USC football is looking to rebound from a less-than-stellar fourth quarter in its season opener against San Jose State, where the Trojans surrendered 23 points in the final 15 minutes of a 42-26 victory. The team also drew criticism for a smaller-than-expected crowd at the Coliseum.
Despite the win, quarterback Jayden Maiava acknowledged areas for improvement. "Definitely could clean up some stuff," Maiava said. "Play a lot better."
The Trojans, ranked No. 14, will host Fresno State on Friday evening, with the team focused on delivering a more complete performance.
Offensive Focus
Maiava's statistics against San Jose State were strong, completing 25 of 29 passes for 286 yards and two touchdowns, with an additional rushing score. His 86.2% completion rate was the highest for a USC quarterback with at least 25 attempts since 1995. However, some passes required receivers to make difficult plays, and an intentional grounding penalty led to a sack.
Maiava identified a moment on fourth-and-goal where he hesitated to throw the ball, opting to run instead and being stopped short. "You can't play the position hesitant," Maiava stated. "So, coach [Lincoln] Riley does a great job of letting me know that, to play decisive and continue playing aggressive."
Running Game Concerns
Running backs coach Waymond Jordan expressed dissatisfaction with his players' ball security, lack of explosive runs, and inability to stay on their feet. "It was brutal," said running back Anthony Jones Jr. regarding Jordan's assessment.
Jordan noted that while he averaged 6 yards per carry and King Miller gained 66 yards, neither had any runs longer than 11 yards. "I mean, I think it was more overthinking and not going out there and playing," Jones Jr. said. "We just didn’t play to our standard; we didn’t make the plays that we usually make."
Defensive Depth Under Scrutiny
Questions linger about the defense's ability to maintain its performance when reserves enter the game. Coach Lincoln Riley and defensive coordinator Gary Patterson will be observing how the backups perform if USC builds a significant lead against Fresno State. Riley commented that while some players handled the late-game reps well, others did not. "We had a couple of guys that honestly did not handle it as well as we could have."
Addressing Attendance and Energy
The Trojans cannot control external factors like attendance, but they aim to improve the on-field product. Cooler weather is forecast for Friday's game, a contrast to the previous week's heat.
Coach Riley has introduced a motivational tactic involving large "juice boxes" on the sideline to generate energy among players. Offensive lineman Justin Tauanuu and offensive tackle Elijah Page highlighted the importance of these efforts and the players involved. Weekly winners are recognized for "bringing the juice," with Travis Leonard and Shawn Sehra among recent recipients.
USC looks to demonstrate improvement against Fresno State, aiming to silence critics and build momentum for the season.