.6,147.7z'/%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/g%3e%3cg%3e%3cpath%20class='st0'%20d='M147,0H93h-5v5v35v5h5h5v24.8L55.2,2.3L53.7,0H51H5H0v5v35v5h5h5v62H5H0v5v35v5h5h54h5v-5v-35v-5h-5h-5V82.2%20l42.8,67.5l1.5,2.3h2.7h46h5v-5v-35v-5h-5h-5V45h5h5v-5V5V0H147z%20M150,5v35v3h-3h-7v66h7h3v3v35v3h-3h-46h-1.6l-0.9-1.4L52,75.3%20V109h7h3v3v35v3h-3H5H2v-3v-35v-3h3h7V43H5H2v-3V5V2h3h46h1.7l0.9,1.4L100,76.7V43h-7h-3v-3V5V2h3h54h3V5z'/%3e%3c/g%3e%3cpath%20class='st0'%20d='M103,87L103,87L51,5H5v35c0,0,7.8,0,10,0c0,3.3,0,68.7,0,72l0,0c-2.2,0-10,0-10,0v35h54v-35c0,0-7.8,0-10,0l0,0%20c0-2.6,0-47,0-47l52,82h46v-35c0,0-7.8,0-10,0l0,0c0-3.3,0-68.7,0-72c2.2,0,10,0,10,0V5H93v35c0,0,7.8,0,10,0%20C103,42.6,103,87,103,87z'/%3e%3c/svg%3e)
Nebraska Football
Postgame Quotes vs. USC
Nov. 1, 2025 (Lincoln, Neb.)
USC 21, Nebraska 17
Head Coach Lincoln Riley
Opening Statement
“Super proud of the team. It's a big time win, getting Nebraska, their fans all that a ton of credit. It's a tremendous atmosphere to play in. I've got a chance to coach in it a few times. They do a tremendous job and obviously they were geared up pretty heavy tonight. Yeah, really proud of our guys, I think, especially in our response. We didn't play very well early in the game. We kind of fought to keep it close there, throughout the half, and then, you know, to come out the way we did the half defensively, I thought was really the story of the game, just to get the key stops over and over, when we were sputtering a little bit offensively. The offensive guys got going a little bit there at the end and played a little bit better, but really the story was our defense was phenomenal. We had some really big time special teams plays as well, and it was fitting that our defense was the one to really close it out right there at the end. So road wins are never easy. They just aren't. They just find a way to never be easy and that's the hardest thing to do in college football. Yeah, just crazy proud of this group. This was a big win for this team, a big win for our program and you keep winning these, you just keep putting yourself in better and better position. And this team's in a great position right now.”
On slow start
“We didn't play very sharp early. We didn't tackle very good on the first drive, weren't a lot of explosive plays. Just didn't tackle very good, offensively, we were just a little bit out of sync. We kind of took turns, we miss some big opportunities that we typically make pretty routine, and then had some really untimely penalties that set us back. And against a good defense and a night like this, I mean, you definitely don't want to make your job harder, and we did that, but we rallied. I mean, we obviously settled in defensively and played an outstanding game and offensively, we were able to get it done when it mattered.” On Emmett Johnson
“He's a good player. He got loose a couple of times. I thought, we'll look at the tape and want to have tackled better, but our pursuit, and the fact that when we miss one, we typically got him down pretty quick after that, I thought, was huge. And that's what you got to do against a really good running back, right? The first guy, as much as you want it to happen, is not always going to get them down. And if you're pursuit, your effort, your angles are correct, if you're leveraging the ball, then you're going to have a chance to put a lid on those runs. And, you know, 10 yarder doesn't turn into a 60 yarder, you know, and that's what we did a lot better tonight.”
On Emmett Johnson
“He's a good player. He got loose a couple of times. I thought, we'll look at the tape and want to have tackled better, but our pursuit, and the fact that when we miss one, we typically got him down pretty quick after that, I thought, was huge. And that's what you got to do against a really good running back, right? The first guy, as much as you want it to happen, is not always going to get them down. And if you're pursuit, your effort, your angles are correct, if you're leveraging the ball, then you're going to have a chance to put a lid on those runs. And, you know, 10 yarder doesn't turn into a 60 yarder, you know, and that's what we did a lot better tonight.”
Quarterback Jayden Maiava
On momentum switch after interception
“Yeah, obviously I want that play back. Got to make a better decision on that play. But defense did a hell of a job, hats off to them. They're the reason why we got this win, as well as special teams, offense just got to play better.”
On run game
“It felt great. It's like a good defense we're going up against like that. I mean, cover well, downfield. Just, you know, last option is for me to run, so just do what I can.”
Defensive lineman Devan Thompkins
On the final drive
“Just continue to push the main effort that we've been having all game. We fought hard, we fought really well, but it was a very tough game. And I'm just super proud of everybody. We just have that same mentality, finish, finish, finish.”
On the final stop
“I think it's the whole team is a collective thing, it wasn't just a defense, offense put us in a great position to be able to do things that we did. So, I say it's a team win, but it just feels great.”