USC opened the 2026 season the way a team is supposed to handle a smaller opponent: with its starters looking sharp, its offensive line bullying people, and enough early signs to make you think the Trojans have something real to work with. Then the backups came in, and San Jose State made them pay.
The Trojans beat the Spartans 42-26, and the box score tells the story in full. USC led 7-0 after one quarter, stretched it to 28-0 by halftime, and still had enough cushion to survive a second-half dip that exposed how much work still has to be done beyond the first unit. San Jose State put up 23 points in the fourth quarter against USC reserves, a reminder that depth is not built in a day.
For USC, the opening half offered the kind of evidence coaches want to see in Week 1. The offensive line controlled the line of scrimmage, and the ground game followed suit.
The defensive front also showed life, getting after the quarterback and holding up against the run. It was a better-looking unit than the one USC rolled out in 2025, though that is not saying much, and the bar for real success remains much higher.
Jayden Maiava’s afternoon had its rough spots, especially early. His throws were mostly off target, drifting high or wide, and he looked a little out of sync before settling in. But he also delivered one clean strike to Kayden Dixon-Wyatt during USC’s second-quarter surge, a sign that the passing game can still show up even if the timing isn’t perfect right away.
The running game set the tone from the start. USC converted a fourth-and-1 in the first quarter, kept pounding the ball, and never really had to force much through the air. On a hot day in Los Angeles, that was exactly the kind of script the Trojans wanted.
The defense had its own early moments. USC stuffed San Jose State on a fourth-and-1 run inside its own 10, with Jide Abasiri recording the tackle for loss in the backfield. The secondary gave up some easy completions, but the front seven looked sturdy enough to keep the Spartans from finding any rhythm.
Freshman defensive lineman Luke Wafle also flashed right away. He was repeatedly in the quarterback’s face, and he looked every bit like a player who belongs on the field.
There was also a brief scare when Maiava couldn’t find anyone open in the end zone and was stopped at the 1 on a scramble on fourth down. It had the feel of early-season rust more than anything else, but it was still one of those plays USC will want cleaned up before the schedule gets tougher.
By the time the first half ended, the Trojans had shown enough to be encouraged and enough to know the real evaluation is still ahead. The starters were solid, even with some important pieces missing on both sides of the ball. The backups, though, did not hold up nearly as well once the game opened up.
That leaves Lincoln Riley and his staff with plenty to coach between now and next Friday, September 4, when USC takes on Fresno State. That game should reveal a lot more about what this team actually is. For now, the opener was a mixed bag: a comfortable win, a strong start from the first group, and a loud warning about the depth behind them.
In Other News...
USC Just Got Another Reminder It No Longer Looks Like An Elite Program
USCs place in the national conversation has become a little easier to measure by who is missing from the preseason spotlight. The Trojans did not place a single player on the USA TODAY Sports preseason All-America college football team, a list that leaned heavily toward the sports familiar heavyweights from Oregon, Ohio State, Indiana, Georgia and Texas. For a program that still carries a blueblood name, it is another sign that the market no longer treats USC like one of the sports defining powers.
The bigger concern is how often this sort of reminder keeps arriving for a team that has not reached the College Football Playoff in 12 seasons and now heads into a pivotal 2026 campaign under Lincoln Riley. USC is still being measured against the standard set by programs such as Ohio State and Oregon, but the preseason rankings suggest it has work to do before it can claim that tier again. For a fan base used to thinking in championships, the gap between reputation and reality is becoming harder to ignore. [Read more 🡒]
USC May Have Found A New Weapon Sooner Than Expected
USCs 42-26 win over San Jos State offered an early glimpse of a player who may have arrived sooner than expected. True freshman Trent Mosley caught seven passes for 118 yards in his college debut, becoming the first USC freshman since 2014 to clear 100 receiving yards in a first game and giving the Trojans another dynamic option to watch as the season unfolds.
The performance came on a day when USC was also sorting out its leadership structure, naming Tobias Raymond, Kilian OConnor, Alex VanSumeren and Jayden Maiava as permanent captains for the season. OConnor is currently sidelined by injury but remains part of that leadership group, while the program also unveiled the Progressive Insurance logo on the field as part of a multiyear sponsorship agreement, another sign of how much is changing around the team even as Mosleys emergence grabs the attention. [Read more 🡒]
USC Freshman TE Is Drawing A Comparison Trojans Fans Will Notice
Mark Bowman has barely gotten his USC career underway, but the freshman tight end is already generating the kind of buzz that tends to follow special talent. After a quiet debut in which he had limited production, Bowman still left enough of an impression for college football analyst David Pollack to point to his potential, which is exactly the sort of early conversation Trojans fans like to hear about a young pass-catcher in their system.
The comparison gaining traction is one USC supporters will recognize quickly: Brock Bowers. The former Georgia star piled up a rare college rsum, winning two national championships and the Mackey Award twice before heading to the Las Vegas Raiders, and an SEC coach reportedly sees some of that same upside in Bowman. For a freshman just beginning to carve out his role, being mentioned in the same breath as Bowers says plenty about the ceiling USC thinks it may be working with. [Read more 🡒]