USC heads into Saturday night’s matchup with Louisiana carrying more than just an 11-game home winning streak. There’s also a little ticket-market intrigue around the No. 14 Trojans’ final non-conference game, with prices for the Sept. 12 showdown at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum starting at $24 on VividSeats and climbing to $106.
The Trojans are 30.5-point favorites over the Ragin Cajuns, according to DraftKings Sportsbook, and this will be the first-ever meeting between the programs. USC is trying to get to 3-0 for the second straight season, and the crowd figure will be worth watching after the Trojans already pulled in a larger home turnout for their Week 1 game against Fresno State, though not by a huge margin compared with the season opener on Aug. 29.
The late kickoff adds another wrinkle. Whether that means more USC fans make the trip to the Coliseum for a Saturday night non-conference game is still an open question.
On the field, the Trojans are coming off a statement 39-0 win over Fresno State, a game that showed off both sides of the ball. In just his second game as defensive coordinator, Gary Patterson’s group turned in one of USC’s best defensive outings in five seasons under Lincoln Riley.
Fresno State quarterback Jayden Mandal never got comfortable, as the Trojans hounded him all night and forced two safeties and two turnovers. It was USC’s first shutout since Sept. 7, 2024, when it beat Utah State 48-0 at the Coliseum.
Jayden Maiava kept the offense humming. The USC quarterback put up 349 yards and three touchdowns while completing 23 of 25 passes, the kind of line that gets attention fast. Through two games, Maiava is completing 88.9% of his throws.
If he keeps stacking performances like that against the kind of opponents USC has ahead - including No. 6 Oregon on Sept.
26, No. 19 Washington on Oct.
3, Penn State on Oct. 10, No.
1 Ohio State on Oct. 31, and No. 5 Indiana on Nov. 14 - he’ll have a strong case to become the ninth Trojan to win the Heisman Trophy.
USC also got a boost from its young receivers. Freshmen Trent Mosley and Kayden Dixon-Wyatt both topped 100 receiving yards against Fresno State, and Mosley has been the one drawing the most attention early in his career. With Makai Lemon and Ja’Kobi Lane now gone to the NFL, Mosley and Dixon-Wyatt have a chance to grow into USC’s next featured wideout pairing.
Saturday’s game is set for 8 p.m. PT at the Coliseum and will air on the 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 🡒]