The #16 USC Trojans will face the TCU Horned Frogs in the 33rd annual Valero Alamo Bowl on December 30 at 8 p.m. CST in the Alamodome and broadcast live on ESPN.
USC enters the game with a 9-3 overall record (7-2 in Big Ten). Designated as the visiting team and occupying the east sideline, the Trojans are led by Head Coach Lincoln Riley.
In his fourth year at USC, Lincoln Riley has reinforced himself as one of college football’s most successful coaches, with three College Football Playoff appearances, three Heisman Trophy winners, and a career winning percentage of 78 percent.
USC is ranked #7 national in passing. Quarterback Jayden Maiava has recorded 247-of-373 (.662) for 3,431 yards with 23 touchdowns. Maiava is No. 2 nationally 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).
Wide receiver Makai Lemon leads the Power Four with 1,156 receiving yards and averages 96.3 yards per game. He is tops the Big Ten in yards after catch (502), tied for most receiving touchdowns (11), and second in receptions per game (6.6). This season, he has added two rushing TDs and a passing TD, becoming the first Big Ten player since 2009 to catch two TDs and throw one in a game.
On the defensive side, USC had 9 games holding opponents under 400 yards. USC had an opponent red zone TD percentage of just 73.3% which is the 10th-best in the FBS.
TCU enters Bowl Season after posting wins over #24 Houston on the road and a 45-23 victory over Cincinnati in the season finale to finish 8-4 overall (5–4 in Big 12).
As the designated home team on the west sideline, the Frogs are led by Head Coach Sonny Dykes, one of only four active coaches to guide four different programs to bowl appearances. He is also one of just six active head coaches to have coached in the College Football Playoff National Championship game.
The Frogs ended the regular season at No. 8 in the country in passing. Quarterback Josh Hoover is one of only two players in TCU history to record multiple top-five single-season passing marks. This season, he ranks among the program’s all-time leaders with a 65.85 percent completion rate, 3,472 passing yards, 29 touchdowns, 272 completions, and a 153.35 passer rating
Eric McAlister has also emerged as a standout for TCU. He delivered one of the best regular seasons by a receiver in program history, currently ranking second on the single-season yardage list with 1,121 yards. McAlister topped the 100-yard mark six times this year, tying Josh Doctson’s 2015 record for the most 100-yard games in a season. He finished 2025 with 64 receptions, 1,121 yards, and 10 touchdowns.
Defensively, the Frogs are anchored by one of the nation’s most complete linebackers in Kaleb Elarms-Orr. Orr led all Power 4 linebackers in snaps per game and is one of only four to record 85+ grades in both run defense and tackling, along with a 68+ mark as a pass rusher.
The 2025 Valero Alamo Bowl will be USC’s first trip to the Alamodome. However, it is a return visit for Riley who called plays as the interim offensive coordinator for Texas Tech in their 41-31 win over Michigan State in the 2009 Valero Alamo Bowl, producing 579 yards of offense.
TCU returns to the Valero Alamo Bowl for the third time, carrying a 2–0 record in San Antonio.
This season marks the 10th anniversary of one of the most unforgettable comebacks in postseason history. Trailing Oregon 31–0 at halftime of the 2015 Valero Alamo Bowl, TCU backup quarterback Bram Kohlhausen passed for two touchdowns and ran for two more to lead the Horned Frogs to a 47–41 triple overtime victory.
TCU returned in 2017 and delivered another dramatic finish, rallying from a 21–3 first-half deficit. Quarterback Kenny Hill threw for two touchdowns, ran for another, and even caught a scoring pass during a 33-point outburst to secure a 39–37 win over Stanford.
Dykes has not appeared as a head coach in the Valero Alamo Bowl, but his father Spike Dykes coached Texas Tech in the 1996 Alamo Bowl. Dykes was a member of TCU’s 2017 staff as an offensive analyst.
USC and TCU met five times between 1951 and 1998, with USC holding a 3–2 edge in the series. TCU was victorious in their last meeting, a 28-19 win in the 1998 Sun Bowl.
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