USC receiver Ja’Kobi Lane celebrates after scoring in the first quarter against Georgia Southern on Saturday at the Coliseum. (Carlin Stiehl /LAT)Ryan Kartje (LA Times) — It was a subtle gesture. A nod of respect from USC to a football coach who spent a dozen years in the building before an unceremonious exit. But as the public address announcer took the rare step of reading Clay Helton’s name aloud, the frustration from his final few years at USC came pouring out in a chorus of boos from all corners of the Coliseum. But nothing overly personal.
Turns out, even four years after his firing, Helton could still conjure complicated feelings among the Trojan faithful. What he couldn’t do Saturday is stop the Trojans from taking those feelings out on his football team in a 59-20 beatdown.
A reunion that began with courtesy quickly turned to catharsis, as the USC offense piled up yards and points at will for the second week in a row.
After tallying 597 yards in its Week 1 blowout of Missouri State, USC moved the ball even more efficiently in Week 2, racking up 755 yards, the most at USC in two decades. They averaged 12 yards per play and ripped off a dozen big plays of 20-plus yards.
USC receiver Ja’Kobi Lane stretches out to one-hand a TD throw against Georgia Southern on Saturday at the Coliseum. (Carlin Stiehl / LAT)
And just like last week, junior quarterback Jayden Maiava was content to sit back and pick apart an inferior defense. He threw four touchdowns Saturday, while his 412 passing yards shattered his career high before the fourth quarter even began.
By that point, the Trojans were once again trotting out their backups for a full quarter’s worth of reps — all of which could end up being essential experience later in the season.
“It’s awesome getting everybody involved,” Maiava said.
Ja’Kobi Lane and Makai Lemon, USC’s top two receivers, didn’t catch any passes after halftime … because they didn’t have to. They still had 249 combined yards. And Maiava through two games has had to play just five quarters, and still has 707 passing yards and seven touchdowns to show for it.
USC’s rushing attack didn’t face much resistance either on Saturday. The Trojans racked up 309 yards on the ground alone, the most of the Lincoln Riley era by a wide margin. Waymond Jordan had five runs of 10 yards or more in just 16 carries as he finished with 167 yards. Eli Sanders added 55 more and even walk-on King Miller broke away for another big touchdown run, his second in as many weeks.
“We’re making some big plays on all sides, which is great,” Riley said. “That doesn’t mean it’ll always be like that.”
It wasn’t, however, a banner day for USC’s defense, which allowed Georgia Southern to move the ball. The secondary had several breakdowns that led to big plays for the Eagles, who finished with seven pass plays of 15 yards or more. The defense also contributed six penalties.
But on a day such as Saturday, when USC’s offense could do whatever it wanted, it didn’t much matter, even though for much of the first half, Helton’s team was making USC sweat.
“We’re still a long ways off from our best,” Riley said. “Not as locked on results. I have a sense of how good this team can play, and all of us as coaches, we’re trying to push them to that. Don’t pay so much attention to the scoreboard or stats — it wasn’t our best. And do we need to just own it and get better? So far the team has done that, but we’ll have to continue doing that.”
USC was far from its best at the start. Jordan, on his second carry of the day, fumbled. Then a bad offside penalty kept Georgia Southern’s drive alive and the Eagles connected on a 32-yard touchdown pass on the next play.
Still, Riley went right back to Jordan on the next possession and the running back delivered, as USC rolled down the field on a scoring drive behind 41 yards from the junior.
Lane punctuated the drive as Maiava lofted a pass in his direction toward the end zone. Tangled up with a Georgia Southern defender, Lane needed just a single outstretched arm to pull down the Trojans’ first score.
USC’s offense caught fire from there. The Trojans needed just two plays on their next possession to find the end zone. Then three plays on the drive after that. Both possessions ended with Lemon sprinting free for touchdowns.
The first saw Lemon slip two tackles before weaving his way through the Georgia Southern secondary for a 62-yard touchdown. The second, Lemon simply turned on the jets and blew past the Eagles’ defense with ease for a 74-yard score.
“Just capitalized off every opportunity I got today,” Lemon said. “Trying to impact the team in a positive way whenever I touch the ball.”
It seemed USC might leave Georgia Southern in the dust after that, similar to how it piled up points a week ago against Missouri State. But Helton’s team kept hanging around. They led four straight drives into USC territory, only to come up short on three of them.
The Trojans’ firepower was simply too much to handle. USC led another quick scoring drive, this time needing just four plays before tight end Walker Lyons trotted in for a touchdown.
By halftime, USC already had 415 yards, more than it tallied in six games last season, while Maiava had more than 300 passing yards and four touchdowns.
It only got more lopsided after half. Jordan broke away for a 36-yard touchdown scamper. Sanders scored twice in 10 minutes of game time. Miller even got in on the fun with a breakaway touchdown, his second in two weeks.
With its second-team offense in for most of the fourth quarter, USC would come up just a touchdown short of its best two-game scoring total in program history.
But when the buzzer mercifully sounded, Helton strolled across the Coliseum field with a smile on his face. He snapped photos with the few players remaining that played for him. He thought back on days spent in the stadium with his youngest son, Turner, who actually finished the game as Georgia Southern’s quarterback.
USC had just handed him a 39-point loss, but Helton sounded gracious just to have been back in the building. He even complimented USC fans’ “great passion” in booing him.
“It’s one of those special places,” Helton said, “and you get to be a part of it and you know it’s not going to last forever — you hope it does, but I got to be a part of it, and now to be back and see what Coach Riley’s doing with a really good ballclub.
“To see Deontay Burnett today, and Marqise Lee today, guys that you just absolutely love and are a part of your family, it was special,” Helton said. “It was special to be back.
“I can’t wait for them to do even more great things here.”
In Helton’s heart, it seems, he’ll always be a Trojan.
latimes.com
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The Jury’s definitely out on Caleb Williams The verdict on Caleb Williams last night is decidedly mixed. He was clearly outplayed by J.J. McCarthy in the 4th Q, who brought the Vikings back to beat the Bears in Chicago. McCarthy started out badly, but suddenly got confident after a horrible late pick six and started playing like Joe Montana. When Caleb’s on-script, he’s okay, even good. Strong velocity. Nice horsepower and talent. He can move very well. Strong escapability, as always. Very tough to bring down in a crowd. But off-scrip, Caleb often falls apart, resembling the USC-Caleb Williams when… Read more »
After watching the entire game…..I don’t think Williams is going to take the Bears anywhere. He’ll play for a few years and collect his guaranteed 40 million. The McCaskey’s are too thrifty to let him go until the 4 year contract is off the books. It happens….The Indy Colts have benched Richardson who they paid a number 4 or 5 1st round for two years ago. Unfortunately for Ben Johnson, he is stuck with a guy who might have some sand lot talent but does not have NFL level decision making, toughness or accuracy. He also has an ego that… Read more »
I read an article about CW’s lack of engagement last year in meetings, and needing the offensive play call code simplified, and some other very alarming behaviors, if true.
Sounds like his natural talent that allowed him to be the best athlete on the field at all his previous levels has finally caught up with him and he does not have the ability to actually study and learn the detailed nuances necessary to succeed at the NFL level. A combination of a life of being coddled and laziness is a lethal combination for failure.
Good analysis by both illinoisUSC and vT. Caleb’s got some real negatives that Hero Ball, combined with his amazing scrambling ability, disguised to a large degree in CFB. But in the NFL, his mental make-up, lack of accuracy, stubbornness, leadership questions and poor decision-making have him looking like a possible “bust” with the Bears. I’m very surprised Caleb hasn’t adjusted better in the NFL and last night’s game only reinforced my thinking that his lack of accuracy might be a fatal flaw. I haven’t given up hope for the guy, but Ben Johnson clearly isn’t happy with him. Johnson is… Read more »
Quick poll, I want your input. I’ll be picking up a ball cap to wear to the Purdue game. Do you like the SC Interlock or the full USC on the front?
(I’ll be getting the classic all cardinal cap with gold lettering.)
Thanks in advance.
Go with your gut! ✌
Inter-locking SC. The original and everlasting! Fight On, VT!
So many to choose from. shop.usctrojans.com
Actually I like the baseball or golf USC hat fits better. They seem to come lower down on the head not having a taller cap top.
Here’s my favorite from my collection, partly because I’ve never seen anyone else wearing one.
[Picture disappeared; will keep trying]
Bought it on campus in the Bookstore in 2007, on my way to the Spring Game. Love the raised letters and how it fits.The distressed bill is the result of washing and drying. Ah, well.
I’m not sure if this style lasted through the 2007 season but I know it was gone, never to return, by 2008.
Great hat! I’ve never seen that version anywhere either SC Gator. Good style.
It’s a Nike, from what I just learned was called the “Sacred Ground” collection, referring to college stadiums. Inside the hat was random information about the Coliseum. On the back of the hat it said “92,000”.
Still surprised it didn’t last long in the store.
Just make sure it is fully cloth (no mesh plastic in the back), soft front, adjustable buckle in the back, curved bill. Classy look.
That’s my pref too. No mesh, though lots of people like it. Who here doesn’t have a USC hat? Anyone? I even had one made for me in Laguna by a cool small hat vendor.
I only have 5, though a couple are ready for Goodwill!
The older the better. The rarer the better, though those are hard to come by. I managed to come up with one that was a little unique from the Coliseum before a game about 40 years ago. Wish I still had it!
I have several hats. At least four in the back of my car for any occasion. The one I don’t have is the tirebiter style. My parents had had from the late 40s that had cardinal on the sides and gold down the middle. My brother grabbed them when we were cleaning mom’s house. Mom swore she drove George Tirebiter around the coliseum in my grandpa’s car and her hat was on him. As for mesh hats I don’t wear them because they don’t do the job of keeping the sun off my head.
Fantastic “Tirebiter” story. One of the best I’ve ever heard! ✌
You sound like the judge in My Cousin Vinnie.
Great feedback, friends! I’m in this predicament because I forgot to pack any USC gear, duh! I’m going with second picture Allen posted, the worn cotton fitted with the curved bill. The plastic snap adjuster with mesh on the back portion style is called “trucker cap” back here, and I do not care for them. I also have a small noggin, so one size fits all caps do not fit me, and I do not like the flat bill with high cap style, makes me look like a walking mushroom. So, the cardinal ’47 with gold USC wins the day.… Read more »
Looks like a winner to me too!
Remember, though, the worst SC hat is infinitely better than anything in baby blue with ucla on it….
Hey VT, I’m not superstitious, but when I wear SC gear they don’t do to well, so I have decided this season everything is USC, and so far so good.
We will see how the game goes to judge how my cap performs on its inaugural game.
Eric Gentry. (Photo: Shotgun Spratling | USCfootball.com)
Love some of the personalities on the team. Gentry and Lane are fun.
Running the ball pays off – RB Waymond Jordan Jr. is fourth in the B1G with 209 rushing yds. His 9.95 yds per carry average is No. 3 in the conference. Of the Top 10 rushers in the B1G, Jordan Jr. has the least number of carries (21). – USC leads the nation with 8.60 yds per rush attempt, one of two teams averaging more than eight yds per carry. – The Trojans scored 20 rushing TDs in 13 games in 2024. They have 10 in two games to start 2025, tied for second nationally. – Oregon and USC are tied for… Read more »
Welcome to West Lafayette,IN…….where the temp might be anywhere from 91 to 87….with humidity. They scheduled the game to start at 3:30 pm ….right in the middle of the heat. The eastern stands better have a gallon of water. The field sits slightly northwest to southeast.
Not yet a sellout but 4% of seats remain……probably in the upper part of the southeast stands.
Wrong forecast….sorry! It might be 84.
I have my tickets, 2 at the 50 yard line on the visitor’s side. Can’t hardly wait for game time.
Have a great day!
Report: Bears QB Caleb Williams was incredibly disrespectful to coaching staff Jarret Bailey (The Sporting News) — The Chicago Bears were a dysfunctional franchise in 2024, and quite frankly have been that way for quite sometime. However, the selection of Caleb Williams and trade of Justin Fields was supposed to start a new era of success in the Windy City. Unfortunately for the Bears, it was the complete opposite. Chicago went 5-12, and the coaching staff was put under fire, which led to another new staff coming in. That said, the former staff feels like it hasn’t had its side of the… Read more »
For now, all eyes are on No. 18. Which is exactly what he wants.
I was disappointed to hear this about Caleb’s attitude, especially as I have always been a huge fan of his. Too bad. I’ve also come across info that many of Caleb’s team-mates didn’t even think he should be starting last year. Apparently, his “leadership style” didn’t jibe with the expectations that other Bear team-mates had. He was viewed as too detached, introspective and in his his own world. This all blends into Caleb’s 2023 USC season when after winning the Heisman in 2022, he ignored Lincoln Riley and decided to play “Hero Ball” whenever he wanted, leading to LR’s slide… Read more »
Well……I’ll be tuned in……everybody learns and matures……I sincerely hope he does and goes on to be all pro….. his new coach sounds like a no nonsense dude which may or may not help……but I’am like so many older folks……they think they are all special and they ain’t. Their s— does stink.
As I’ve stated several times to friends……bears should have kept Fields, traded for several 1’s and taken a couple to three top notch linemen. But what do I know.
I love football.
Caleb used to be a football God to me in 2022. A little less so every year since. I hope he somehow decides to be much more coachable and becomes a big star. He needs a really strong coach. Ben Johnson, the former OC of the Detroit Lions, seems like he might be that guy. But I’ve got more faith in Ben than Caleb these days, especially now that all this negative stuff about Caleb is sneaking out.
That was one heck of a first effort. They are up against a really good defence.
Caleb’s finally getting coached by a much more structured Ben Johnson to reel it in. Johnson’s a disciplined, no nonsense, hard guy coach who’s selling CW on getting rid of the ball more quickly and staying in the pocket longer. He’ll make Caleb do things his way, not vice versa as Caleb has been used to doing. So Caleb’s throwing lots of check-downs for now instead of taking sacks, running backwards, and skating around like a wild man — his devil-may-care USC gig which made people wonder if he could ever adjust to the NFL in the first place. His… Read more »
UCLA backup QB Pierce Clarkson (the son of QB guru Steve Clarkson) suspended following felony arrest The redshirt soph was released on $30,000 bond and was indefinitely suspended from the Bruins Benjamin Royer (OC Register) — Pierce Clarkson, a redshirt soph backup QB (from St. John Bosco) on the UCLA football team, was arrested Friday afternoon and booked on an assault with a deadly weapon charge (not a firearm), according to LAPD Public Information Officer Drake Madison. Clarkson’s booking was previously listed as an unspecified felony charge, according to LASD records. Clarkson, who transferred to UCLA from OLE MISS in… Read more »
Generally speaking, a guy bouncing around from program to program is not a good sign unless the bouncing has been from a juco or smaller program to a more prestigious one. There are late bloomers and overlooked kids that earn their way up, but kids going laterally or down (think Julien Lewis) is usually a symptom of trouble. This guy sounds like trouble.
UCLA is toast. A feeble coach leading criminals with a prima donna QB pretending he wanted to be a Bruin instead of a VOL is no way to go through a season, especially with the cross-town Trojans running on all cylinders on offense.
Joel Klatt, as recently as two weeks ago, was spreading the false narrative that Nico left Tennessee, not because of money. He wanted the bruins because he wanted to be closer to home, to have better players around him, and because Foster is better at developing QB’s than Huepel. Klatt conveniently hid his absolute hatred for Vol nation, which started when they withdrew their offer to Greg Schiano.Right now. I don’t who looks more foolish- Nico or Joel Klatt. This is what happens to you when you are a journalist and you spend too much time with Petros Papadakis.
Looks and acts like a knuckle-head. Kid is wasting opportunities that will haunt him the rest of his life, some of which will likely be in a prison cell.
132 points later, USC’s warmups are over. Now, it’s time to find out who this team really is. Antonio Morales (The Athletic) — The last time USC won a road game outside the state of California was on Sept. 30, 2023, when it won at Colorado. Riley’s teams have struggled to play clean football on the road and have generally made things much harder than they’ve needed to be. If the Trojans can turn the Purdue game into a warmup next Saturday, that would be a positive sign of progress. (The Boilermakers have some familiarity with USC — Purdue offensive… Read more »
I was most impressed with the 309 rushing yards. I’ll always be a run first and mix in the pass type of guy. That’s what Head Coaches John McKay and John Robinson did at USC when I was a student in the 1970s. SC won three National Championships in the 1970s and I’d like to see us get into the playoffs this year, or in the next two given the recruiting class we had for 2026.
One article said that Jaiden Maiva is a dark horse for the Heisman in 2025. I’d say he’s a real dark horse……the kind of darkness you get in a black hole. I can’t see them giving another LR coached QB a Heisman. Maybe Waymond Jordan but even that’s a long shot
I really like Maiva. At first I had a lot of questions. He didn’t seem to know how to read defenses, often throwing into a crowd when others were open. I questioned his leadership ability. But all those negatives were correctable whereas some of his positives you have to be born with. But it will be tough for him or any other QB’s or other position to win a Heisman at USC. I can’t help wondering if all of the USC haters who are in powerful positions in college football will allow USC to get another Heisman trophy?
USC will win another. Maybe even a few more. I think it’s in our football blood.
Future Opponent Report (Stewart Mandel, The Athletic) Mandel — Highly hyped WSU QB transfer John Mateer threw for 270 yds and a TD while running 19 times for 74 yds and two TDs in the 18th-ranked Sooners’ 24-13 victory over the Wolverines. He made several highlight plays, like throwing a rope down the sideline 36 yards to Isaiah Sategna III (ARK) or weaving around eight Wolverines defenders on a 19-yd run. Mateer was hardly perfect. He was intercepted on an overthrow late in the first quarter and was less effective in the second half than in the first. But he was dangerous enough against… Read more »
Week 3 Coaches Poll
Others receiving votes: Missouri 142; Louisville 88; USC 87; SMU 87; Florida 68; Auburn 57; Tulane 55; TCU 36; Georgia Tech 26; Nebraska 19; Navy 16; Washington 15; Mississippi State 15; Memphis 11; Baylor 9; Vanderbilt 7; Kansas 4; UNLV 3; Pittsburgh 1; North Carolina State 1;
They have demolished 2 opponents averaging 66 points per game and I’m not sure if they have moved up in the polls. Are we seeing a teeny weeny bit of bias here.I hope they demolish Perdue. I’m just curious if that will move them up any.
I think USC will beat MICH in the Coliseum on Oct. 11. OU solidly handled them.
USC remains in the penalty box ILL and FSU jump into the AP’s top 10 AP Top 25 Week 3 1. Ohio State 2. Penn State 3. LSU 4. Oregon — Nov 22, Eugene 5. Miami 6. Georgia 7. Texas 8. Notre Dame — Oct 18, South Bend 9. Illinois — Sept 27, Champaign 10. Florida State 11. South Carolina 12. Clemson 13. Oklahoma 14. Iowa State 15. Tennessee 16. Texas A&M 17. Ole Miss 18. South Florida 19. Alabama 20. Utah 21. Texas Tech 22. Indiana 23. Michigan — Oct 11, L.A. 24. Auburn 25. Missouri Others receiving votes: Arizona… Read more »
“Penalty box”…succinct and accurate.
You know me. I think the polls and rankings are important all year long, and add great fun to the sport. I’m not even saying USC deserves a top 25 spot yet. I don’t really know. It seems like we’re with a lot of other teams who may have just as good of arguments as USC to be ranked. But the Coaches and the AP might feel they have been burned by SC lately. That, plus I sadly feel there is some jealousy built in what is perceived as USC’s enormous advantages — like the best location in the world.… Read more »
Polls….yeah, they do matter. I followed the discussion on them a few days back. I view polls like the starting lineup in a NASCAR race where they have something like 30 cars in 15 rows of 2. If the race were 12 laps (games in a season), would you rather be starting on the pole position and just have to defend your position, or start 30th and have to pass 2 cars per lap by the end? From the pole, if others make mistakes, you win by default. From 30th, you have to be nearly flawless and count on a… Read more »
Plus, good teams that lose a game (MICH) come into town lesser regarded and therefore you lose poll support. Beating MICH won’t be so valuable now that OU cooked them. Starting behind definitely isn’t the same as starting even, or ahead.
It is looking more and more that the USC season is revolving around the Illini, ND and Oregon. Let’s take Oregon off the table…..I’m not sure Ohio State could take them…..but ND and Illini are both beatable.,,,,,and with both on the road…..there you have it. Top 10 if you take both.
SC’s defense stunk. It bothers me that Georgia Southern gained 242 yards against Fresno State and gained almost 380 against SC. They seem to be so geared to getting sacks with a 4 man rush that they are over-running the runs and the screens and letting the opposing RB run right by them. So far, in total yards(defense) they are 53rd in the nation, 70th in passing yards, 51st in rushing yards and 56th in points scored against them by 2 cupcakes. I don’t see a whole lot of improvement over last years defense and maybe some regression. They better… Read more »
I would be surprised if Lynn’s defense regresses. But you are right they don’t look all that good against two weak opponents. I hope Lynn knows the problems and the solutions to get it fixed. The games get tougher each week from now on.
I gave Lynn somewhat of a pass for last year’s disastrous defensive performance since it wasn’t truly his recruits. But that was then. I’m concerned as you are about it but maybe it’s good that the problems were exposed now against weaker teams. Let’s hope that Lynne cleans that up fast. Go SC!
That’s why I disagree with people like Mark Kulkin who want to play a tough opponent every game. Had we started off with 2 tough opponent this year we might have lost each game. Easy games at the start give us a chance to see in real live action where our problems are with time to fix the problems before the tough games come. Wait and see…..starting next week they will run right at us until we until we stop it. The game plan will be ball control.
Last years defense was actually good compared to the Alex Grench versions. But this year, with all the higher quality players, they should be improving over last year. I didn’t see that against GS.
Unfortunately, our defense looks like it’s not exactly where we’d like to see it, which is a surprise to me after all the fall camp hoopla. Pre-Season Kool-Aid can be so addictive! Hopefully, things can be tightened up, or we’re in trouble again. So the drama on defense continues. But on the hugely positive side, our running game has been fantastic. The best I’ve seen in a long time at USC. This is what a lot of us were praying for all off season. So far, USC’s balanced offense has been a dream come true. Now, we’ve got the B1G… Read more »
Last year our defense really improved but our offense didn’t get the job done. I hope the opposite doesn’t turn out to be true this year where our offense is great but our defense sputters. They’re over-running the runs and screens trying to get the sacks. You don’t have to get a sack. Just make sure he is pressured and doesn’t have the time to let the receivers make their breaks.
The days of USC just trying to win shootouts under Lincoln Riley are hopefully over for good.
But as we all saw yesterday, USC’s D needs a lot of work still. With D’Anton Lynn our DC, I have good reason to think our D will improve.
At this point I would agree with you. But that’s why I like a few cream puffs at the start of the year. It gives a chance to fix the problems before the hard games come. Playing in practice against your own offense doesn’t tell you that much. It tells you something but you need to see what they can do in a real live game. One of the coaches said he would probably be staying up all night watching film trying to figure out what went wrong. That tells me that after all they have seen in the preseason,… Read more »
Yes, it seems Coach Riley has matured and believes that a balanced attack
is required. Now he has an explosive running attack and no reason not to use it.
The defensive backs loosing sight of the ball was concerning. But it should be fixed with the proper coaching. It led to Lynn going to a prevent defense which
made their running attack look good.
SC’s Offense is great. SC may have stumbled upon another(like OJ) JC running back who will win a Heisman. I said before that I really thought that LR would go back to his Oklahoma offense in 2025. I think he has.
This is the best overall group of USC runners I have ever seen. I know that seems like a ridiculous claim to make for Tailback U, but it’s true for me. I never even heard of walk-on King Miller before last week, but that guy is a total stud with vision and speed. Miller became the first walk-on in 31 years to score a TD in game 1. These guys can all carry the mail. Run the ball, when it matters (unless Lemon or Lane are open, of course 😉). We’ve got the stars to do it. Boy, is this… Read more »
Two weeks in a row, balanced offense. Yesterday saw 33 runs and 30 pass attempts. I hope Riley keeps it up. What in the world was going on in his head last season?
I don’t know what was going on in his head but after the season I know what went on.;…….a light bulb went on saying get back to what worked in the past
Current Results as September 7, 2025
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