Can Big Jayden Maiava Lead USC Into a Bowl?

How Jayden Maiava remained ready to seize the USC quarterback job

USC quarterback Jayden Maiava gets set to pass during a game against Utah State in September.

Ryan Kartje (LA Times)  —   The competition was close. Closer than anyone expected it to be in late August, at least. Close enough that Jayden Maiava, the insurgent transfer from Nevada Las Vegas, believed at the time that he’d done enough to be named USC’s starting quarterback.

The job ultimately went to Miller Moss, the redshirt junior whose six-score coronation had come months earlier at the Holiday Bowl. Maiava had understood in that case the uphill battle he faced in coming to L.A. But the decision, while no surprise to the public, was no less disappointing to Maiava.

He was competitive. He thought he’d made the best of his reps. Now there was no way of knowing when they’d come again.

“Most backups at that moment would get frustrated with the process,” said Ryan Porter, Maiava’s quarterbacks coach. “They wouldn’t be as dedicated or proactive. They lose focus.”

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 20: Jayden Maiava #14 of the USC Trojans throws during the spring football game at United Airlines Field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on April 20, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ric Tapia/Getty Images)
6-4, 230-pound Jayden Maiava has seen limited playing time this season, but he will take over as Lincoln Riley’s new starter in hopes of getting USC into a bowl game. (Allen J. Schaben / LAT)

But nearly three months later, Porter looks back on that lost quarterback competition as if it’s the best thing that could have happened to Maiava, who this week was named the Trojans’ new starter.

“This kid got to go in, do spring football, do the first nine games and learn,” Porter said. “Learn from all the mistakes that were made, learn from all the success that was had, learn the good and the bad. He got to sit back and learn a system from a great coaching staff and a great quarterback room, and you can’t ask for a better situation, in my opinion.”

Maiava agrees: “It’s been phenomenal for me,” he said Wednesday, “just learning a lot from the game.”

That’s not to say sitting for most of the season, while USC lost four of its last five, was easy.

He hit the ground running a year ago at UNLV, passing for 3,085 yards and 17 touchdowns and rushing for 277 yards and three more touchdowns. Before that, he’d started all four years at three different high schools in Hawaii and Las Vegas.

One year at UNLV had, more than anything, taught him there was only so much he could control, and that lesson would prove especially valuable as he waited his turn at USC.

As the newly appointed No. 1 quarterback, Maiava tried to let go of what he couldn’t control and “fall in love with the process,” he said. He stayed away from social media. He never brought up Lincoln Riley’s plans or complained about his place as backup, even as Moss struggled to find his stride during the past month. Nor did Maiava ever mention transferring somewhere else with a smoother path to playing time.

“You’re either the cure or you’re the cancer, you know?” Maiava said. “All I try and do is be the cure for the team.”

Los Angeles, CA - September 07: Utah State linebacker Jadon Pearson, #39, left, and safety Torren Union, 15, right, watch USC quarterback Jayden Maiava, #14, run in a second half touchdown during the USC home opener at the LA Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. USC won 48-0. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

That was a telling approach to Porter, who for many years coached Heisman winner and current Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels. He’d seen too many quarterbacks concerned with speeding the process along.

“That’s how I knew Jayden [Maiava] had a chance to be very, very special,” he said. “What I’ve found in my experience is that the good ones don’t get caught up in whether they agree with a coach’s decision or play calling or personnel.”

When he and Porter would talk, whether on FaceTime or Zoom or over text, Porter would always try to lead with reassurance, keeping his confidence up. “Your time is coming,” he’d tell him.

But Porter never heard more than a fleeting moment of frustration from his pupil. It just wasn’t in his nature to dwell on anything. Quiet and humble, Maiava didn’t even like discussing how many reps he got in practice versus Moss.

“Never once did I hear any negativity in his voice,” Porter said. “Like, never, ever.”

“Most young kids come in like, ‘I should be the guy! Man, this is the polar opposite of that kid. Coming in, and you’re basically watching someone kiss your girlfriend right now. But I told him, ‘Bud, you’re going to be able to lean on this experience. You’re going to be able to embrace this adversity, and this is going to make you the quarterback you’re supposed to be, when you play on Sundays.”

The experience paid dividends in other ways, too. Maiava was “super raw,” Porter admits, when he arrived at USC. To that point, in his football career, he’d relied almost entirely on his instincts and improvisational ability. There was another layer of the position he still had to learn. Plus, he needed time to absorb Riley’s offense.

But the time gave him a chance to dive deeper into learning protections and other finer points of the position. He tried to glean as much as he could from observation, taking special cues from Moss — “a very genius quarterback” — and his “decision-making on the field.”

 USC quarterback Miller Moss celebrates with teammates after beating LSU in Las Vegas

That progress wasn’t lost on Riley, who said he’s seen a steady climb from Maiava ever since.

“It’s not easy being the backup,” Riley said, “and I felt like he’s handled that well. He’s improved every single week.”

Then this week, after Monday’s film review, Riley pulled Maiava into his office to tell him he was making a change at quarterback. The coach later explained, simply, that he felt it was “in the best interest of the team to give Jayden a chance here.”

Moving away from Moss did mean altering the fragile emotional balance of the locker room. He was a vocal leader on the team, something that didn’t necessarily come as naturally to the more reserved Maiava.

USC quarterback Miller Moss holds his helmet and looks on from the sideline during a loss to Washington Saturday

But players assured on Wednesday that little had changed. In the two days since his promotion, though, Maiava has tried to speak up more often, doing what he can to rise to the occasion.

“I think everybody has got their own way of leading,” Maiava said. “Everybody has got their own way of carrying themselves.”

Few, though, have the physical skills that Maiava will bring to the position, when he takes the field against Nebraska on Nov. 16.

Woody Marks, USC’s lead running back, raved about Maiava’s “cannon arm,” while tight end Lake McRee noted that Maiava can “throw the ball all over.” And while Riley insisted this week that USC’s offense won’t change much with him at the helm, it’s difficult to imagine those physical skills not being a featured part of the Trojans game plan next weekend.

How do you argue with 6-5, 230?” Porter asked. “That’s a problem, man.”

And now, with its season quickly slipping away, USC is hoping Maiava can be the solution it so desperately needs. Though, he knows now there’s only so much of that he can control.

“I’m here just for one thing, and that’s just to win games,” Maiava said. “The best thing I could do for this team is just to put them in the best situation to go win games. I’ma lay my life on the line for them.

“So hopefully they do the same.”

latimes.com

___________

TrojanDailyBlog members —  We always encourage you to add factual information, insight, divergent opinions, or new topics to the TDB that don’t necessarily pertain to any particular moderator post or member comment.

 

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Fighton74
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November 13, 2024 11:30 am

Desire to win number 1 would be to know you have a soft culture but I hire an offensive guru when I already had that in place long before. 2 I need a new RB coach over the most glaring issue which the offensive line. LR is the problem with the running game not the RB coach. I’ve said 100x you will not survive in the Big-10 without the ability to lean on your running game, and you definitely can’t do that with a pass first offense. The problem is play calling with the running game and passing when you… Read more »

Fighton74
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November 13, 2024 11:04 am

If I asked SC to build me a house they’d build a roof before they build a foundation. Weak entitled people that say they want to win, but are not willing to put in the work to do so. Boosters that have a lot more money than other programs but are entitled stinchy and don’t desire to win!!

Fighton74
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November 13, 2024 10:49 am

The link is that USC keeps doing the same thing over and over and expects different results. The school doesn’t put in the time or research on hires. You don’t hire the right people. You hire soft people that lack integrity, discipline and mental toughness, and then you expect people to honor you and give you praise. You don’t hire people that protect the integrity of the school!! The school is weak and doesn’t play the part. You don’t do the little things. Boosters and school you say you want to win, but that is not shown with desire, and… Read more »

Fighton74
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November 12, 2024 11:52 pm

I paste an article from CBS news about USC’s NCAA 50k fine violation and probation for coaching staff rules and it gets blocked hilarious

John Weld
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November 13, 2024 8:23 am
Reply to  Fighton74

Your link that you posted is incorrect and that is why it is not working. The link you posted had absolutely no link to a CBS URL. Please take a look for yourself and you will not see the word “CBS” instead you entered a non-existant page on our blog.
If you want to email me the proper link, I will post it. Email: john@trojandailyblog.com

Fighton74
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November 12, 2024 11:41 pm

blob: https://trojandailyblog.com/6a4e0834-8c52-4c6f-b8ec-b25c9d031341

This is the tell all say all of this program. You don’t spend the money in the right areas nor do you do the proper research to find the right hires. All fly by night. Violation after violation. I blame the NCAA too because they hate on SC. However again in plain view for them to see!! So once again this is on SC . Because they fail to be smart and do things the right way!!! Classic SC!!!

parcelman007
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November 11, 2024 12:14 pm

I’d like to know how much SC is paying for that “superior” coaching staff, especially the “great defensive staff”. UCLA is paying minimum wage and their defense is rated 54th in the nation and ours is rated 72nd and I think we have better players.

Fighton74
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November 11, 2024 5:58 pm
Reply to  parcelman007

It’s because we paid for an offensive guru as HC. You need a defensive guru as HC that is a leader of men and projects discipline and mental toughness upon this program we were already getting good QB’s and WR before LR was here. That’s not the problem the problem is culture and winning at the line of scrimmage and defense.

Fighton74
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November 13, 2024 1:51 pm
Reply to  parcelman007

That’s because of the attitude of the team. Which is weak and pompous. We’re SC and we’re gonna blow you out with passing but we’re gonna let you score 900 points and we’re gonna act like we can run the football l. Entitled University. Defense is a culture and an attitude. LR would rather show off talent and score a lot of points than win!!! It’s like watching an MLB team that over uses offensive analytics. Which means you are sacrificing at bats and strikeouts to hit home runs instead getting guys on base and giving yourself a better chance… Read more »

Fighton74
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November 11, 2024 12:09 pm

If we loose to UCLA again 80 mil contract or not I would be looking to see if there is a Big Defensive name available for HC if there is not then unfortunately we are stuck, but another loss too UCLA will be a recruiting nightmare let’s just put it that way.

Fighton74
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November 11, 2024 11:23 am

Yeh let’s start Maiava when Miller Moss has started all season won the Holiday Bowl, upset LSU, played well against Michigan and almost tossed an upset to Penn St. Yup it’s Moss’s Fault. It’s called SC’s fault for doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Which is you have a soft culture and lack of discipline and you act like the history of the schools program is supposed to deliver a national championship to your door step, we are entitled USC because we get the best QB’s and WR’s. Complete and udder embarrassment and lack of… Read more »

Trojanfanatic
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November 7, 2024 12:18 pm

Riley does appear to lack that recruiting fire as compared to the Heading Coaching greats we see every Saturday. His reluctance to establish a physical presence at several of the biggest football factories in the nation, literally a car drive away, is frustrating. Of course it’s magnified when trench positions, life or death in the B1G and for a Natty, are not his desired focus. Henson, often criticized for his lack of recruiting prowess, doesn’t help much. It’s not a good recipe for progress. If Riley hangs on to Henson after this season and not much headway is made for… Read more »

Jamaica
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November 7, 2024 2:27 pm
Reply to  Trojanfanatic

LR’s recruiting will always be spotty, full of position holes and lack depth unless he recruits California. That is where the bulk of football players will lean towards USC if you show them some love. Hey Lincoln, when all…. And I mean all the top winning head coaches are out here recruiting your backyard, isn’t that telling you something. Further, you think Country homeboys from the Deep South are going to school over 2,000 miles away from home where their parents won’t see them play? Midwest players will now that USC is in the BIG. But the California players will… Read more »

Golden Trojan
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November 7, 2024 9:39 pm
Reply to  Jamaica

California has 7 of the top 100 recruits for 2025, Alabama 8, Georgia 11, Florida 13, Texas 22. Where are you going to get recruits? Sure there are a few in S.California. But the bulk of the talent is elsewhere. It may be easier to talk a kid from Texas into the glamour of LA than it is to a kid from LA. Recruiting needs the combo of a great coach and big NIL budget. USC has neither.

volunteerTrojan
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November 8, 2024 6:51 am
Reply to  Allen Wallace

Now that’s a travesty and pure negligence! I can’t belive that none of those guys going out of state isn’t the “right kind of guy to fit into our culture and schemes”, which LR seems to frequently say when making excuses for missing out on local talent.

Blatant failure on LR’s part. JC needs to have a serious talk with her head ball coach.

Fighton74
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November 12, 2024 8:36 am
Reply to  Trojanfanatic

The guy gets one more season and that’s it seriously. If you don’t turn losses into wins next year it’s time to go. And as I said before if you toss another loss to UCLA it’s really time for you to go! I’m sure good ole John Robinson is rolling over in his grave at what a complete laughingstock of a program USC has become. Boosters and school should be ashamed of themselves 0 desire to win and keep the history and legacy of the team. You would think with history someone would be able to come up with a… Read more »

Trojanfanatic
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November 12, 2024 11:12 am
Reply to  Fighton74

I agree with your observations. The only thing I struggle with is he gets the boot after one more embarrassing season. I just fear the buyout is too massive for USC leadership to swallow.

Jamaica
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November 7, 2024 11:26 am
Reply to  Allen Wallace

Makes you appreciate the ability Sam Darnold had behind another suspect O-Line.

ATL D.D.S.
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November 7, 2024 1:58 pm
Reply to  Allen Wallace

Are we assuming that Miller Moss will leave the program? That doesn’t sound like him….

Trojanfanatic
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November 7, 2024 2:05 pm
Reply to  ATL D.D.S.

If Maiava performs relatively well, and Lewis doesn’t defect, I can’t imagine Moss sticking around, especially with Mama Moss publicly calling Riley out.

ATL D.D.S.
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November 7, 2024 2:26 pm
Reply to  Trojanfanatic

I think I agree with mama calling out Linkin’ for putting the blame for this season on him–LR should be shouldering much of the blame and he is not. He put Miller in a position that he had to be perfect every game in order to succeed, thanks to Linkin’s poor game management and play calling, along with his inability to provide an offensive line worthy enough to protect a quarterback.

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November 7, 2024 3:37 pm
Reply to  ATL D.D.S.

I couldn’t agree more. Yes he leans on QBs with escapability since his line recruiting is poor, but as we’ve seen in his career, it always comes crashing down.

Golden Trojan
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November 7, 2024 9:22 pm
Reply to  Allen Wallace

“poorly suited to LR’s offense”… A good coach makes maximum use of the talent he has. SLR is one size fits all coach. Doesn’t matter the skills he has they will fit his plan or else! MM would be great in a balanced offense with good play calling late in close games. MM has a poor coach, it’s not his fault. Receivers can’t get open if the defense knows they will pass 75% of the time, especially late in a close game. Murphy is an example of SLR’s stubborn loyalty to under performing coaches and players. Hopefully Maiava is the… Read more »

parcelman007
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November 7, 2024 11:09 am

I wonder who is going to be let go from the coaching staff after the season. Even if they win their next 3 games(which I’m not expecting to happen), I think somebody will have to go. If they go 6-6 or 5-7 Jen Cohen will demand it. I would say Josh Henson better turn the O-Line around fast or he may be hitting the unemployment office.

2manyyears
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November 7, 2024 10:15 am
Reply to  Allen Wallace

Allen While these two coaches maybe struggling in recruiting, they are the north and south poles in this area. Dabo wants nothing to do with the portal and recruits HS players almost exclusively. Lincoln seems to be allergic to recruiting HS players and just wants to use the portal.IMHO Lincoln is lazy. It takes a lot of work and time to recruit and keep top HS players. He’d rather wait and see who he can snag in the portal. Probably hopes the players contact him. 4th quarter decision making also lazy. Now Clemson has lost only 2 games, with granted… Read more »

Golden Trojan
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November 7, 2024 11:33 am
Reply to  2manyyears

Lincoln Riley recruiting at USC
’22 6 HSR 20 TP
’23 24 HSR 15 TP
’24 22 HSR 18 TP
’25 23 HSR ?

The first year was heavy portal after that pretty balanced. Recruiting strategy is not the problem. More NIL would help get premiere talent but who wants to invest in a coach that can’t coach games without a superstar NFL QB. You are right, 4th qtr decision meltdowns, lazy or just unable?

ATL D.D.S.
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November 7, 2024 2:01 pm
Reply to  Allen Wallace

Kirby Smart down here is relentless on recruiting, even though the program has been so good the last few years that the 5-stars seem to seek out UGA.

Golden Trojan
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November 7, 2024 9:26 pm
Reply to  Allen Wallace

Great coaches and large NIL budget are the winning combo in this day of College Football. USC has neither.

TrojanRJJ
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November 7, 2024 9:26 am

My thoughts for whatever they are worth. LR is our coach for at least the next 5 years, so I suggest that if you wish to follow SC football during that time, perhaps wise not to belittle him. After all, prior to SC, he did pretty well – perhaps the greatest QB coach/OC in our generation – four starting NFL QBs and 3 Heismans. Is he perfect? Nope, far from it. Use commonsense and look at Miami. Last year, Miami was this year’s SC team – barely .500. In the couple of games I watched, that Miami team did not… Read more »

Jamaica
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November 7, 2024 11:09 am
Reply to  TrojanRJJ

LR has to make changes. He can’t keep doing the Einstein definition of insanity. If he would swallow his pride and confir with PC this off-season, that would be a start in the right direction?

ATL D.D.S.
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November 7, 2024 2:16 pm
Reply to  TrojanRJJ

RJJ, are you Linkin’s brother-in-law or something?😂😂 Seriously, if Riley is that thin-skinned about hearing criticism from alumni, fans and press, he should not have taken a position in the #2 media market in the US. Belittling him is the only way we can put pressure on his underperforming record after nearly 3 full seasons. He can either wilt like a precious snowflake, or he can do some serious self-reflection after seeking genuine advice from experienced football people. (Pete Carroll will take your call.) Humility is definitely not one of Linkin’s strong points, but his arrogance seeps out like pus… Read more »

Steveg
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November 7, 2024 3:42 pm
Reply to  TrojanRJJ

Thanks RJ, I agree with you. We have Riley for a while longer, and we need to support the team. USC is behind in the NIL simply because USC wanted total control and they screwed that all up. The new AD has a handle on it now and I am glad about that. I do have to say though that I don’t think Miami will roll past the first game they play in the playoff. ACC is weak and I don’t think anyone other than Clemson could challenge them much.

Jamaica
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November 7, 2024 9:09 am

Will Jayden be another Carson Palmer? He is sure built like him. Only Maiava may be more of a runner than Carson. Chow & PC were able to fine tune Carson into a polished QB his last year and I am hoping for what LR is best known for in grooming QBs, he will do the same with Jayden and bring out his true talent. I also hope the O-line will get inspired with this QB change and execute as they can and should. Make it a new beginning like it was playing LSU?

Golden Trojan
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November 7, 2024 9:26 am
Reply to  Jamaica

The question with the OL, will SLR stick with stubborn loyalty to the other MM? Mason Murphy should not be starting RT. When you either get beat or false start, you are not the guy.

Jamaica
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November 7, 2024 11:05 am
Reply to  Golden Trojan

At Least if MM starts leaving early off the line, replace him. The scary part is whoever replaces him may be worse?

Golden Trojan
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November 7, 2024 8:37 am

The weaknesses of SLR this season has shown us are poor game planning, 4th qtr clock management and play calling. SLR didn’t have Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray Jalen Hurts or Caleb Williams to make up for his failings. He has had Moss a serviceable QB that needs a strong run game to make up for lack of mobility. If SLR had one of those NFL 1st round QBs, USC would be undefeated. Those QBs would have turned bad pass play calls into QB keepers (runs). The run/pass play ratio would look a lot more balanced. Last season we saw stubborn… Read more »

Jamaica
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November 7, 2024 11:22 am
Reply to  Allen Wallace

If JuJu comes to USC, he could very well be another Malachi Nelson if he doesn’t get enough playing time after the first year, especially if the team doesn’t win enough. If Maiava works out to be a gifted dependable QB, would 5-star JuJu wait two years? I am starting to wonder if recruiting a 4-star QB isn’t a better move in likely being more a team player?

Trojanfanatic
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November 7, 2024 7:28 am

Yes, Maiva can lead to a bowl, with the caveat that he will make mistakes because let’s face it, Riley didn’t provide him with much game experience. Yes, in tight games it’s not an optimum time, but didn’t formulate a package that would be a strategic advantage in Riley’s often struggling offense this season. Three games left and Maiava’s facing two of our biggest rivals. Talk about a pressure cooker to win. If things turn out not good for the team in those games, it won’t, or shouldn’t be the fault of Maiava.

Steveg
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November 7, 2024 6:41 am

Moss took the position as the guy that followed CW. That is tough in its self. He is a good QB, and like all of them he made some mistakes. I hope we all realize Maiava will be very good QB also, but he too will make mistakes along the way.