USC left Week 2 with a win, but the performance still had some rough edges. The Trojans’ young offense kept doing the heavy lifting, while the defense remained strongest in one area and shakier in another.
Jayden Maiava did not have one of his cleanest passing days on Saturday. An injury affected his throwing, and he wasn’t nearly as efficient as he had been in the first two games.
Even so, he still finished with 5 touchdowns and 200+ yards. That kind of day says plenty about him.
Maiava trusts the people around him, and they delivered. The receivers made plays, the run game showed up, and he kept the offense moving.
That’s the kind of evidence that shows a quarterback can lead a team even when things aren’t perfect.
The biggest reason USC’s offense keeps looking explosive is the freshman group. Week after week, it’s becoming obvious that the Trojans’ top targets are the younger guys.
Kayden Dixon-Wyatt, Trent Mosley, and Mark Bowman keep taking on bigger roles and looking more comfortable. At this point, when USC gets into the biggest Big Ten matchups, Maiava is going to be leaning on those freshmen more than Tanook Hines and Terrell Anderson.
Bowman, in particular, had the first major game of his college career. He matched the production of Mosley and Kayden-Dixon-Wyatt and showed why Lincoln Riley has another dangerous tight end in the mix.
Defenses now have to account for three freshmen who can hurt them in different ways, and Bowman’s showing as a pass catcher hinted at just how high his ceiling can go. USC looks like it has another long-term piece there.
On defense, the run stopping has been the clear strength. Through the first three weeks, opposing offenses have had a hard time getting anything going on the ground against USC.
That could matter a lot later, especially against the best teams in the Big Ten. If the Trojans can take away the run against Oregon and Ohio State, that could give them a real chance to steal an upset down the road.
The secondary, though, did not follow that same upward path. Week 1 was a strong showing, but the overall start from the back end has not been impressive.
USC needs more consistency there, especially late in games when it has given up too much. The early opponents haven’t been good enough to fully expose that weakness, but Oregon and Washington will be able to.
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 🡒]
USC Fans Got The Jayden Maiava Shoulder Answer They Needed
Jayden Maiava gave USC plenty to feel good about in its win over Louisiana, piling up a career-high five touchdowns while also putting an end to the shoulder chatter that had lingered around him. The senior quarterback said he is healthy, and the way he played looked every bit like a passer operating without restriction, with freshman tight end Mark Bowman emerging as a major part of the offense with six catches and two scores.
For a Trojans team trying to build momentum, the timing mattered as much as the numbers. Maiava also spoke about getting ready for Rutgers and reflected on how far he has come over three seasons at Southern Cal, which adds another layer to a performance that was already important for the scoreboard and the injury conversation alike. [Read more 🡒]