Lincoln Riley named Jayden Maiava USC’s new starting quarterback football shortly after the November 2 defeat in Washington. Miller Moss threw three interceptions against Washington, making it easy for Riley to switch quarterbacks. With three regular season games remaining and a bowl game being an uncertain prospect, it became clear that Maiava needed work and that USC needed to see what Maiava could do.
This was a situation where USC needed to stop worrying about playing time and who would – or would not – transfer. It wasn’t worth worrying about redshirts and egos and who would be the team’s leader in 2025. USC just needed to see Maiava play football in trash-free moments. Maiava needed to get the keys to Lincoln Riley’s offense, play a full game and go through the learning process that Miller Moss went through over the first two months of the season. If USC football wanted to get anything out of these final weeks of the season, it needed to see Maiava versus Moss. It was necessary to see how a player with different skills and comparatively less experience was able to handle the speed and stress of the roller coaster of a match.
Maiava’s first game at USC — his first start, not his first appearance — wasn’t a complete success, but it was certainly a clear step forward for the new QB1. THE Trojan horses defeated Nebraska, 28-20, and improved to 5-5 on the season. They will earn their bowl eligibility if they can beat UCLA next week. Let’s get into this game of Maiava and see what it means for the road ahead:
DOUBLE THREAT
It’s not even about which quarterback is better. We don’t know if Jayden Maiava is or will be a better quarterback than Miller Moss. It is too early to answer this question. However, Maiava can do things that Moss cannot. This isn’t even a criticism of Moss, just a basic reality. Maiava is a dual-threat quarterback, Moss is not. Maiava can run, Moss not as much. It makes a difference, and we saw it against Nebraska.
OPTION GAMES
On fourth down and in the red zone, Maiava made plays as a runner or thrower that kept the Nebraska defense off balance. This is the extra dimension that Maiava brings to the table. It was important. USC was able to finish a game and make an extra play or two that it hadn’t made in previous weeks.
LINCOLN RILEY GAMEBOOK
Riley wanted Maiava to take throws deep down the field in the first quarter, wanting to give his quarterback a chance to show off his arm. Those shots fell short, however, and it became clear that USC was better served with shorter passing plays, which took away Nebraska’s pass rush and set up the run. Some screen passes had the NU defensive line on its heels, and USC then began to open the game for Maiava. Establishing momentum in the gut then allowed Maiava to retain the ball and run outside. Riley gained a clear comfort zone with his play selection in the second half. USC began to find openings in Nebraska’s defense.
GAME ONE
It’s only Game 1. If you think Riley didn’t do enough to help Maiava in this game, you’re not necessarily wrong, but you’re looking at a small sample size. Against UCLA and then Notre Dame, we should see even more of Maiava’s playbook adjusted. Riley should be able to add some wrinkles and variations that will give Maiava even more to work with. No one should have expected perfection. It was a process of overcoming limitations and uncertainties. The playbook should expand next week.
ERRORS
Maiava was to be expected to make mistakes, and there were plenty of them. The big question was whether Maiava would ignore these mistakes or bear the burden of them. He passed the test. This is a very encouraging sign.
OFFENSIVE LINE WITH ANOTHER MIXED BAG
It felt like every other USC Big Ten game this season, with Rutgers being the exception. There was a lot of good and a lot of bad. Overall, the USC line played about 2.5 good quarters. Nebraska dominated USC in the first quarter and parts of the second half. USC’s offensive line wasn’t clearly superior all game, maybe 40 minutes at best. Maiava’s interceptions came when Nebraska was able to give away the pocket with its pass rush.
The beauty of Maiava, however, is that his running ability takes some pressure off the offensive line so they can play well. The O-line’s increased margin for error is a big reason why Maiava improves USC’s offense and gives the Trojans a slightly better chance to win than Miller Moss. The overall product wasn’t spectacular — 28 points — but USC was better in critical moments. This does not appear to be an accident or idle coincidence.
UCLA
Maiava now has a chance at UCLA. It’s a special game for all the obvious reasons. In purely footballing terms, it’s a test to see how Maiava processes a full game’s worth of film and returns the following week. Today was not the full measure of Maiava’s quality. This was the start of this several-week hearing and evaluation. If he blows down UCLA’s doors, we might feel like Maiava is — and should be — USC’s guy in 2025.
This article was originally published on Trojans Wire: Jayden Maiava wins first USC start as Trojans avoid 4th quarter setback
