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Through four games this season, Jayden Maiava has done just about all he could to dispel any lingering doubts about him as USC’s starting quarterback.
Maiava is averaging 12.7 yards per pass attempt this season, higher than any other quarterback in college football. His completion percentage has risen more than 11 points since last season (to 70.8%). He has thrown nine passing touchdowns, plus added four on the ground, and has yet to turn the ball over after throwing nine picks during the same number of starts in 2024.
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Granted, during the Trojans’ 4-0 start, Maiava has yet to face a pass defense that ranks inside the top 100 in passing yards allowed per attempt. Nor has he or anyone on USC’s offense faced much in the way of adversity. The Trojans have scored more than 52 points per game and won their first four by an average margin of 32.
But the level of competition ratchets up this week. Each of USC’s next three opponents are ranked in the top 25, while three of its next four games come on the road, beginning Saturday with No. 23 Illinois, which was ranked in the top 10 before it was trounced by Indiana last weekend.
If USC has any hope of making the College Football Playoff, it’ll need Maiava to prove his fast start in September wasn’t a fluke. USC coach Lincoln Riley doesn’t want Maiava to change much from his first four weeks.
“Just keep doing what you’re doing,” Riley said.
USC quarterback Jayden Maiava evades a tackle attempt by Michigan State defensive back Armorion Smith at the Coliseum on Sept. 20.
(Carlin Stiehl/Los Angeles Times)
“He’s been steady. He’s been in a good head space. There will be different challenges. You’re gonna have mistakes here and there. That’s where your experience is going to show up. We just need him to be the steady, efficient leader he’s been and keep playing really good, efficient ball. I think he’s in a really good head space to do that.”
Illinois hasn’t had much success rattling capable quarterbacks this season. Duke’s Darian Mensah threw for 356 yards and two touchdowns in Week 2, while Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza dropped five scores on the Illini secondary last Saturday. Injuries have only made matters worse for the Illini secondary as it lost All-Big Ten slot corner Xavier Scott to a potential season-ending injury, has one safety in concussion protocol and another cornerback in a walking boot. Two other defensive backs also exited Illinois’ last game with some sort of injury.
The stage is set for Maiava to make a major statement Saturday, in one of the marquee matchups of the week. Here’s what else you should watch for when USC plays to Illinois.
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Premium pass rush
(Luke Hales / Getty Images)
Creating pressure with USC’s front four was one of the main goals D’Anton Lynn had for his second year as defensive coordinator. Safe to say, that goal is off to a smashing start.
Through four weeks, USC leads the nation in sacks with 16, just five fewer than it had all of last season. Four Trojans already have at least two sacks each, while Braylan Shelby leads the team with 3½.
“Just scraping the surface,” Shelby said of USC’s defensive line. “This year, I want this to be a super big year. I want to change the narrative of this entire D-line.”
In addition to working with a renown quarterbacks coach, USC’s Jayden Maiava has been reading motivational books and meditating in an effort to improve his game.
USC finished 10th in the nation in sacks in Riley’s first season. But since then, the Trojans’ defense hasn’t had much luck getting to the quarterback. Last year, they managed just 21 sacks, good for 92nd nationally.
Illinois has also been among the better pass rushing teams in the Big Ten this season. When it comes to protecting their own passer, though, the Illini have had a lot of trouble.
Illinois’ Luke Altmyer might be one of the conference’s best quarterbacks. But no Big Ten team has allowed its quarterback to be sacked more than Illinois (16). Last week, he was sacked a whopping seven times in the rout at Indiana.
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Busted coverage
USC is focused on preventing Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer from connecting on big plays Saturday.
(Darron Cummings / Associated Press)
Lynn didn’t mince his words when asked this week about the big plays surrendered this season by USC’s secondary.
“It’s completely unacceptable,” the Trojans coordinator said.
USC has given up 39 pass plays of 10 yards or more through four weeks, which ranks in the bottom 25 in the nation, despite not having played any passers of note. This week, however, the Trojans are taking on one of the more polished quarterbacks in the Big Ten in Altmyer.
Riley knows that big pass plays could sink his defense during the next several weeks.
“Our batting percentage is fine,” Riley said. “The biggest thing is we’ve given a few too many gifts. We’ve gotta get a lot better. Our bad ones have got to be ones that don’t kill us.”
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Triple option
Illinois running back Kaden Feagin evades a tackle by Western Michigan safety Jaden Lyles on Sept. 13 in Champaign, Ill.
(Craig Pessman / Associated Press)
At 6-foot-3, 255 pounds, Kaden Feagin probably could have been a defensive end. Instead, at Illinois, he’s the leading ball carrier in the Illini backfield. And this weekend, he’ll be a handful for USC’s defensive front.
“He’s very big,” Lynn said. “He runs hard. He’s good in pass protection. It’s just [about] gang tackling. We need to attack the ball.”
Feagin isn’t the only option Illinois deploys in its backfield — just the most unique. Ca’Lil Valentine is averaging 5.5 yards per carry this season, while Aidan Laughery, the backfield’s best big-play threat, exploded for 123 yards and two touchdowns in the opener before dealing with an injury.
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Injury updates
USC receiver Ja’Kobi Lane (8) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against Georgia Southern on Sept. 6 at the Coliseum.
(Carlin Stiehl/Los Angeles Times)
USC may have to weather its second Big Ten trip in three weeks without two of its best players on offense.
Wideout Ja’Kobi Lane is dealing with an upper body injury that limited him in practice this week, and his status is up in the air for Saturday. Left tackle Elijah Paige left last week’s win in the second quarter with an unspecified injury and did not return. He was not seen at practice the rest of the week.
