LOS ANGELES — A shortened week. An unranked opponent that was coming off a bye. USC’s Friday night game against Northwestern had all the makings of a trap game.

The Wildcats kept things interesting for a while, but No. 20 USC used a balanced offensive performance to take control in the second half and pull away for a 38-17 win.

The Trojans (7-2 overall, 5-1 Big Ten) stayed in the hunt for a potential spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff while rolling up the most yards (482) and points anyone had scored against Northwestern’s defense this season.

USC quarterback Jayden Maiava completed 24 of 33 passes for 299 yards and two touchdown passes and ran for another TD. Makai Lemon had a touchdown catch and a scoring run while hauling in 11 receptions for a career-high 161 yards, and Ja

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