USC QB Jayden Maiava is pushing to rebound from a disappointing two-pick six performance last season against ND. The rivals face off Saturday in probable heavy weather in South Bend, Ind. (Gina Ferazzi/LAT)
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USC quarterback Jayden Maiava threw two pick-sixes against Notre Dame last year, pushing him to work harder to improve during the offseason.
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Walk-on King Miller must lead USC’s injury depleted backfield against Notre Dame.
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Thunderstorms in the forecast could favor Notre Dame’s dynamic ground game and hinder USC’s nation-leading passing attack.
Ryan Kartje (LA Times) — He was on the brink of the biggest moment of his football career last November when Jayden Maiava tried firing a back-shoulder pass to the sideline and disaster struck.
His third start at USC, to that point, had been his best, by far. While Notre Dame rolled over USC’s run defense, the young quarterback kept the Trojans afloat, passing for three scores and rushing for two more in a performance reminiscent of the one that, in 2022, secured Caleb Williams his Heisman Trophy.
But then came that sideline throw in the final minutes. The pass was picked off by the Irish and returned for a touchdown. A few minutes later, having led USC back into the red zone once again, Maiava threw a second, back-breaking pick-six.
Those two interceptions, as well as his four others through four starts last season, stuck in Maiava’s mind all spring and summer, as the junior dove into film study and made cutting down on turnovers and bouncing back from poor decisions a priority.
And with Notre Dame on tap once again this weekend, this time with College Football Playoff implications for both teams, the progress since their previous meeting has been palpable. Through six games, Maiava has thrown only two interceptions, while Pro Football Focus has charged him with just five turnover-worthy throws out of 172 attempts.
That improvement has made a major difference for USC’s passing attack, which has so far this season been the most explosive in college football. Maiava is averaging 10.8 yards per attempt, which not only leads the nation this year, but would rank among the best over the past five years.
He has yet to be tested, though, by a defense as aggressive as Notre Dame. While the Irish have allowed opponents to pile up a ton of passing yards through the season’s first half, they’ve also been among the most opportunistic when it comes to takeaways. Their 11 interceptions through six games ranks second in the nation.
Maiava knows he can’t afford to let that trend continue if USC has hopes of knocking off its rival on the road.
Jayden Maiava sets up to throw downfield against ND last season at the Coliseum. (Gina Ferazzi/LAT)
“I think of it in terms of just getting back in that film room, locking into the calls, trusting where my eyes need to be and continuing to make the right decision,” Maiava said.
In a rivalry matchup where the margins are often incredibly thin, one wrong decision from Maiava could make the difference — both Saturday and in USC’s season as a whole. The fact that rain is in the forecast could only make matters more difficult.
But the results so far this season suggest that Maiava is up to that challenge.
“I think it’s mostly just experience,” Riley said. “He’s playing the game more now than just running plays, and I think he has a great understanding of when he can be aggressive.”
Here’s what else to watch as No. 20 USC travels to South Bend, Ind. to take No. 13 Notre Dame on Saturday night.
A tremendous tandem
Stopping the run has been a hallmark of USC’s defense through six games. But on Saturday, the Trojans improved front will be tested by one of the better running back tandems in college football.
Notre Dame’s leading rusher, Jeremiyah Love, is widely considered to be the top running back available in the upcoming NFL draft. USC defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn has an idea of why.
“Explosive plays,” Lynn said. “He has the ability to take the ball to the house every time he touches the ball. And he’s not just a threat on the ground. He’s a threat in the passing game too. He’s someone who we need to know where he’s at all the time.”
Jadarian Price, Notre Dame’s No. 2 back, is no slouch, either. Price is averaging 6.7 yards per carry this season. Together, they’ve combined for 15 rushing touchdowns.
But it was just last week that USC shut down one of the nation’s best rushing attacks, holding Michigan to just 109 yards on the ground, a season low.
A battered USC backfield
USC RB King Miller evades MICH DB Mason Curtis on a 49-yd run Saturday at the Coliseum. (Gina Ferazzi/LAT)
When USC lost Waymond Jordan and Eli Sanders to serious injuries within a quarter of each other last Saturday, its backfield situation looked pretty dire. But in stepped King Miller, a preferred walk-on who looked like a star in a 158-yard breakout performance against Michigan’s vaunted front.
So, with another top-tier run defense on tap, can Miller do it again?
If all goes as planned, he won’t have to. Miller has been getting the most reps in practice this week. But with sophomore running back Bryan Jackson another week healthier, he should also share more of the load Saturday.
Even freshmen Harry Dalton (25) and Riley Wormley may play a part as USC tries to settle into its new reality with the rushing attack.
“With our running back situation, obviously anyone and everyone is certainly an option,” Riley said.
Will lightning strike twice?
Thunderstorms are expected to roll into South Bend just before USC and Notre Dame are scheduled to kick off. At the very least, rain seems like a certainty through most of Saturday night.
Depending on its strength, the rain could seriously impact how Saturday’s game is played, potentially taking the passing attacks out entirely. Lightning, meanwhile, could jeopardize whether the game is even played.
A rain-soaked style of game would presumably favor the Irish and their dynamic backfield over the Trojans, who enter the game with a walk-on now leading the way.
latimes.com
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I see the most likely to win out prediction with Notre Dame at the top. Of course. Can we be honest. USC must play the best teams in college football by being in the best, most brutal conference. Notre Dame gets to pick the Dukes, Army, Boston College and whatever impudent team. Yes they play a decent team or two voluntarily and of course USC ( which isn’t the USC like under Carroll ) but for example look at USC’s schedule next year ( 2026) and I don’t think you could find in the last hundred years a tougher impossible schedule. Look at Notre Dame’s… Read more »
Watching the rain for tomorrow it still seems to be becoming less of a big issue.
I was pulling for Miller Moss big-time and my prayers were answered.
LOUIS beats #2 MIA 24-21. The ‘Canes go down. Carson Beck threw four picks!
You can say that Beck threw that game away. With 4 pics they should have lost by 14-20 points. Great to see Moss win a big one.
Down goes Miami! Congrats to Louisville and Miller Moss!
And the Dodgers look like they are on their way to a sweep!
Miller Moss connects on a nice 35-yd TD throw across the middle and LOUIS now leads MIA 24-13 with 13 mins to go in the game. MIA can’t run the ball, so far at least. Carson Beck is gonna have to earn his money now. Update — Carson Beck throws his 3rd pick of the game. This guy is crap. Miller’s crew still leads 24-13, now with only eight mins to go, and the ball in their hands. Update 2 — LOUIS fumbles deep in their own territory and MIA immed converts and hits a two -point conversion. Now it’s… Read more »
Miller Moss and LOUIS lead #2 MIA 17-10 with 11 mins to go in the 3rd Q.
Will that Damn Irishman finally get knocked off Traveller?
IMO, the winner of tomorrow’s USC at ND game will come down to that dreaded word “culture.” Both teams have the talent and coaching to win the game. That’s easy to see. But does USC want to win bad enough? Is there enough confidence to win in South Bend? The last time LR took his team to South Bend and lost big 48-20 in 2023, he was roundly criticized for not understanding the importance of USC v ND. It didn’t look like his players did either. The Trojans looked lackluster and stale all game long. Averaging 51.8 points per game… Read more »
I trust Jayden has grown up mentally from both last years’ pick sixes and that horribly Michigan pick you had absolutely no business throwing last game. Every podcast said the same thing. It was an stupid pass you should have never thrown. No more excuses! Jayden if you haven’t wised up from those lessons by now, then you stubbornly never will and tomorrow’s game will be lost. King, hold onto the football & Jayden don’t throw a pass you shouldn’t. Make the domers earn anything they can score. Is that asking too much? Well is it? Go into the game… Read more »
CFB Media still questions Trojan toughness; USC needs turnovers Joel Klatt — “While I like Notre Dame to win this game, I think it’s a high-scoring one-score game, which has been commonplace for USC. I think Notre Dame wins this one 37-30, which means I’m taking the 9 and a half for USC in this ball game.” Pete Thamel — “I like Notre Dame in this game,. I want to give Lincoln Riley and USC a lot of credit for the Michigan win. That was as big of a win as USC has had probably since the LSU game to… Read more »
I get it! It’s more of a James Franklin I can’t win at an away game against a strong home field advantage, the experts predict against USC tomorrow with Lincoln Riley’s playcalling. That he’s snakebite in losing a close one-score come from behind game in the last minutes of the game? If so, will it be his often criticized game management and again for the 99th time putting it on the defense to win the game at the very end which can’t stop a winning score? That the domers want it more than our players do again? I hope Lincoln,… Read more »
Paul Finebaum, Jordan Rodgers make big picks for USC at Notre Dame Nick Schultz (on3. com) — Entering tomorrow’s showdown, both programs are desperate for a statement victory, with another chapter being added to one of college football’s more fascinating matchups. ESPN’s Paul Finebaum and Jordan Rodgers offered their predictions via the latest episode of Get Up. They’re split on which side will come out on top between the Fighting Irish and the Trojans. “I am going with the Trojans,” Finebaum said. “And Greeny, you and I remember when this was maybe the defining game in the country every single year. It’s not that anymore,… Read more »
Hard to believe Finebaum said something in support of USC.
The entire PSU undergraduate class.
At a recent non-football event where PSU fell behind, the PSU undergrads immediately began chanting: “fire Franklin!”
Blame it on the Bruins! UCLA has finally become relevant in football.
They bloomed after jettisoning “DaBong”.
He makes that walk on sound like he is not very good, which we all know is very far from the truth and I wonder if Kartje watched the Michigan game. If I remember right, USC won an important game with ND in a very wet and muddy Coliseum. Did Kartje go to ND, sure sounds like it.
Who in the world ever thought this guy would be out of a job by mid-October?
If someone had given 1,000 to 1 odds, I would not have taken it.
Their collapse will make a good book in a few years.
Never was a great coach……but…..he was better than 75% of the field.
Who would you target as your #1 choice if you were in charge of hiring PSU’s next coach.
And he has to be someone who might actually take the PSU job, and not use you as a simple salary-boost mechanism.
Intermediaries of Matt Rhule and PSU AD are doubtless using burner phones to communicate.
I love these big brand school coaching searches. Often exceptionally entertaining, amusing and sometimes heartbreaking (like when we abruptly ended up with Sark instead of Chris Petersen).
Remember USC suddenly ending up with Lincoln Riley? Absolutely none of us had the faintest clue LR was on USC’s radar — and vice versa. It didn’t even seem feasible for a huge-name coach to leave big bad OU for floundering USC.
Next thing I knew, LR and his clan were headed to L.A. on Rick Caruso’s jet for a massive PR extravaganza at the top of the Coliseum.
Yeah.
Who would have thought the powers that be would decide, after Game 6, that it was better to pay him $49 million and walk him to his car than to let him coach against Iowa this week?