USC’s offensive line is getting recognized for doing exactly what a good line is supposed to do: keep the quarterback clean, open lanes in the run game and make the whole offense hum.
The Trojans were named to the 2026 Joe Moore Award Midseason Honor Roll on Oct. 14, a nod that goes to the most outstanding offensive line in college football. And USC has earned its spot by powering one of the nation’s most productive offenses.
Through this stretch, Lincoln Riley’s group has helped USC pile up 310.1 passing yards per game, good for No. 10 in the country, while also averaging 152.3 yards on the ground. The Trojans are scoring 36.4 points per game and lead the nation in first downs offense with 177.
The protection up front has been a big reason Jayden Maiava has been able to produce the way he has. The USC quarterback is 152-for-224 (.679) for 2,045 yards and 18 touchdowns.
He ranks No. 2 nationally and leads the Big Ten in passing touchdowns, passing yards and points responsible for with 122. Maiava is also No. 7 in the nation and No. 2 in the Big Ten in passing yards per game at 292.1.
That production hasn’t come at the expense of pass protection. USC’s offensive line has allowed fewer than one sack per game, with just six total this season.
It hasn’t just been about keeping Maiava upright, either. The run blocking has helped six different Trojans reach the end zone for a combined 12 rushing touchdowns.
The depth of the unit has been tested, too, and USC has kept rolling through the changes. Center Kilian O'Connor went down with a season-ending injury before the first game, and Tobias Raymond stepped in as the new starter. Raymond has started at every position on the offensive line in his collegiate career except right guard.
Then came another curveball against Penn State. When Elijah Paige was ruled out during pregame warmups, freshman Vlad Dyakonov was thrust into the left tackle spot.
USC didn’t blink. Dyakonov fit in smoothly, and Maiava responded with one of the best games of his career in the Nittany Lions’ electric White Out atmosphere, going 21-of-33 (.636) for 301 yards and three touchdowns in a 31-23 win.
The line set the tone that night and kept its poise while helping USC stack up 430 yards of offense and 25 first downs. The Trojans averaged 6.8 yards per play, rushed for 129 yards, and King Miller went over 100 yards on the ground. Maiava was sacked just once on 33 pass attempts.
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USC QB Publicly Stands Up For Lincoln Riley As Pressure Builds
As USC tries to steady itself after a rough stretch, Jayden Maiava has made it clear he is not buying into the noise around Lincoln Riley. The quarterback spoke up publicly on a podcast, backing his coach at a time when the criticism has only intensified and the Trojans are looking for some sense of footing. It was the kind of remark that tends to travel fast inside a program, especially when pressure is already hanging over the staff and the results have not matched the expectations.
Maiava said the outside criticism can serve as motivation for the group, a stance that fits the broader mood around a team trying to push through scrutiny rather than retreat from it. Riley, for his part, recently praised Maiavas poise and confidence in the Penn State game, a sign that the quarterbacks voice and presence carry real weight in the locker room. Whether that support is enough to quiet the bigger questions around the program is another matter, but it is clear the conversation around USC is not going away anytime soon. [Read more 🡒]
Lincoln Riley Sees One USC Issue That Still Needs Fixing
USC came away from its 31-23 win over Penn State with plenty to like, but Lincoln Riley is still treating the running game as a work in progress as the Trojans head toward their next road test at Wisconsin. There were useful stretches on the ground, yet Riley made it clear the offense has room to grow there, even with the confidence the players around that unit have shown in the backs and the offensive line.
The timing could work in USCs favor, with the bye week offering a chance to get healthier and sharpen the parts of the offense that have not yet settled in. For a team trying to build on a big win and carry it into conference play, the ground attack remains one of the cleaner areas to keep watching, especially once the Trojans get back to game speed in Madison. [Read more 🡒]
Lincoln Riley Outsmarted Penn State When USC Needed It Most
With USC clinging to its lead late against Penn State, Lincoln Riley turned to a formation that did more than just keep the offense on the field. The unusual look created enough confusion to force Matt Campbell to burn a timeout on fourth down, a small detail in the moment that carried real weight in a game where every possession felt strained and every decision mattered.
The sequence only got better for USC a short time later when Christian Pierce forced a fumble and the Trojans recovered it, setting up the closing stretch they needed to drain the clock in a 31-23 win. Riley's call was the kind of late-game chess move that can tilt a tight matchup, and on this night it helped USC finish the job when Penn State needed one clean stop and could not get it. [Read more 🡒]