Minnesota
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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.
MORE: Atlanta Falcons Wide Receiver Drake London Injury Update After Overtime Win
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
MORE: USC Trojans’ Bear Alexander Reveals Potential Transfer Back to SEC Team
MORE: How To Watch USC Trojans vs. Minnesota Golden Gophers: Preview, Injury Update, Channel
MORE: USC Trojans Predicted To Land Elite Running Back Recruit Over UCLA, Texas, Oregon
MORE: Chicago Bears Quarterback Caleb Williams: Fantasy Football Sleeper Pick?
With family by his side, Dennis “Bud” Peterson went to be with the Lord on the morning of June 1, 2026.
He was born at Drake, North Dakota on April 2, 1932 in the home of his parents Nick and Helen Peterson. The family moved to Duluth at the beginning of World War II.
After graduation from Duluth Central High School Bud served in the US Army in Korea during the Korean War, and received an Honorable Discharge with the rank of Sergeant. He used his GI Bill benefits to attend UMD receiving an Associate Degree, and also earned his Commercial Instrument Pilot rating.
Bud was a longtime employee of St. Louis County retiring as Supervisor of Roads and Bridges. In retirement he served as Boiler Engineer and a do it all repairman for Duluth Gospel Tabernacle. He generously devoted his time and talents as a consummate do it yourself repairman to all of his family.
Dennis is preceded in death by his parents, Nick & Helen Peterson; brother, Robert Peterson; sister, June (Don) Kruger; and infant brother and sister, James and Delores Peterson.
He is survived by his sister, Carol (Eli) Miletich; and numerous nieces and nephews all of whom he loved dearly.
At Bud’s request, his family will be holding a private funeral service. Arrangements by Dougherty Funeral Home 218-727-3555.
The Minnesota Department of Human Services is reexamining over 5,000 Medicaid service providers across the state in an effort to combat fraud.
The federal government said it would pull $2 billion in annual Medicaid funding from Minnesota in January if the state didn’t make changes.
The Minnesota Department of Human Services set out to revalidate thousands of providers in programs deemed high risk for fraud by asking providers to submit verification paperwork and making unannounced site visits. The deadline passed on Sunday.
The latest data, published on May 27, shows 1,009 providers approved, 1,151 disenrolled and over 3,000 providers with pending applications.
Paige Berland and Camille Heyman run Minnesota Behavioral Specialists, providing autism care to children through two locations in the metro area. The women say that after submitting their paperwork, they received letters from DHS with determinations for both locations: the Bloomington center was terminated and the Eagan office was approved.
“It doesn’t make sense, everything is the same minus the location,” Berland said. “So why was one approved and one wasn’t approved?”
The termination letter said the Bloomington center was denied because they failed to disclose a managing employee during a site visit. Berland disputes that and said she already submitted an appeal.
“We were told to keep running, keep continuing as we are while we go through this process,” she said. “It just means that we don’t have the money coming in.”
Josh Berg with Accessible Space says they’re also in limbo. Berg said they offer integrated community supports, which means caretakers provide in-unit assistance for people with spinal cord injuries and disabilities.
“Most of the folks that we support are wheelchair-bound,” Berg said. “Helping with meals, helping with medications, helping them just live their lives.”
Berg said that of the seven locations where people are housed, the Department of Human Services terminated five and approved two. He believes the timeline to conduct this revalidation process was too aggressive. He said Accessible Space has also submitted an appeal.
“We’re not able to bill for services, we’re not able to start new services for anybody or change any of the supports that they receive,” he said.
Both Berg and Berland say they agree fraud needs to be dealt with, but they hope Minnesotans who truly need services aren’t left without the services they need.
“Not just the clients rely on services, but the families do too, so we can’t stop services; that’s not an option on our plate,” Berland said. “We want to continue to provide these services; they are medically necessary.”
The Minnesota Department of Human Services said a disenrollment letter could be sent for a few reasons, including failure to submit revalidation application after two notification attempts, failure to provide all requested documents within the required timeframe and failure to meet the criteria required during an on-site visit.
A spokesperson for the Department of Human Services said it’s currently in the process of compiling data from the thousands of applications, but didn’t say when the department would share those final numbers.
-
Los Angeles, Ca53 minutes agoMan claiming to be armed robs Culver City bank, gets away with $10,000
-
Detroit, MI1 hour agoFired Detroit TV anchor Taryn Asher files sex discrimination lawsuit against old station, claims new GM protected men
-
San Francisco, CA1 hour agoSan Francisco family devastated as they face nearly 90% rent increase
-
Dallas, TX1 hour agoWings’ top pick Azzi Fudd hosts clinic as Cash App donates to Dallas nonprofit
-
Miami, FL2 hours agoPatients left scrambling for care after Miami-Dade woman accused of operating an unlicensed surgery recovery center
-
Boston, MA2 hours agoClover plans to reopen some locations after sudden closure, thanks to an anonymous investor
-
Denver, CO2 hours agoNew report finds Denver metro home buyers and sellers experiencing ‘unattainability fatigue’
-
Seattle, WA2 hours agoSeattle mayor grilled over public safety, affordability, CCTV
