Coming off a heartbreaking home loss to Oregon last weekend, Iowa doesn’t have a chance to sulk about the defeat. A cross-country road trip and a matchup with 17th-ranked USC await the Hawkeyes this weekend.
The Trojans have played some good football this year, especially at home in the comfort of the Southern California sun. USC is 5-0 at home this season, compared to just 2-2 on the road. And with a high-flying offense, an elite quarterback, and the home crowd behind them, it’s going to be a tall task for the Hawkeyes to pick up this win.
If Iowa wants to win this game and end its 12-game losing streak against ranked opponents, it’s going to have to play fundamentally sound football on all three phases. Here are the three keys to victory for Iowa in Los Angeles this weekend.
Iowa had so many chances to beat Oregon last Saturday, but self-inflicted errors ended up costing them the game. Whether it was a bad snap leading to a safety, a red zone fumble from Kaden Wetjen, numerous missed tackles, or a failed fourth-down conversion, the Hawkeyes shot themselves in the foot way too much against the Ducks. That can’t happen against USC.
The Hawkeyes need to play a relatively clean game of football and make the routine plays routinely. Limiting the turnovers, making open field tackles, and executing in crunch time are non-negotiables if Iowa wants to pull off the upset. The Trojans are too talented a team not to take advantage of opportunities. If Iowa makes the same errors this weekend that it did against Oregon, it’ll be lucky to even be in the game. The Hawkeyes can’t beat themselves on Saturday.
It’s a lot easier said than done, but the Hawkeye defense needs to make sure that Makai Lemon doesn’t take over the game on Saturday. The junior wide receiver is having an outstanding year, catching 61 passes for 937 yards and seven touchdowns so far in 2025. His connection with quarterback Jayden Maiava has given the Trojans one of the best offensive duos in the entire country.
Iowa needs to ensure that Lemon doesn’t single-handedly win this game for USC. The Trojans have some other talented weapons, most notably wide receiver Ja’Kobi Lane, but Lemon is the big superstar in that offense. If the Hawkeyes can’t stop him, it’s going to be a long afternoon. Slowing down Lemon could force Maiava into a second or third read and potentially a big mistake. Lemon must be contained if the Hawkeyes want to win.
This may seem like an obvious point because it is. Iowa is sixth in the Big Ten in rushing yards per game at 175.9. The Trojans are a middle-of-the-pack team in run defense, giving up 141.7 yards per game on the ground. That’s a matchup the Hawkeyes, with their veteran offensive line, could definitely take advantage of. But that’s not the only reason why establishing the run game is so important.
A good run game can keep an opposing offense on the sideline. The best defense for an elite offense is a ground game that keeps them off the field. If Iowa can run the ball successfully, it’ll keep Maiava, Lemon, and the rest of the Trojan offense off the field, which is key. We all know the Hawkeyes will do their best to get that run game going. Their success rate will determine the winner of this game.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Iowa football vs. USC: Three keys to victory