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/ FootballNo. 16 USC Football to Face TCU in Valero Alamo Bowl
December 07, 2025 | Football
LOS ANGELES—No. 16 USC (9-3) will face TCU (8-4) in the 33rd Valero Alamo Bowl in the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas at 6 p.m. PT ( 8 p.m. CT) on Tuesday, Dec. 30 on ESPN.
USC is 2-3 all-time against TCU, most recently falling to the Horned Frogs 19-28 in the 1998 Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas.Â
This will be USC's first-ever appearance in the Alamo Bowl. However, this is a return visit for USC head coach Lincoln Riley who called plays as the interim offensive coordinator for Texas Tech in the Red Raiders' 41-31 win over Michigan State in the 2009 Valero Alamo Bowl, producing 579 yards of offense.
TCU has played in the Alamo Bowl two other times and holds a 2-0 record. In 2016, the Horned Frogs defeated Oregon 47-41 in triple overtime, and in 2017, TCU defeated Stanford 39-37.Â
USC is among the nation's premier bowl teams with an overall postseason record of 36-20 (not including 1 win and 1 loss later vacated due to NCAA penalty; original record 37-21). This will be USC 59th all-time bowl appearance.Â
The Trojans are tied for nation's sixth highest bowl winning percentage (.643) among the 105 schools that have made at least 10 bowl appearances. USC's 36 bowl victories is second behind Alabama's 41 and tied with Georgia's 36 for the most in the nation (not including 1 win for both teams vacated due to NCAA penalty; original record: 37 for USC, 42 for Alabama).
USC has won 11 national championships, TCU claims 2. USC is 36-20 in bowl games (not including 1 win and 1 loss vacated due to NCAA penalty; original record: 37-21), while TCU has a 19-16 postseason record. The Trojans claim 177 All-American first teamers, while the Horned Frogs have 58. USC has 891 all-time wins with a .694 winning percentage, while TCU boasts 702 all-time wins with a .548 winning percentage (not including USC's 14 wins and 1 loss vacated due to NCAA penalty; original record: 905, .697).
Leading the Trojans is QB Jayden Maiava who has recorded 247-of-373 (.662) for 3,431 yards with 23 TDs. Maiava leads the nation with a 91.2 QBR. He leads the Big Ten in passing yards (3,431), passing yards per game (285.9), passing yards per completion (13.89) and total offense (298.4). Great throws beat great coverages, and Maiava's precision and athleticism display just that. His accuracy is showcased through his excellent ball placement and timing in his high-value and high-difficulty passes as he is No. 2 in the nation with 26 big time throws, per PFF.Â
Maiava has a wide variety of talented receivers at his disposal. USC WR Makai Lemon has showcased himself as the nation's best receiver. Per PFF, Lemon is the highest graded wide receiver in college football holding an overall grade of 90.4 and the nation's top receiving grade of 91.3. The All-American candidate and Biletnikoff finalist leads the Power Four in receiving yards (1,156) and receiving yards per game (96.3). He also leads the Big Ten in yards after catch (502) and is tied for second-most receiving TDs (11). Lemon is tied for third in the Power Four with 19 receptions of 20+ yards, and he is tied for first nationally with 50 catches for first downs (and leads all Biletnikoff finalists in both stats). This season, Lemon has scored 11 receiving TDs, 2 rushing TDs and thrown a passing TD. Lemon is the first Big Ten player to catch 2 TDs and throw a TD in a game (versus Oregon) since Minnesota's Eric Decker versus Cal on Sept. 19, 2009. He has five 100-yard receiving games this season and seven in his career. He has been in double digits in receptions 3 times in 2025. In his career, he's recorded 137 receptions for 2,008 yards (14.7 avg.) with 14 TDs, and he currently ranks 22nd on USC's career receptions list.
WR Ja'Kobi Lane impressed fans across the country with his acrobatic moves and jaw-dropping one-handed catches. He has tallied 49 receptions for 745 receiving yards and 4 TDs. His 15.20 average yards per reception ranks 10th among all Big Ten receivers.
TE Lake McRee was nationally recognized as one of the most productive tight ends. He's third in the Big Ten in receiving yards among tight ends and is 11th among all receivers in the conference averaging 15.00 yards per reception. McRee is third on the team with 450 receiving yards and 4 TDs.
Freshman WR Tanook Hines had a stellar debut season recording 28 catches for 398 yards (14.21 avg.) with 2 TDs. He looks to have a bright future as a Trojan. Also look out for TE Walker Lyons who tallied 20 receptions for 223 yards (11.15 avg.) and 2 TDs.Â
From the Trojan backfield, RB King Miller, the nation's most exciting walk-on took the Big Ten by storm. After RBs Waymond Jordan and Eli Sanders went down against Michigan, Miller immediately stepped up and never missed a beat. Miller leads the Trojans with 873 yards on 131 carries (6.70 avg.) with 7 TDs. Among backs with at least 130 attempts, Miller is No. 3 in the Power Four and leads the Big Ten with 6.57 rush yards per carry. Also available are young freshmen Harry Dalton III (8 carries for 44 yards, 5.50 avg.) and Riley Wormley (2 carries for 7 yards, 3.50 avg.).Â
USC has showcased seven different starting offensive line combinations throughout 12 games. The USC offensive line has helped the Trojans average 297.3 passing yards per game (first in the Big Ten), while averaging 174.3 yards on the ground (sixth in the Big Ten). USC is second in the Big Ten in total offense (471.6). The line has protected Maiava well considering he has only been sacked 11 times all season. He has the second fewest sacks in the Big Ten and has the ninth fewest in the Power Four. The line's run blocking has allowed seven different Trojans to score a total of 28 rushing touchdowns so far this season.
Defensively, USC's 22.4 ppg allowed is the best for a USC team since allowing 22.2 ppg in 2016. The Trojans had 9 games holding opponents under 400 yards, which is the most in a season since 2013. USC had an opponent red zone TD percentage of just 73.3% which is the 10th best in the FBS.
S Bishop Fitzgerald, was one of the country's best defenders and leads the Big Ten (and is No. 2 nationally) in interceptions. His 5 interceptions are the most by a Trojan since Calen Bullock in 2022, with 3 of them occurring within USC's red zone. Even after missing two games due to injury late in the season, the All-American candidate is still fourth on USC's defense with 51 total tackles (34 of them solo stops), including 2.5 for loss of 18 yards (with 1 sack for minus 11 yards) and 3 PBUs. He was a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award and the Lott IMPACT Trophy. Additionally, Fitzgerald was named the Bronko Nagurski Player of the Week after his performance against Michigan when he hauled in 2 picks (his second game of the season with 2 interceptions) to help USC win 31-13 in one of USC's biggest victories since moving to the Big Ten.
LB Desman Stephens II leads the Trojans with 83 tackles, including 1 for loss of 4 yards. All-Big Ten Honorable Mention and team leader LB Eric Gentry is next with 75 tackles, including 7 for loss of 26 yards (with 3 sacks for minus 15 yards), 4 forced fumbles (No. 3 in the nation and first in the Big Ten) and 2 PBUs. The Trojans have tallied 11 INTs: Fitzgerald with 5, and CB DeCarlos Nicholson, DE Braylan Shelby, S Kennedy Urlacher, DT Jahkeem Stewart, DT Jamaal Jarrett and DE Garrett Pomerantz each with 1. Shelby is USC's leading sack man with 4.5 on the season for minus 17 yards.Â
Walk-on K Ryon Sayeri had an incredible season for the Trojans. Sayeri, who was a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award, has an 81.0% accuracy rating on field goals, going 17-of-21. He is closing in on USC's record for most field goals in a single season (19). He is 6-of-7 in field goals versus ranked AP or CFP opponents, and he's 6-of-6 over 40+ yards. He's recorded 83 kickoffs for 5,404 yards (both No. 2 in the Power Four and first in the Big Ten). His 58 touchbacks are 10th most in the Power Four and first in the Big Ten.Â
TCU Head coach Sonny Dykes leads the Horned Frogs with an 8-4 record, most recently defeating Cincinnati 45-23. Through his three seasons at TCU, he holds a 27-13 record and a College Football Playoff National Championship appearance in 2022.Â
QB Josh Hoover leads the Horned Frogs. This season, he ranks among the program's all-time leaders with a .659 percent completion rate. He has gone 272-of-413 for 3,472 yards with 29 TDs and 13 INTs.
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WR Eric McAlister, an All-Big 12 First Team selection, has had one of the best regular seasons in TCU receiver history in 2025 as he has tallied 64 receptions for 1,121 yards, which places him in second on TCU's single-season receiving yard chart. He recorded 10 TDs and also eclipsed the 100-yard mark six times this season.Â
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The rushing game is led by RB Jeremy Payne who has tallied 550 rushing yards on 97 attempts (5.7 avg.) with 4 TDs.Â
Defensively, the Horned Frogs are anchored by LB Kaleb Elarms-Orr, another All-Conference First Team selection. He has recorded 119 tackles, including 9.5 for loss of 45 yards (with 4 sacks for minus 31 yards) and 2 PBUs.Â
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On special teams, K Nate McCashland has made 9-of-12 field goals (.750) with a long of 41.Â
Trojan Athletic Fund members and USC season ticketholders will receive information via email starting today (Dec. 7) about the opportunity to purchase Alamo Bowl game tickets.Â
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USC is 2-3 all-time against TCU, most recently falling to the Horned Frogs 19-28 in the 1998 Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas.Â
This will be USC's first-ever appearance in the Alamo Bowl. However, this is a return visit for USC head coach Lincoln Riley who called plays as the interim offensive coordinator for Texas Tech in the Red Raiders' 41-31 win over Michigan State in the 2009 Valero Alamo Bowl, producing 579 yards of offense.
TCU has played in the Alamo Bowl two other times and holds a 2-0 record. In 2016, the Horned Frogs defeated Oregon 47-41 in triple overtime, and in 2017, TCU defeated Stanford 39-37.Â
USC is among the nation's premier bowl teams with an overall postseason record of 36-20 (not including 1 win and 1 loss later vacated due to NCAA penalty; original record 37-21). This will be USC 59th all-time bowl appearance.Â
The Trojans are tied for nation's sixth highest bowl winning percentage (.643) among the 105 schools that have made at least 10 bowl appearances. USC's 36 bowl victories is second behind Alabama's 41 and tied with Georgia's 36 for the most in the nation (not including 1 win for both teams vacated due to NCAA penalty; original record: 37 for USC, 42 for Alabama).
USC has won 11 national championships, TCU claims 2. USC is 36-20 in bowl games (not including 1 win and 1 loss vacated due to NCAA penalty; original record: 37-21), while TCU has a 19-16 postseason record. The Trojans claim 177 All-American first teamers, while the Horned Frogs have 58. USC has 891 all-time wins with a .694 winning percentage, while TCU boasts 702 all-time wins with a .548 winning percentage (not including USC's 14 wins and 1 loss vacated due to NCAA penalty; original record: 905, .697).
Leading the Trojans is QB Jayden Maiava who has recorded 247-of-373 (.662) for 3,431 yards with 23 TDs. Maiava leads the nation with a 91.2 QBR. He leads the Big Ten in passing yards (3,431), passing yards per game (285.9), passing yards per completion (13.89) and total offense (298.4). Great throws beat great coverages, and Maiava's precision and athleticism display just that. His accuracy is showcased through his excellent ball placement and timing in his high-value and high-difficulty passes as he is No. 2 in the nation with 26 big time throws, per PFF.Â
Maiava has a wide variety of talented receivers at his disposal. USC WR Makai Lemon has showcased himself as the nation's best receiver. Per PFF, Lemon is the highest graded wide receiver in college football holding an overall grade of 90.4 and the nation's top receiving grade of 91.3. The All-American candidate and Biletnikoff finalist leads the Power Four in receiving yards (1,156) and receiving yards per game (96.3). He also leads the Big Ten in yards after catch (502) and is tied for second-most receiving TDs (11). Lemon is tied for third in the Power Four with 19 receptions of 20+ yards, and he is tied for first nationally with 50 catches for first downs (and leads all Biletnikoff finalists in both stats). This season, Lemon has scored 11 receiving TDs, 2 rushing TDs and thrown a passing TD. Lemon is the first Big Ten player to catch 2 TDs and throw a TD in a game (versus Oregon) since Minnesota's Eric Decker versus Cal on Sept. 19, 2009. He has five 100-yard receiving games this season and seven in his career. He has been in double digits in receptions 3 times in 2025. In his career, he's recorded 137 receptions for 2,008 yards (14.7 avg.) with 14 TDs, and he currently ranks 22nd on USC's career receptions list.
WR Ja'Kobi Lane impressed fans across the country with his acrobatic moves and jaw-dropping one-handed catches. He has tallied 49 receptions for 745 receiving yards and 4 TDs. His 15.20 average yards per reception ranks 10th among all Big Ten receivers.
TE Lake McRee was nationally recognized as one of the most productive tight ends. He's third in the Big Ten in receiving yards among tight ends and is 11th among all receivers in the conference averaging 15.00 yards per reception. McRee is third on the team with 450 receiving yards and 4 TDs.
Freshman WR Tanook Hines had a stellar debut season recording 28 catches for 398 yards (14.21 avg.) with 2 TDs. He looks to have a bright future as a Trojan. Also look out for TE Walker Lyons who tallied 20 receptions for 223 yards (11.15 avg.) and 2 TDs.Â
From the Trojan backfield, RB King Miller, the nation's most exciting walk-on took the Big Ten by storm. After RBs Waymond Jordan and Eli Sanders went down against Michigan, Miller immediately stepped up and never missed a beat. Miller leads the Trojans with 873 yards on 131 carries (6.70 avg.) with 7 TDs. Among backs with at least 130 attempts, Miller is No. 3 in the Power Four and leads the Big Ten with 6.57 rush yards per carry. Also available are young freshmen Harry Dalton III (8 carries for 44 yards, 5.50 avg.) and Riley Wormley (2 carries for 7 yards, 3.50 avg.).Â
USC has showcased seven different starting offensive line combinations throughout 12 games. The USC offensive line has helped the Trojans average 297.3 passing yards per game (first in the Big Ten), while averaging 174.3 yards on the ground (sixth in the Big Ten). USC is second in the Big Ten in total offense (471.6). The line has protected Maiava well considering he has only been sacked 11 times all season. He has the second fewest sacks in the Big Ten and has the ninth fewest in the Power Four. The line's run blocking has allowed seven different Trojans to score a total of 28 rushing touchdowns so far this season.
Defensively, USC's 22.4 ppg allowed is the best for a USC team since allowing 22.2 ppg in 2016. The Trojans had 9 games holding opponents under 400 yards, which is the most in a season since 2013. USC had an opponent red zone TD percentage of just 73.3% which is the 10th best in the FBS.
S Bishop Fitzgerald, was one of the country's best defenders and leads the Big Ten (and is No. 2 nationally) in interceptions. His 5 interceptions are the most by a Trojan since Calen Bullock in 2022, with 3 of them occurring within USC's red zone. Even after missing two games due to injury late in the season, the All-American candidate is still fourth on USC's defense with 51 total tackles (34 of them solo stops), including 2.5 for loss of 18 yards (with 1 sack for minus 11 yards) and 3 PBUs. He was a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award and the Lott IMPACT Trophy. Additionally, Fitzgerald was named the Bronko Nagurski Player of the Week after his performance against Michigan when he hauled in 2 picks (his second game of the season with 2 interceptions) to help USC win 31-13 in one of USC's biggest victories since moving to the Big Ten.
LB Desman Stephens II leads the Trojans with 83 tackles, including 1 for loss of 4 yards. All-Big Ten Honorable Mention and team leader LB Eric Gentry is next with 75 tackles, including 7 for loss of 26 yards (with 3 sacks for minus 15 yards), 4 forced fumbles (No. 3 in the nation and first in the Big Ten) and 2 PBUs. The Trojans have tallied 11 INTs: Fitzgerald with 5, and CB DeCarlos Nicholson, DE Braylan Shelby, S Kennedy Urlacher, DT Jahkeem Stewart, DT Jamaal Jarrett and DE Garrett Pomerantz each with 1. Shelby is USC's leading sack man with 4.5 on the season for minus 17 yards.Â
Walk-on K Ryon Sayeri had an incredible season for the Trojans. Sayeri, who was a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award, has an 81.0% accuracy rating on field goals, going 17-of-21. He is closing in on USC's record for most field goals in a single season (19). He is 6-of-7 in field goals versus ranked AP or CFP opponents, and he's 6-of-6 over 40+ yards. He's recorded 83 kickoffs for 5,404 yards (both No. 2 in the Power Four and first in the Big Ten). His 58 touchbacks are 10th most in the Power Four and first in the Big Ten.Â
TCU Head coach Sonny Dykes leads the Horned Frogs with an 8-4 record, most recently defeating Cincinnati 45-23. Through his three seasons at TCU, he holds a 27-13 record and a College Football Playoff National Championship appearance in 2022.Â
QB Josh Hoover leads the Horned Frogs. This season, he ranks among the program's all-time leaders with a .659 percent completion rate. He has gone 272-of-413 for 3,472 yards with 29 TDs and 13 INTs.
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WR Eric McAlister, an All-Big 12 First Team selection, has had one of the best regular seasons in TCU receiver history in 2025 as he has tallied 64 receptions for 1,121 yards, which places him in second on TCU's single-season receiving yard chart. He recorded 10 TDs and also eclipsed the 100-yard mark six times this season.Â
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The rushing game is led by RB Jeremy Payne who has tallied 550 rushing yards on 97 attempts (5.7 avg.) with 4 TDs.Â
Defensively, the Horned Frogs are anchored by LB Kaleb Elarms-Orr, another All-Conference First Team selection. He has recorded 119 tackles, including 9.5 for loss of 45 yards (with 4 sacks for minus 31 yards) and 2 PBUs.Â
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On special teams, K Nate McCashland has made 9-of-12 field goals (.750) with a long of 41.Â
Trojan Athletic Fund members and USC season ticketholders will receive information via email starting today (Dec. 7) about the opportunity to purchase Alamo Bowl game tickets.Â
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