Jayden Maiava didn’t spend much time basking in the glow of a five-touchdown night.
After No. 12 USC’s 49-30 win over Louisiana on Sept. 12, the senior quarterback had plenty to talk about: his health, the film he’s studying, the way he’s preparing for Rutgers, and the growth he’s chasing in his third and final season in Southern Cal.
There was some speculation after the Louisiana game that Maiava was wincing because of a shoulder issue. He pushed that aside on Sept. 15, making it clear he’s fine.
“Its a physical game, its what happens," Maiava said. "Gotta get up and play the next play ... Yeah, I’m great.”
The numbers from Week 2 backed up the performance: 19-of-29 passing for 261 yards, five touchdowns, one interception, and an 88.9 quarterback-rating. That pick was his first of the season, and Maiava said he knows exactly what he wants back from that throw.
“I want to say the whole thing,” Maiava said about what he’s been looking at in Week 2 film. “Kind of like, what did I do well but how can I do better of that well.
Turning the ball over obviously, want that play back. I think just the good, bad and ugly.”
“Gotta see it clearly. Gotta confirm it,” Maiava said about the turnover.
One of the biggest bright spots in that game was true freshman tight end Mark Bowman, who turned in six catches for 83 yards and two touchdowns after entering the season with some limitations because of an undisclosed injury. Maiava said the breakout wasn’t exactly a surprise.
“Kind of expected. He’s been practicing his butt off.
He’s been putting a lot of work in behind the scenes. Everybody’s getting to see it now.”
As USC turns the page to its first road and conference game of the season against Rutgers, Maiava said the focus has been on preparation: studying defensive looks, getting more film work in, and building timing with the players around him.
“Lock in on the [defensive] looks," Maiava said. "You know, watch a lot of film, practice reps, build that chemistry with the guys up front, really all of the offense.”
He also said he believes the offense is in a good place.
“I believe so,” Maiava said when asked if he believes the Trojans’ offense is in a good place.
That same approach will carry into the trip to New Jersey, where Rutgers’ defense has produced one sack, three pass deflections, two interceptions and a forced fumble through two games.
“Really good front. Great [defensive backs] in the back end," Maiava said.
"Really good scheme. Great opportunity for us to go out there and compete.”
When asked how he gets ready for a long flight, his answer was short and classic.
“Sleep,” Maiava said about his favorite thing to do on a flight.
He expanded on that a little more when talking about what keeps him grounded away from the field.
“Sleeping. Tap in with the people I love," Maiava said. "Keeping everybody connected and really building chemistry with the guys.”
Maiava also pointed to the recovery tools available at USC’s Bloom Football Performance Center.
“There’s a lot of stuff. They got the float beds, red light therapy,” Maiava said about the recovery equipment in the Bloom Football Performance Center.”
And while this is his third year at Southern Cal, Maiava described his development less as a dramatic leap and more as a steady grind built on repetition and discipline.
“[Not] really a third step," he said. "Just the same thing, no turnovers, mechanics, footwork, pocket presence, all the good stuff ...
It just comes with reps, practice. I wouldn’t say easier, but you definitely want to fall in love with the basics.”
After USC moved to 3-0 in non-conference games, Maiava’s message to the team was simple.
“Yeah, continue to stay in the moment. You know, raise the standard, continue to bring it every single day,” Maiava said.
In Other News...
USC Walks Into A Road Game That Could Get Awkward Fast
Rutgers is already in an uncomfortable spot before USC ever takes the field in this one. The Scarlet Knights have opened the season with back-to-back heavy losses, including a home defeat to UMass and another setback against Boston College, and the tone around the program has turned quickly as questions start to follow Greg Schiano into the week.
USC, meanwhile, walks into a road game where the opponents mood may be as much a factor as the matchup itself. The Trojans are getting Rutgers at a time when the Scarlet Knights are trying to steady a season that has already gone sideways, and if the noise around Schiano keeps building, this could become one of those trips where the football and the larger tension around the program are impossible to separate. [Read more 🡒]
USC Heads To Rutgers With A New Receiver Concern
USCs trip to Rutgers picked up a little more uncertainty when true freshman wide receiver Trent Mosley landed on the injury list and was ruled out for the game because of a knee ailment. Mosley has been part of the group the Trojans have leaned on for depth, and his absence comes at a point where the offense is trying to keep its receiver rotation steady heading into another road test.
Lincoln Riley said the timeline is still unclear, though the expectation is that it should not turn into a long-term issue. In the meantime, USC is looking at other options to absorb the snaps and production, with Zacharyus Williams and Terrell Anderson among the receivers who could be asked to take on more of the load. [Read more 🡒]
Lincoln Riley Loved USCs Firepower But Saw One Problem That Matters
USCs 49-30 win over Louisiana at the Coliseum kept the Trojans unbeaten at 3-0, and it also gave Lincoln Riley a fairly broad picture of what this team can already do well. He pointed to defensive stops, the running game, freshman contributions and even the way tight end Mark Bowman has started to matter, all while noting the kind of depth that can help a long season hold together.
The part Riley could not ignore, though, was the self-inflicted stuff. Penalties kept showing up in a game the Trojans controlled offensively, and those kinds of miscues tend to matter more once the schedule tightens and the margin for error shrinks. USC has firepower, but Riley left little doubt that the next step is turning that talent into a cleaner operation. [Read more 🡒]