Jayden Maiava wins first USC start as Trojans avoid 4th-quarter failure

Maiava – Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Lincoln Riley named Jayden Maiava the new starting quarterback for USC football not long after the Nov. 2 loss at Washington. Miller Moss threw three interceptions against Washington, which made it easy for Riley to switch quarterbacks. With three regular-season games left and a bowl game being an uncertain prospect, it became clear that Maiava needed the work, and that USC needed to see what Maiava could do.

This was a situation in which USC had to stop worrying about playing time and who would — or wouldn’t — transfer. It wasn’t worth worrying about redshirts and egos and who would be the leader of the team in 2025. USC simply needed to see Maiava play football in non-garbage time moments. Maiava needed to get the keys to Lincoln Riley’s offense, play a full game, and go through the process of learning which Miller Moss experienced in the first two months of the season. If USC football was going to get anything out of these final few weeks of the season, it needed to see Maiava compared to Moss. It needed to see how a player with a different skill set and comparatively less experience was able to handle the speed and stress of a gameday roller-coaster.

Game 1 for Maiava at USC — his first start, not his first appearance — was not a complete success, but it was certainly a clear step forward for the new QB1. The Trojans beat Nebraska, 28-20, and moved to 5-5 on the season. They will clinch bowl eligibility if they can beat UCLA next week. Let’s go into this game from Maiava and see what it means for the road ahead:

DUAL-THREAT

Maiava – Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

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’s too early to answer that question. However, Maiava can do things Moss…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/jayden-maiava-wins-first-usc-013747926.html

Author : Trojans Wire

Publish date : 2024-11-17 01:37:47

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