No. 9 Indiana beat No. 18 USC 27-13 on Saturday at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, and Indiana beats USC gave the Hoosiers their first win over the Trojans and kept them in the College Football Playoff race. Grant Wilson threw two touchdown passes in his first start for Indiana, and the Hoosiers pulled away in the second half after the teams went to halftime tied 10-10.
Wilson finished 17 of 27 for 305 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. He started in place of Josh Hoover, the injured starter, and head coach Curt Cignetti gave him all the first-team practice reps during the week. Wilson is a seventh-year quarterback, and the start was his first since 2024.
Indiana beats USC behind Wilson’s first start
Wilson started fast, and Indiana beats USC took shape on the third play of the game. Wilson hit Shazz Preston for a 47-yard pass, and three plays later he found Brock Schott for a 13-yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead. USC tied the game just before halftime, and the teams went to the break at 10-10.
Indiana took control after halftime. Khobie Martin broke the tie with a 1-yard touchdown run with 2:39 left in the third quarter. Charlie Becker added a 42-yard touchdown catch with 3:30 left in the game, on third-and-3 from the USC 42, and the score made it 27-13. Becker caught the ball at the 8-yard line and finished the play in the end zone.
Indiana beats USC with late turnovers
The Indiana defense recorded three interceptions, and Indiana beats USC owed much of the win to those takeaways. Two of the interceptions came late in the game and helped Indiana protect the lead. USC needed a win to keep its playoff and Big Ten title hopes alive, and the turnovers ended that chance.
Lee Beebe Jr. led the Hoosiers with 16 carries for 71 yards, while Martin had 10 carries for 70 yards and the tiebreaking score. Wilson put the ball in danger several times, and USC dropped at least four passes that could have been interceptions. The Hoosiers still finished with 305 passing yards and two touchdown passes from their backup quarterback in the Indiana beats USC win.
Wilson replaced Hoover at halftime two weeks ago and rallied Indiana to an overtime win over Minnesota. Cignetti stuck with Wilson for the USC game, and the decision paid off as Indiana beats USC with its backup quarterback under center. Indiana had fallen five spots in the playoff rankings during its bye week, from No. 4 to No. 9, and the win over USC gave the committee a result to weigh.
Wilson threw an interception in the first half, and USC turned it into points just before halftime to tie the game at 10. Cignetti gave Wilson the news in straightforward terms during the week, and Wilson took every first-team rep in practice before the game. The deep passing stayed in the plan all afternoon, with the 47-yard throw to Preston on the third play setting the tone and the 42-yard strike to Becker sealing the result.
The win left Indiana alone in second place in the Big Ten standings. The Hoosiers can finish 11-1 overall and 8-1 in the league with wins at Washington and at home against Purdue, and both games will shape where Indiana lands in the playoff field.
What comes next for Indiana
Indiana improved to 9-1 overall and 6-1 in Big Ten play, and Indiana beats USC left the Hoosiers alone in second place in the conference standings. The win was the first over a Top 25 opponent by two touchdowns this season for Indiana, and it kept the Hoosiers in position to make the College Football Playoff for the third straight season.
USC fell to 7-3 overall and 4-3 in the conference after Indiana beats USC in Bloomington. The Trojans had needed the win to stay in the Big Ten title race, and the loss left them with two regular-season games to play. Indiana travels to Washington on Saturday, Nov. 21, and closes the regular season at home against Purdue on Nov. 28 in the Old Oaken Bucket game.