Tag: Southern California

Sep 13, 2025; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; USC Trojans defensive tackle Jamaal Jarrett (0) runs the ball in for a touchdown after intercepting it during the second half against the Purdue Boilermakers at Ross-Ade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

After extended delay, USC opens Big Ten play with win at Purdue

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Jayden Maiava threw for 282 yards and rushed for a touchdown while defensive tackle Jamaal Jarrett returned an interception for a score as Southern California opened Big Ten play with a 33-17 win over Purdue Saturday night in West Lafayette, Ind.

Maiava completed 17 of 28 passes as the Trojans (3-0, 1-0) rolled up 460 total yards and kept the ball for 34:07. Ja’Kobi Lane caught three passes for 115 yards, while Waymond Jordan and Eli Sanders added 77 and 75 rushing yards, respectively.

Ryan Browne hit 24 of 39 passes for 305 yards and a touchdown for the Boilermakers (2-1, 0-1), but also tossed three interceptions. One of those was a tipped pass that the 6-foot-5, 360-pound Jarrett gathered in at the USC 30 and lugged 70 yards for a touchdown and a 30-10 advantage with 2:15 left in the third quarter.

Browne found Nitro Tuggle for a 9-yard score 43 seconds into the fourth quarter, and had the Boilermakers on the verge of another touchdown when he was picked by Bishop Fitzgerald at the 2 with 5:37 left. The Trojans converted that into Ryon Sayeri’s fourth field goal, a 19-yarder with 1:10 remaining.

The pregame storyline was a thunderstorm that swept over Ross-Ade Stadium and delayed the opening kickoff for over three hours. But once things got going, USC was able to keep Purdue at arm’s length by scoring on its first three drives.

Sayeri converted the first of his field goals, a 24-yarder, at the 7:39 mark of the first quarter. Maiava scored on a 3-yard run on the first play of the second quarter, capping an 80-yard drive.

After Spencer Porath got Purdue on the board with a 39-yard field goal with 10:49 left in the half, the Trojans marched 75 yards and chewed up over seven minutes of clock. Jordan got the touchdown on a 6-yard run and USC took a 17-3 lead into halftime.

The Trojans outgained the Boilermakers 263-134 in the first half, enabling them to overcome six penalties for 70 yards.

Tuggle (69), EJ Horton (70) and Michael Jackson III (70) combined for 209 receiving yards on 16 catches.

–Field Level Media

Sep 6, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava (14) throws a pass during the first half against the Georgia Southern Eagles at United Airlines Field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Purdue preparing for prolific Southern California offense

Posted on | by Field Level Media

As Southern California and Purdue prepare to open Big Ten play on Saturday in West Lafayette, Ind., Boilermakers coach Barry Odom already knows exactly what Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava can do.

“Jayden was our quarterback my first year at UNLV (in 2023) and led us to nine wins. Just a wonderful young man, great family, and was a lot of fun to coach,” Odom said.

Maiava passed for 3,085 yards and 17 touchdowns as a freshman that year for the Rebels. He transferred to Southern California before the 2024 season, initially backing up Miller Moss before captaining the Trojans in the final month of the campaign.

Through two starts in 2025, Maiava is 31-of-42 passing for 707 yards, six touchdowns and no interceptions and has rushed for a touchdown to lead USC (2-0) to blowout wins over Missouri State and Georgia Southern.

“Looks like he’s continued to develop his game, both throwing (and) reading defenses,” Odom added.

Purdue (2-0) looks to contain Maiava and the Trojans’ prolific offense in the first conference meeting between the programs. Saturday marks the first meeting in any capacity since 1998, and the first at Ross-Ade Stadium since 1976.

With blowouts of Ball State and Southern Illinois to open the season, Purdue is 2-0 for the first time since 2021. No Boilermakers team has started 3-0 since the 2007 squad opened at 5-0.

Purdue successfully deployed a balanced offensive attack in the initial two games of Odom’s tenure, with Ryan Browne completing 32 of 49 passes for 481 yards and four touchdowns and Devin Mockobee rushing for 185 yards and three scores.

“They’ve done a really good job,” Trojans coach Lincoln Riley said of Purdue’s new coaching staff. “They had to overhaul a ton of players, but give them credit: They’ve won two games and done some really good things with new (players) and new coaches.”

The Boilermakers’ most pressing concern is their defensive game plan against Maiava and a USC offense that scored 132 combined points the first two weeks.

Makai Lemon is off to a torrid start for the Trojans with 11 receptions for 248 yards and two TDs. Four Trojans have rushed for at least two TDs through two games, including Waymond Jordan, who is averaging 10.0 yards per carry.

–Field Level Media

Aug 30, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava (14) throws the ball against the Missouri State Bears in the first half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

USC hosts ex-Trojans coach Clay Helton, Georgia Southern

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Clay Helton’s nearly six-year tenure at the helm of Southern California ended almost four years to the day of him bringing Georgia Southern into Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum for Saturday’s matchup.

Helton, who took over at USC in October 2015 as interim coach following Steve Sarkisian’s firing, went 46-24 with a 2017 Rose Bowl championship and the Trojans’ only conference title since 2008.

While he finished with a losing record just once, going 5-7 in 2018, USC repeatedly falling short of expectations resulted in his ouster following a Sept. 11, 2021, loss at home to Stanford. That marked the last time Helton was on the sidelines in Los Angeles.

Georgia Southern (0-1), meanwhile, is playing its second game in California in as many weeks. The Eagles opened the season last Saturday with a 42-14 loss at Fresno State, during which it surrendered 29 unanswered points in the second half.

Despite the loss, Helton heaped praise on quarterback JC French IV, who finished 17-of-28 passing for 158 yards with a pair of first-half touchdowns.

“He played a really mature game,” said Helton, who is in his fourth season with Georgia Southern. “Overall, for his first game out, I saw a poise about him that was a lot different than game one of last year, which gave me hope and gave hope to our entire offense.”

USC (1-0) came away from its Week 1 with more than just hope: The Trojans eclipsed 70 points for the first time in 20 years, destroying fledgling FBS member Missouri State 73-13.

Jayden Maiava went 15 of 18 for 295 yards with two touchdowns and rushed for a score in just over two quarters of playing time. The quarterback was one of five Trojans to who accounted for six rushing touchdowns.

Maiava’s backup, Husan Longstreet, rushed for two scores while playing most of second half.

USC coach Lincoln Riley, introduced as Helton’s full-time successor in November 2021, said the opportunity to play numerous Trojans in Week 1 was energizing for the team moving forward.

While speaking following Tuesday’s practice, Riley also spoke fondly of his limited interactions with Helton. Riley said the two participated in a charity golf event together and “had a chance to sit down and have some really cool conversations.”

“Those have been conversations I’ve appreciated, talking ball,” Riley said. “He’s been great. He’s incredibly complimentary of (USC). … The kind of human being he is, it’s pretty special.”

–Field Level Media

Aug 30, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans running back Eli Sanders (1) is pursued by Missouri State Bears safety J.J. O'Neal (16) and safety Maguire Neal (0) on a 73-yard touchdown reception in the first half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

USC rings up 73 points to spoil Missouri State’s FBS debut

Posted on | by Field Level Media

After giving up the game’s first points on a field goal, Southern California rolled off 28 unanswered points in a little more than 10 minutes to run away from visiting Missouri State, 73-13, Saturday in Los Angeles.

The Trojans (1-0) spoiled the Football Bowl Subdivision debut of the Bears, newcomers to Conference USA, with an onslaught that began midway through the first quarter. Waymond Jordan was the first of five USC ball-carriers to rush for a touchdown on the day, his 5-yard run capping a seven-play, 75-yard drive.

USC then added a Bryan Jackson touchdown run of three yards just before the end of the first quarter, and quarterback Jayden Maivia found tight end Lake McCree on a short route that McCree turned into a 64-yard touchdown just minutes later.

A Bishop Fitzgerald 39-yard pick-six of Missouri State quarterback Jacob Clark just three snaps later pushed the score to 28-3 in a dizzying spell that left the Bears waylaid.

Missouri State (0-1) managed its first FBS touchdown when Clark hit a wide-open Tristian Gardner for a 33-yard score, but the Bears had no hope for mounting a comeback. The USC offense had its way both through the air and on the ground.

By the time Maiavia was pulled midway through the third quarter to give reserve Husan Longstreet reps, Maiavia was 15-of-18 for 295 yards with two touchdowns. His second scoring throw resembled his first, with Eli Sanders taking a short pass for a long gain of 73 yards to the house.

Maiavia tacked on a rushing touchdown just before halftime to punctuate his shortened work day. His backup, Longstreet, carried for touchdowns of 5 and 17 yards in the second half to bookend a 75-yard King Miller scoring run.

Longstreet added a passing touchdown to push USC to the 70-point milestone for the first time since a 2005 blowout of Arkansas, hooking up with Carson Tabaracci on a nine-yard connection.

Longstreet finished 9-for-9 in the air for 69 yards. He rushed for 54 yards, second only to Miller’s 80 among all Trojans on a 233-yard day. USC outgained Missouri State overall, 597-224, with the Bears rushing for only 65 yards.

Clark finished 16-of-24 for 147 yards with the touchdown and two interceptions before Cole Feuerbacher closed out the game at quarterback.

–Field Level Media

Missouri State quarterback Jacob Clark starts to throw a pass during the Bears' football practice on Friday, Aug. 8, 2025, at Plaster Stadium.

Missouri State opens FBS chapter against USC

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Southern California welcomes Missouri State to the ranks of the Football Bowl Subdivision when the programs meet on Saturday in Los Angeles.

USC embarks on a pivotal 2025 campaign against the fledgling FBS program, which is in its first season as a Conference USA member.

The Bears were members of the Missouri Valley Conference from 1986 through last season, reaching the playoffs just four times with the most recent appearance coming in 2021. In their final season of FCS membership, however, the Bears finished 8-4 to match the program’s highest win total of the past 34 years.

Missouri State’s 2025 season of firsts includes Saturday’s first-ever matchup pitting it against traditional powerhouse USC. Saturday will also mark the debut of a variety of transfers into the program, including defensive lineman DJ Wesolak from Oregon State.

“Missouri State moving up [to FBS] helped a lot,” Wesolak, a Missouri native, said of his decision to join the Bears. “A lot of [the transfers] were just like me; they were just trying to find a home where they could ball out.”

USC, meanwhile, returns to the field from its own season of firsts after debuting in the Big Ten. The Trojans faced growing pains in their inaugural campaign, going 4-5 in the conference and 7-6 overall.

But winning three of the last four, including a Las Vegas Bowl defeat of Texas A&M, sent USC into the offseason with some positive momentum. So, too, did the play of returning quarterback Jayden Maiava.

The UNLV transfer Maiava took over for Miller Moss as the starter Nov. 16 vs. Nebraska and threw for three or more touchdowns in four starts. He also rushed for two touchdowns in USC’s lone loss over that stretch to national runner-up Notre Dame.

He finished the season with 101 receptions for 1,201 yards with 11 touchdowns and six interceptions. He added four rushing touchdowns.

Entering 2025 with Maiava entrenched as the starter, USC will look to him to elevate his game further, including in the locker room.

“That stretch for Jayden when he became the starter, it was kind of fast and furious,” Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley said. “At the end, when [the coaching staff] and he got a chance to catch our breath a little bit, and say, ‘How did this go?’…One of the things [offensive coordinator Luke] Huard and myself spent a lot of time with [Maiava] on was the leadership piece.”

–Field Level Media

Offensive linemen Breck Kolojay (#66) and Keenyi Pepe (#71) during practice on Friday, Aug. 2, 2024 on IMG Academy Football Media Day in Bradenton, Florida.

Blue-chip OT Keenyi Pepe commits to ‘home’ program USC

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Blue-chip offensive tackle Keenyi Pepe from IMG Academy announced Thursday that he will play his college football at the University of Southern California.

“Coming Back Home,” the Class of 2026 prospect posted to social media platform X.

Home is Long Beach, Calif., and he is a student at IMG in Bradenton, Fla. The 247Sports composite ranks him as a four-star prospect but the No. 6 player at his position in the 2026 class and No. 68 player overall.

ESPN, however, lists him as a five-star commit who is the No. 3 offensive tackle and the No. 17 overall prospect in the class.

Keenyi chose the Trojans over Florida, Georgia, Miami and Texas.

He measures 6-foot-7 and 320 pounds.

His older brother, defensive tackle Kobe Pepe, will be a redshirt senior for the Trojans in 2025. The elder Pepe played in high school at local powerhouse St. John Bosco in Bellflower, Calif.

–Field Level Media

Dec 27, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Southern California Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava (14) throws the ball against Texas A&M Aggies defensive lineman Cashius Howell (18) in the first half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

USC rallies to overtake Texas A&M in Las Vegas Bowl

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Jayden Maiava threw the last of his four touchdown passes with eight seconds remaining, finding Kyle Ford on a 6-yard strike, and Southern California rallied from a 17-point deficit to beat Texas A&M 35-31 in the Las Vegas Bowl on Friday.

The Trojans (7-6) went through a finale that in many ways mirrored their entire 2024 season, featuring a variety of highs and lows. They concluded their bowl game on a decided high note, going 75 yards in 10 plays and 1:41 to complete the comeback victory.

Maiava shook off throwing three interceptions on the night with a determined final drive that included the successful conversion of a third-and-13 near midfield. Maiava found Ja’Kobi Lane for a 33-yard gain that did not just convert the first down but moved USC into the red zone.

The catch put an exclamation point on Lane’s night. With the Trojans replacing a variety of regular-season starters due to opt-outs and transfers, Lane stepped up for seven receptions that resulted in 127 yards and three touchdowns.

He scored on a 30-yard catch in the second quarter, and the game was tied 7-7 at halftime. With USC trailing 24-7 late in the third quarter, Lane ignited the rally with a 17-yard TD grab.

Lane’s final scoring play came on an 18-yard pass from Maiava that put USC ahead 28-24 with 4:30 remaining in regulation.

“Not afraid to take chances,” Lane said of Maiava while speaking postgame on ESPN.

Lane added about the QB’s three interceptions, “That doesn’t matter at the end of the day. What matters is a win on the column. We all realize what we came to do in Vegas, and that is come out with a win.”

The decisive score came on Ford’s flat route, answering Texas A&M’s go-ahead touchdown on the previous possession scored on Marcel Reed’s 19-yard end zone rush. Reed earlier through three touchdown passes.

Texas A&M (8-5) broke the halftime stalemate with Reed’s 5-yard touchdown pass to Noah Thomas. Then, just a minute after the Aggies’ Randy Bond kicked a 27-yard field goal, Reed hooked up with Jabre Barber from 5 yards out.

Reed went 26 of 42 for 292 yards and carried the ball nine times for 46 yards. He was intercepted twice.

Texas A&M coach Mike Elko said, “The story of the game is the story of our season. We can’t cover the forward pass well enough to be a good football team. That’s my fault.”

Maiava finished with 295 yards on 22-of-39 passing as USC bookended its season with last-minute wins over Southeastern Conference opponents at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. On Sept. 1, the Trojans defeated LSU 27-20.

–Field Level Media

Nov 30, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava (14) throws the ball against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the first half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Miidseason QB changes take USC, Texas A&M into Las Vegas Bowl

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Meeting for just the fourth time ever and the first time since 1977, Southern California and Texas A&M will clash on Friday in the Las Vegas Bowl.

USC (6-6) returns to the Las Vegas Bowl for the first time since 2013 when the Trojans routed Fresno State 45-20, capping a 10-win season.

The stakes are different for USC this time, as the team comes in looking to avoid a third sub-.500 finish since 2018. The program has not endured three losing seasons over such a limited stretch since finishing below .500 four times from 1957 through 1961.

Despite suffering a 49-35 loss to rival Notre Dame on Nov. 30, however, the Trojans gained positive momentum down the stretch after a late-season bye week when Jayden Maiava took over as starting quarterback.

Maiava replaced Miller Moss, who threw 18 touchdowns and nine interceptions starting the first nine games. USC also dropped five one-score games over that spell.

With Maiava starting at quarterback, the Trojans won one-score games against Nebraska, 28-20, and at crosstown rival UCLA, 19-13. Maiava led late-game touchdown drives to seal both.

“I’m trying to be an energy-creator for my team, do the best I can for my team. I hope they understand that I’m here for them, and I’m going to do anything to put them in the best situation to win games,” Maiava said. “I’m still learning. The biggest thing for me is just be able to not turn over the ball.”

Maiava has thrown for seven touchdowns and rushed for three in the past three games, but also thrown three interceptions — all returned for touchdowns. In his return to Allegiant Stadium, where he played home games with UNLV before transferring to USC, the Henderson, Nev., native will strive to avoid similar issues against Texas A&M.

He will also be throwing to a much different corps of pass-catchers. Starting wide receivers Duce Robinson, Kyron Hudson and Zachariah Branch all entered the transfer portal, along with change-of-pace running back Quinten Joyner.

Starting running back Woody Marks opted out of the game.

Texas A&M (8-4) embarks on its first-ever Las Vegas Bowl with considerably less roster tumult. Starting wide receiver Cyrus Allen ended the transfer portal, but the Aggies otherwise return a corps of primary contributors hoping to rebound from a disappointing final month of the regular season.

The Aggies were once 7-1 and in contention for the College Football Playoff. A 1-3 November, with the lone win coming against New Mexico State, spoiled their bid for the 12-team tournament.

They dropped a pair of heartbreakers to close the regular season with a 43-41, quadruple-overtime defeat Nov. 23 at Auburn, and a 17-7 loss to rival Texas on Nov. 30.

The difficult finish to a promising first season under coach Mike Elko could have taken some of the shine off the bowl-game opportunity. However, the relative calm in Texas A&M’s roster turnover suggests otherwise.

And, according to Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed, playing against a brand name like USC, with Texas A&M having a chance to score its first-ever win over the Trojans, adds some excitement.

“Us being A&M, them being USC, it’s a really big game for us,” Reed said.

The quarterback made his first career start in the Aggies’ 2023 Texas Bowl matchup with Oklahoma State. Reed split snaps with Conner Weigman for the first half of the 2024 season before Reed took over as the full-time signal caller down the stretch.

“From then to now, I’ve grown tremendously as a football player and a leader,” Reed said. “The sky’s the limit.”

Reed completed 121 of 198 passes for 1,572 yards, 12 touchdowns and four interceptions in the regular season. He added 501 rushing yards and six scores on the ground.

–Field Level Media

Nov 2, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; USC Trojans quarterback Miller Moss (7) reacts following a turnover on downs against the Washington Huskies during the fourth quarter at Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

Ex-USC QB Miller Moss headed to Louisville

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Former Southern California quarterback Miller Moss officially committed to Louisville on Saturday.

Moss posted an edited graphic of him wearing a Louisville jersey on X, formerly known as Twitter, with a caption that reads, “Let’s do it #TheVille.”

ESPN had Moss as the 10th-best player in the transfer portal, also tabbing him as the third-best player at his position. He has one year of college eligibility left.

In four seasons with the Trojans (2021-24), Moss completed 65.9 percent of his passes for 3,469 yards, 27 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

Moss was replaced as Southern California’s starter after getting nine games under center this season. Before the move, Moss had 2,555 passing yards, 18 TDs and nine picks.

–Field Level Media

Sep 1, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Southern California Trojans mascot Tommy Trojan leads the Spirit of Troy marching band onto the field before the game against the LSU Tigers at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Reclassified 5-star DE Jahkeem Stewart signs with USC

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Five-star defensive end Jahkeem Stewart committed and signed to play at Southern California on Wednesday, becoming the defensive headliner in the Trojans’ 2025 class.

Stewart, from New Orleans, initially was the No. 1 prospect in the 2026 class. He reclassified to the 2025 class in October, and the 247Sports composite lists him as the No. 3 defensive lineman and the No. 16 overall player in the nation.

He will enter USC with just 12 games of varsity football experience. According to ESPN, he made 85 tackles (33 for loss) and 20 sacks as a sophomore in 2023 at St. Augustine High School in New Orleans. When he transferred to Edna Karr High School this fall, he was ruled ineligible and sat out his junior season. He elected to reclassify and graduate from high school in three years.

Stewart’s signing returns one five-star player to the USC fold. Earlier, a pair of five-stars — quarterback Julian Lewis and defensive lineman Justus Terry — decommitted from the Trojans.

The 6-foot-6, 270-pound Stewart also made official visits to Ohio State, LSU and Oregon.

–Field Level Media