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USC Trojans Lincoln Riley Shuts Down Questions on Minnesota Overturned Touchdown

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USC Trojans Lincoln Riley Shuts Down Questions on Minnesota Overturned Touchdown


The No. 11 USC Trojans lost to Minnesota 24-17 on Saturday, Oct. 5. It’s hard to win games on the road in conference play.

The Golden Gophers scored in the final minute on a fourth down quarterback sneak with Max Brosmer. The officials initially ruled Brosmer short of the end zone, giving the Trojans the ball in a tie game. However, the play was reviewed and changed to a touchdown.

After the game, a reporter asked Trojans defensive end Jamil Muhammad if he thought Minnesota reached the goal line on the Gopher’s last touchdown.

“Don’t ask him that. Next question,” said USC coach Lincoln Riley before Muhammad could respond. “Who cares what he says on that? Like what, a player’s opinion? Let’s ask a more professional question.”

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USC WR Zachariah Branc

Oct 5, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers defensive back Ethan Robinson (2) breaks up a pass intended for USC Trojans wide receiver Zachariah Branch (1) during the first half at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images / Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

The Trojans once again found themselves in a dogfight on the road in the first half. The total yardage, first downs gained, and turnover battle were virtually deadlocked at the half. The score was10-10 thanks to a career-long 54-yard field goal from kicker Michael Lantz just before intermission. 

The Trojans came into the game with a plus-32 second-half scoring margin and experience in close-ball games. They leaned heavily on that muscle memory to grind out a few hard-fought drives to take control of the game with a great scoring drive and two early defensive stops that had Minnesota on the ropes.

An early fourth-quarter near sack strip flew into the air and turned into a Miller Moss interception. That was a massive turning point because the Trojans had a 17-10 lead and were driving in Golden Gopher territory with a chance to essentially put the ball game away. It may sound like a broken record at this point, but it’s the truth, the same issues that have been on tape for the Trojans cost them a ball game. 

The Golden Gophers reeled off 14 consecutive points, concluding with a 12-play, 75-yard drive that left the Trojans less than a minute to go in the game. At 24-17, USC’s only option was a touchdown. While quarterback Miller Moss got the Trojans in striking distance, it wasn’t quite enough as Moss was intercepted while taking a shot to the end zone.

Minnesota beat the USC Trojans for the first time since 1955.

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USC QB Miller Mos

Oct 5, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; USC Trojans quarterback Miller Moss (7) runs the ball against the Minnesota Golden Gophers during the first half at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images / Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

The biggest issue with the offense, and honestly the team, is the trouble the Trojans have protecting quarterback Miller Moss. He came into the game as the most-hit and pressured quarterback in the Big Ten and the most-hit quarterback in the country. The Trojans didn’t fair much better today in that aspect. 

The quick passing game and Moss’ decisiveness provided relief on some passing attempts, but when USC had to truly go five-step dropback it wasn’t pretty.

Moss notably added muscle mass and weight going into this season and he’s needed it. The Trojans must find a way to keep Moss upright. Their season ultimately depends on it.

USC Trojans Defense

Oct 5, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers running back Darius Taylor (1) runs the ball against the USC Trojans during the first half at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images / Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

As for the biggest red flag on the defense? Their inability to hold the line in the biggest moments of the game. The defense, much like the Michigan game, was superb up until the last stand. Minnesota ran for 193 yards, most of which came on the final two possessions. The Big Ten trenches discourse has surrounded the Trojans, but they’ve mostly held up.

The time of possession was virtually even so being worn down isn’t an excuse. The Trojans held the Gophers to 2/8 on 3rd downs, but the Gophers converted twice on 4th down, one being the go-ahead touchdown. Sometimes, the scheme isn’t the issue. The Trojans don’t have an issue there defensively. In this case, USC needs their playmakers to step up in the biggest moments. They’ve done it before, they must do it more.

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Lincoln Riley-led teams have been in this situation multiple times. A lead, an offense that’s humming, and a decision to make: run the ball and control the clock or pass. On the drive that ultimately flipped momentum with the interception, the Trojans dropped back on third and four from the Minnesota 35. 

Sounds fairly normal to throw there, right? Not so fast. The Trojans averaged 6.2 yards per carry and held a seven-point lead. At that point, the worst-case scenario if they failed to convert was a short fourth down attempt or a field goal attempt to potentially go up 10 points with 10 minutes remaining.

You could say that’s hypercritical, but the very next possession, tied at 17-17, there wasn’t a single rushing attempt. Minnesota got the ball back after a three-and-out and the rest is history. When will Riley trust his run game to close out these close contests? 

USC has shown how resilient they are, maybe too much for everyone’s liking this early into the year. They’ll have to prove it every week from here on out to reach their goals. There’s no more wiggle room. There’s no more grace period. The Trojans have to win out. 

Across the college football landscape, many ranked teams were tested against unranked foes. Georgia passed the Auburn test, and Ohio State passed the Iowa test. Alabama fell to Vanderbilt in one of the biggest upsets in college football history. Michigan faltered on the road to Washington. Tennessee was upset by Arkansas.

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MORE: Why Elite Recruit Floyd Boucard Committed To USC Trojans Over Oklahoma Sooners

MORE: USC Trojans’ Lincoln Riley Addresses Schedule Updates: Notre Dame, Missouri State

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MORE: How To Watch USC Trojans vs. Minnesota Golden Gophers: Preview, Injury Update, Channel

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Minnesota

Who’s the greatest Minnesota high school athlete of all time? Vote now in ‘USA 250’ poll

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4 hours ago

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June 27, 2026

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Who’s the greatest Minnesota high school athlete of all time? Vote now in ‘USA 250’ poll


Minnesota has one of the deepest talent pools of multi-sport stars in the country. 

Think about it — where else do you have someone winning multiple gymnastics and diving championships? Where do you have a baseball star hitting .600 while throwing for 6,000 yards as quarterback? Where do you have NBA players who were football champions? 

Minnesota’s talent is as deep as its lakes, and we are looking to answer a question: Who is the best all-time Minnesota high school athlete? Who best defines the state’s prep environment? 

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As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, USA TODAY is launching its 250 for 250 series, looking to answer that question by celebrating the best athletes from each state.

From fans’ votes, five athletes will be selected to represent the state as legends who have defined high school sports.

With that in mind, here are the Minnesota high school athlete nominees. The 15 players (listed in alphabetical order) were all standouts at the high school level. 

Paige Bueckers, Girls Basketball, Hopkins High School (Minnetonka) 

“Remember the name: Paige Bueckers. 6th grade, think Diana Taurasi.” Maybe the most prescient analysis of a sixth-grader ever. By high school, Bueckers was a clear superstar, joining the Hopkins varsity team as an eighth-grader and eventually establishing herself as the best player in the class. She is Hopkins’ all-time leader in points (2,877), assists (795), and steals (574), and won a championship with the program. 

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Jessie Diggins, Cross-Country Skier, Stillwater Area High School 

Jessie Diggins spent six years competing for Stillwater Area High School, winning the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) individual pursuit championship three times and helping her team win the state meet in 2008 and 2010. She won the U.S. Junior National Sprint title in 2009 and is today a four-time Olympic medalist. 

Bailey DuPay, Girls Diving, Gymnastics, Track and Field, Northfield High School 

Bailey DuPay’s resume is undeniable. She’s a multi-time champion in two different sports — the first gymnast to win three straight Class 2A all-around titles and a three-time one-meter diving champion. She competed on the swim & dive team at Minnesota State. 

Mark Hall II, Boys Wrestling, Apple Valley High School 

Mark Hall II was the first wrestler to win six individual state championships. In leading Apple Valley to six team titles, he also became the first wrestler to win 12 combined state championships. He went 277-4 over his career, had 171 consecutive wins, and had 189 career pins, according to the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. 

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Maria Hauger, Cross Country, Track and Field, Shakopee High School 

Maria Hauger was the first runner to win four Class AA state championships. For those efforts, she was a four-time Minnesota Gatorade Cross Country Athlete of the Year. The success didn’t stop there; she won four championships in track and field, including the 1,600- and 3,200-meter races, according to MSHSL. 

Chet Holmgren, Boys Basketball, Minnehaha Academy (Minneapolis) 

Part of an all-time Minnehaha dynasty alongside Jalen Suggs, Chet Holmgren helped the team win four championships and was named the National Player of the Year by several outlets as a senior, when he averaged 21 points and 12.3 rebounds per game. 

Tyus Jones, Boys Basketball, Apple Valley High School 

One of the greatest Minnesota high school boys basketball players of all time, Tyus Jones was a three-time Minnesota Boys Basketball Gatorade Player of the Year and led Apple Valley to a state championship. As a senior, he averaged 25.6 points, 8.1 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 2.7 steals per game. 

Joe Mauer, Baseball, Football, Boys Basketball, Cretin-Derham Hall High School (St. Paul) 

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It’s tough to find a more accomplished high school career than Joe Mauer. He was the first athlete to be named USA TODAY High School Player of the Year in two different sports, which he did in football and baseball. Over two years on the gridiron, he passed for almost 6,000 yards and 73 touchdowns, winning two championships. In baseball, he struck out only once in his entire high school career, hitting .567 with 43 home runs. As a senior, he batted .605, hit a home run in seven straight games, and led his team to the championship. 

Kevin McHale, Boys Basketball, Hibbing High School  

The future NBA Hall of Famer had roots in Minnesota, where Kevin McHale was named Minnesota Mr. Basketball as a senior and led Hibbing to a championship game appearance. He had a 13-year career with the Boston Celtics, where he won three NBA championships. 

Paul Molitor, Baseball, Boys Basketball, Boys Soccer, Cretin-Derham Hall High School 

Paul Molitor was a versatile athlete, named to the all-state teams in baseball and boys basketball, and a champion in baseball, basketball, and soccer, according to SABR. He attended the University of Minnesota and played in seven MLB All-Star Games. 

Gable Steveson, Boys Wrestling, Apple Valley High School 

Gable Steveson dominated the wrestling circuit of Minnesota. He won four state titles and holds the highest winning percentage in state history, with a record of 210-3 (98.59%). According to the University of Minnesota, his final two championships lasted for a combined 28 seconds. 

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Jalen Suggs, Boys Basketball, Football, Minnehaha Academy 

Jalen Suggs is known for basketball, but he was a star two-sport athlete at Minnehaha, becoming the first athlete in the state’s history to be named Mr. Basketball and Mr. Football in the same year, and was named the National MaxPreps Male Athlete of the Year as a senior. He led the football team to a championship and the basketball team to three straight titles. 

Whitney Taney, Girls Tennis, Edina High School 

All Whitney Taney did in high school was win. That’s not an exaggeration — she went 166-0 over her career (150-0 in singles, 16-0 in doubles) while losing only two sets en route to five championships between singles and doubles play, per her University of Michigan bio. 

Lindsay Whalen, Girls Basketball, Hutchinson High School 

One of the most influential girls basketball players in Minnesota, Lindsay Whalen was a four-time All-Missota Conference player, a four-time honorable mention on the All-State team, and led Hutchinson to three conference championships. She scored 1,996 points in her career. 

Dave Winfield, Baseball, Boys Basketball, Football, St. Paul Central High School 

Dave Winfield excelled in three sports in high school, leading to his recruitment to play baseball and basketball at the University of Minnesota. He went on to be a 12-time MLB All-Star and Hall of Famer. 

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Minnesota man accused in a $250M fraud scheme taken into custody in Somalia | CNN

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14 hours ago

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June 27, 2026

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Minnesota man accused in a 0M fraud scheme taken into custody in Somalia | CNN



AP — 

Authorities say a Minnesota man charged with helping to orchestrate a $250 million fraud scheme has been taken into custody in Somalia.

Abdikerm Abdelahi Eidleh, 42, of Burnsville, Minnesota, was taken into custody Thursday in Mogadishu, U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen said in a news release. Court documents do not show if Eidleh has obtained an attorney, and he has not yet had an opportunity to enter a plea in the case.

Eidleh is one of dozens of people who were indicted in 2022 in connection with what prosecutors said was a massive scheme to defraud a federal meals program.

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According to court documents, Eidleh was an employee of Feeding Our Future, an organization that claimed it helped provide millions of meals to children in need during the pandemic under a federal child nutrition program. But prosecutors say just a small portion of the federal money went toward feeding kids, with the rest laundered through shell companies and spent on property, luxury cars and travel.

Eidleh is accused of creating fake child nutrition program sites, falsely claiming they were feeding thousands of children a day and creating shell companies that purported to be meal vendors at the sites. The indictment charges him with 31 counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery, federal programs bribery, conspiracy to commit money laundering and money laundering.

Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Department of Justice’s National Fraud Enforcement Division said Eidleh was a central figure in “one of the largest fraud schemes in Minnesota history.”

“He not only stole taxpayer dollars, but he also robbed vulnerable children of critical resources they desperately needed. Rather than answer for his crimes in the United States, he fled to Somalia in a futile attempt to evade justice,” McDonald said.

President Donald Trump pointed to the fraud case as part of his justification for launching a massive immigration crackdown in Minnesota late last year.

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Minnesota primary voting starts for major 2026 races

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1 day ago

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June 26, 2026

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Minnesota primary voting starts for major 2026 races


Madison McVan
 |  Minnesota Reformer

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  • Early voting for Minnesota’s 2026 primary elections began on Friday, 46 days ahead of the official Aug. 11 election.
  • Voters will decide on nominees for governor, an open U.S. Senate seat, and all state legislative positions.
  • Minnesotans can vote absentee by mail or in person at designated early voting locations.

Voting in Minnesota’s 2026 primary elections began Friday morning, 46 days before the official Aug. 11 Primary Election Day. 

Minnesotans confront a hugely important midterm election in the fall, when all constitutional offices, an open U.S. Senate seat, a highly competitive congressional district and the Legislature will be on the ballot. Control of both state government and Congress are at stake. 

Before then, however, the parties will choose their nominees in a bevy of competitive races that will shape the fall election. 

We don’t have party registration in Minnesota, which means anyone can vote in the primary.  

Following the sweep of a progressive slate in several New York primaries this week, political analysts will be closely watching voters’ preferences, which will set the stage for the second half of President Donald Trump’s second term. 

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Here’s what you need to know.

Which races are on the ballot in Minnesota?

Every Minnesota citizen will have the opportunity to vote for statewide offices including governor and lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, auditor and U.S. Senator.

For this primary election, you can only vote for candidates from one political party. Your ballot will have Democrats on one column, and Republicans on the other. Choose one! If you vote for candidates from more than one political party, your votes will not count. You decide when you vote which one of the parties you will vote for. 

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The governor’s race is wide open for the first time since 2018, when Gov. Tim Walz won his first term. Walz initially announced he would run for a third term before ending his campaign in early January following Republican attacks on his record on stopping fraud in Minnesota’s social safety net programs. 

FINANCES: Amy Klobuchar builds huge cash lead in governor race

The Senate seat is open following Sen. Tina Smith’s retirement announcement last year. Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who is running for governor, still occupies the other Senate seat. (If Klobuchar were to win the governor’s race and resign her Senate seat, she would appoint a successor to hold the position until a special election.)

The entire state Legislature is up for reelection in 2026, but not every race has a competitive primary. 

Voters may see other local races on their ballots, including county commissioners, county attorneys and school board members. 

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You can use this tool from the Secretary of State’s Office to preview your ballot. 

BUSINESS: ‘Erratic’ tariffs blamed for Minnesota export slump

How do I vote in Minnesota?

Friday, June 26, is the first day of absentee voting. You can request an absentee ballot be mailed to you, which you can return in-person or through the mail. 

Alternatively, you can vote “in person absentee” by going to your local early voting location, where you can request your absentee ballot, receive it, fill it out and submit it on the spot. 

Starting July 24, you can vote in-person at the early voting locations in a process similar to that of voting on Election Day. 

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Who’s running in Minnesota?

There are several competitive primaries in statewide races that will determine the matchups in the general election later this year. 

For governor, Sen. Amy Klobuchar is expected to win the Democratic-Farmer-Labor nomination after winning the party’s endorsement on the first ballot, over a challenge from Kobey Lane, a 26-year old trans activist and former Republican legislative assistant. 

The Republican primary is competitive; after Army veteran and former health care executive Kendall Qualls won the party’s endorsement in May, the other front-runners refused to drop out of the race, citing voting irregularities at the convention. House Speaker Lisa Demuth and MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell round out the three-way race.

Dominion Voting Systems settles $1.3B defamation lawsuit with Mike Lindell

In the race to replace Smith in the Senate, two Democratic powerhouses are facing off: U.S. Rep. Angie Craig and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan. Flanagan won the endorsement after Craig dropped out of the endorsement process; Craig is gunning for votes outside of the party’s activist base.  

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On the Republican side, GOP-endorsed former Navy Seal Adam Schwarze will face off against former sports broadcaster Michele Tafoya, whose name recognition and well-financed campaign could boost her performance in a primary.

With Craig’s highly competitive south metro seat in the U.S. House coming open, three top-tier Democrats are vying to replace her: former state Sen. Matt Little, state Rep. Kaela Berg and state Sen. Matt Klein. State Sen. Eric Pratt is running unopposed for the Republican nomination.

Minnesota Reformer is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.



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