The USC Trojans’ Big Ten debut could be going better, to say the least. A year that started with a promising win over the LSU Tigers has spiraled out of control. The Trojans are 15th in the Big Ten and eliminated from the conference championship.
Now, head coach Lincoln Riley has announced that starting quarterback Miller Moss has been benched for UNLV transfer Jayden Maiava — a move that has some rolling their eyes. Why did the Trojans’ coach make the switch, and who is Jayden Maiava?
Why Was Miller Moss Benched?
A month and a half ago, the Trojans were 3-1, and the offense was humming. However, things quickly changed. USC has dropped four of five games, all in conference, and all by one score.
Moss has played well for most of the season, completing around 65% of his passes and averaging nearly 275 passing yards a game, even during the losing streak.
But Moss has struggled with efficiency and turnovers. The Trojans are 83rd nationally, averaging just seven yards a pass attempt. Moss has thrown nine interceptions this season, including three against Washington in Week 10.
That was the final straw for Riley, who announced shortly after he’d be making the switch to Maiava.
“Obviously, the quarterback position is defined by making big plays, which he made a lot of ’em,” Riley said after the Washington loss. “I thought he gave our guys chances to make a few more plays that we need to make. But obviously we can’t turn the ball over, and that was the biggest thing.”
But not everyone agrees that the offensive struggles are Moss’ fault.
The Trojans are 14th nationally in yards per rush, and Mississippi State running back transfer Woody Marks has been one of the best backs in the Big Ten this year.
Yet, the Trojans are 131st nationally in rush rate. Only Rice, San Jose State, and UCLA run the ball less, three teams outside of the top 75 in yards per rush.
It’s not like the Trojans are playing from behind. They just don’t run the ball despite being excellent at moving the ball on the ground. On Saturday, the Trojans averaged 5.7 yards per rush, yet Moss attempted 50 passes. That’s play-calling.
And USC’s play-caller is Lincoln Riley.
It seems that Moss’ mother agrees, as she shared a blunt quote on Twitter/X late last night:
— Emily Kovner Moss (@EmilyKovnerMoss) November 5, 2024
For many, the buck stops with Riley, and he’s not getting it done. We’ll see if the quarterback switch helps or hurts the Trojans’ head honcho.
Who Is Jayden Maiava?
Now, the Trojans will turn to their backup, the dual-threat Maiava to turn things around with three games remaining.
Maiava, originally from Honolulu, Hawai’i, played high school ball in Nevada and stayed in the Silver State for his freshman year, starting for the UNLV Rebels last season.
MORE: Simulate the College Football Season With CFN’s College Football Playoff Predictor
As a true freshman, Maiava threw for over 3,000 yards and 17 touchdowns, running for over 200 yards on his way to the Mountain West Freshman of the Year and Second-Team All-Mountain West awards.
He entered the Transfer Portal in January and originally looked bound for Georgia but flipped his commitment to USC.
He’s extremely talented. But he, too, struggles with turnovers, throwing 10 interceptions last season.
It’s a bold move for Riley. Now, we wait to see if it will pay off.
College Football Network has you covered with the latest from the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC, and every Group of Five conference and FBS Independent program.