USC quarterback Jayden Maiava picked up Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honors after another sharp, efficient outing in the Trojans’ 39-0 win over Fresno State on Friday night at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
It’s the second Big Ten weekly award of Maiava’s Trojan career, and this one came on the heels of a performance that was as clean as it was explosive. He finished 23-of-25 for 349 yards and three touchdowns, with a long completion of 68 yards, as USC posted its first shutout since beating Utah State 48-0 in 2024. It was also the Trojans’ second shutout under head coach Lincoln Riley.
Maiava’s 92.0% completion rate stood out immediately, and for good reason: it’s the highest single-game completion percentage by a USC quarterback since at least 1995, using a minimum of 25 attempts. He had already set the bar last week against San José State, when he went 25-of-29 for an 86.2% completion rate. Against Fresno State, he came even closer to perfection, landing just three percentage points shy of USC’s single-game record for a passer with at least 15 completions - Matt Barkley’s 19-of-20 showing against Colorado in 2012.
The numbers only got stronger when the game is split into halves. Maiava was 17-of-18 for 284 yards and three touchdowns before halftime, then opened the second quarter by going a perfect 8-for-8 for 166 yards and two scores.
He also put together a run of 15 straight completions. The last USC quarterback to reach 15 or more consecutive completions in a game before Saturday was Caleb Williams, who had 17 in a 48-41 win at Colorado on Sept.
30, 2023. Maiava had a streak of 14 straight completions last week against San José State.
Through two games, he has completed 48 of 54 passes for 635 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions, with only six incompletions total. His 68-yard touchdown to Trent Mosley was his longest completion and touchdown pass since Sept. 6, 2025, against Georgia Southern, when he connected on a 74-yard score.
Maiava’s early-season production has pushed him near the top of several USC career and season lists. He ranks No. 2 among Trojan career leaders in yards per attempt at 8.9, behind Caleb Williams at 9.2 and ahead of Matt Leinart at 8.6 and Sam Darnold at 8.5. He is also 12th on USC’s career total offense list with 5,738 yards and 13th on the school’s single-season passing leaderboard with 265 completions in 2025.
On the national stat sheet, Maiava leads the country with 635 passing yards. He is No. 3 nationally and leads the Big Ten in passing touchdowns with five and points responsible for with 36, and he is No. 5 nationally and tops the Big Ten in completion percentage at .889.
USC’s start as a team has been just as lopsided. Through two games, the Trojans have outscored opponents 58-0 in the first half, including a 44-0 edge in the second quarter.
They’ve outgained opponents 1,057-452, are averaging 528.5 yards per game while allowing 226.0, and have thrown for 753 yards on 59-of-67 passing. USC has also owned the first-down battle 56-28, converted 14 of 21 third downs, and limited opponents to 7 of 21.
The Trojans are averaging 38:03 of possession time per game, more than 16 minutes better than their opponents’ 21:56 mark. In the red zone, USC has scored touchdowns on 10 of 13 trips and has not attempted a field goal.
The Trojans lead the nation in first downs offense with 56 and completion percentage at .881, while also leading the Big Ten in third-down conversion rate at .667 and fewest penalties with five.
USC closes out nonconference play and its three-game homestand against Louisiana on Saturday, Sept. 12.
Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. PT, and the game will air live on Big Ten Network.
In Other News...
Maiava Just Gave USC Fans A Real Heisman Conversation
Week 1 gave USC exactly the kind of early jolt it needed, and Jayden Maiava was right in the middle of it. Among a slate of eye-catching opening performances around college football, his showing for the Trojans stood out enough to push his name into a much bigger conversation than just a strong start for one quarterback.
For USC fans, that matters because the Heisman race can feel like it starts before most seasons really settle in, and Maiava has at least put himself on the board. There is a long way to go, of course, and plenty of other early stars to compare him against, but after opening weekend he is no longer just part of the backdrop of the national conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Jayden Maiava Is Raising USCs Ceiling Faster Than Anyone Expected
Jayden Maiava has barely had time to settle into USCs offense, and already he looks like the kind of quarterback who can change the math around the Trojans season. Through the first two games, he has been sharp and decisive, and his performance against Fresno State was especially eye-opening, with 23 completions on 25 attempts for 349 yards and three touchdowns. Lincoln Riley has noticed, too, praising Maiavas understanding of the offense and the arm talent that makes the whole system look like it has another gear.
For USC, the encouraging part is not just the production, but how quickly it has arrived. FanDuel Sportsbook now lists Maiava with the 10th-best Heisman Trophy odds, a reflection of how fast his name has moved into the national conversation. The Trojans still have a long season ahead, but if this is the baseline, the bigger question is no longer whether Maiava can manage the job. It is how high he might push USC if this level keeps up. [Read more 🡒]
Lincoln Riley Enters A Season That Could Change Everything At USC
Lincoln Riley is heading into a season at USC with the kind of pressure that comes with expectations, especially after the move into the Big Ten raised the stakes around every game. Analyst Paul Finebaum recently pointed to Riley as one of the coaches who could do a lot for his standing this fall, and much of that hinges on the same formula that has long defined his best teams: a quarterback who can tilt games and an offense that keeps USC in the conversation.
Jayden Maiava has become part of that discussion after arriving from UNLV and showing well enough to give the Trojans real hope at the most important position. Even so, USCs path is about more than offense. The Big Ten has no shortage of physical tests, and Rileys team will need its defense to hold up if this season is going to look less like another reset and more like the one that changes the tenor of his tenure. [Read more 🡒]