Los Angeles, CA — Jayden Maiava made a remarkable debut as the starting quarterback for Southern California, throwing for 259 yards and three touchdowns while adding another touchdown on the ground, leading the Trojans to a 28-20 victory over struggling Nebraska on Saturday.
Woody Marks was a key contributor for USC (5-5, 3-5 Big Ten), rushing for 146 yards. Maiava’s performance culminated in a 2-yard touchdown run with just 2:45 remaining in the game. The UNLV transfer stepped in for Miller Moss, as the Trojans look to secure bowl eligibility in a challenging season under coach Lincoln Riley.
“It was a lot of fun, for sure,” Maiava remarked after completing 25 of 35 passes despite two turnovers. “It’s definitely a big difference from sitting on the sideline to playing between the white lines.”
The Trojans’ offense saw touchdowns from Zachariah Branch, Kyron Hudson, and Duce Robinson, marking only their second victory in the last six games. USC has historically performed well against Nebraska, now holding a record of 5-0-1 against them.
In a dramatic finish, Nebraska advanced to the USC 14-yard line with only five seconds left. However, after a false start penalty, Greedy Vance intercepted Raiola’s pass in the end zone, sealing the win for USC.
“We made some mistakes where we had opportunities to separate, but I was super proud right at the very end,” Riley said. “The last drive offensively, and then closing the door defensively at the end was tremendous.”
Dylan Raiola threw for 191 yards and connected with Emmett Johnson for a 29-yard touchdown in the first half, but Nebraska (5-5, 2-5) faced its fourth consecutive loss. Under second-year coach Matt Rhule, the Huskers have now experienced eight straight defeats when in contention for bowl eligibility, with seven of those losses by a single score.
“There were a lot of things we did well,” Rhule commented. “You take away maybe one play here or one play there, but that’s football. This isn’t the old Big Ten West; you come out to USC, they have great players. You need to make a lot of plays.”
Ceyair Wright, a former USC player, made his mark for Nebraska by returning an early interception 45 yards for a touchdown and blocking a field goal attempt in the fourth quarter. However, the Huskers managed only one touchdown under new offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen, finishing with just 254 yards before their last-ditch effort.
Maiava’s start was rocky, beginning the game with just two completions in his first seven attempts, including a costly pick-six thrown to Wright. “That’s just me being me,” Maiava reflected on his early mistake. “Obviously, it’s rough, but I’m glad that it happened to me so it can happen for the future.”
The quarterback quickly bounced back, completing his next nine passes, including a 6-yard touchdown to Branch on USC’s third drive and a 12-yard score to Hudson shortly thereafter. He also found Robinson for a 48-yard touchdown in the third quarter but later lost a fumble, allowing Nebraska to kick a second field goal.
Wright’s block of a 27-yard field goal attempt by USC in the fourth quarter kept Nebraska within reach. However, they failed to capitalize, and Marks’ fourth-down pitch from Maiava led to a critical 43-yard gain, capped by Maiava’s rushing touchdown.
This game marked the debut of Holgorsen as Nebraska’s offensive coordinator. The former head coach at West Virginia and Houston was brought in during the bye week to invigorate an offense that ranked 97th in the FBS for total yards. Holgorsen and Riley previously worked together on Mike Leach’s staff at Texas Tech.
Takeaways Of The Game:
Nebraska: Despite Holgorsen’s guidance, the Huskers struggled to exceed 325 yards of offense for the fifth straight game. Raiola’s performance left much to be desired. While Nebraska lacks the offensive firepower to be a serious contender, a victory against either Wisconsin or Iowa could secure their first bowl eligibility since 2016.
USC: Maiava’s performance added much-needed elusiveness and unpredictability to the Trojans’ spread offense, reminiscent of Caleb Williams’ impactful tenure. However, USC must secure a win against either UCLA or Notre Dame to avoid a disappointing losing season.
Next Up:
Nebraska: The Cornhuskers will host Wisconsin next Saturday.
