Tyler Stearns
Jayden Maiava stepped out onto the gridiron as the starting QB for USC versus Nebraska as the starting QB on Saturday. And it probably couldn't have gotten off to a worse start for him. He threw a pick-six on the second drive, after a three-and-out a few minutes before. USC was at a quick disadvantage and needed Maiava to step up and start taking care of the ball. On the third drive, Maiava threw a dime to Kyle Ford on the right sideline to move the chains on third down. Then, he threw a crazy pass to Duce Robinson down the right sideline, who made a jumping catch at the five-yard line. Right after, Maiava threw a screen pass out to Zach Branch who broke a tackle and walked into the endzone.
This drive gave Maiava some confidence. Everyone knew he would never walk into the game against a top B1G defense and immediately dominate. However, what everyone expected was for him to slowly get more comfortable with the offense. And Riley made it easy on him early, relying on the run to help build short second and third downs. Riley also gave Maiava the ability to pull the ball and run himself, which he did a few times to get a first down and one time to get into the endzone. Maiava did make another costly mistake in the third quarter when he fumbled the ball within his red zone, but the defense was able to step up and make a play for him. Overall, he played well enough for USC to win.
The main thing that Maiava gave USC was a rushing edge. He may not be as good of a passer within the pocket as Miller Moss (though he has a significantly better arm), but he is certainly more athletic. His escapability and rushing upside give the offensive line some highway in pass protection. For Moss, they needed to be perfect, but with Maiava, they can look to keep their rushers in their lanes and if the defensive line gets through, Maiava has that Caleb Williams-like ability to move away from traffic.
This season is relatively over for USC. In the new era of the 12-team playoff, not making it is a bad season for a program like USC. But there are a lot of positives to take from this year specifically Maiava's first start. The defense has taken a huge step up and has been a strength in certain moments, even with injuries in the secondary. The key to the Trojans' 2025 success will be if they can have a more effective pass rush without having to rush five or more. USC will also bring back some key defensive pieces in Eric Gentry, Anthony Lucas, and Kamari Ramsey. USC also has an impressive defensive recruiting class, and their players will have to impact the team early. On the offensive side of the ball, USC's offensive line improvement since Minnesota should be the biggest takeaway. USC's pass protection has massively improved since the loss to the Gophers. And USC's run blocking has been even better, as Woody Marks has averaged well over 100 yards per game rushing since Michigan. Marks has already surpassed 100 yards, the first Trojan to do so since Ronald Jones.
USC will return Pregnon, Noa, and Paige and look to add valuable transfer portal and freshman pieces to the line. As for the skill positions, which is never an area of issue at Southern Cal, USC will bring back Ja'Kobi Lane, Makai Lemon, Zach Branch, and Duce Robinson, barring any major transfer portal decisions. But what USC fans should look forward to the most is a new, exciting young QB who will start next year, even with the addition of five-star QB Husan Longstreet to the Trojans 2025 recruiting class. Overall, USC will be a massively improved team in 2025 if their defensive line can start creating consistent pressure.
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