In the dying breaths of an otherwise lost season, USC’s new quarterback trotted onto the field Saturday afternoon as a towering 6-foot-2 symbol of hope. Any last chance the Trojans would salvage their season — or at least secure a bowl bid — rested on his broad shoulders.
The weight of the moment was what Jayden Maiava transferred to USC to find in the first place. Nothing was guaranteed when he committed a foul more than 10 months earlier at USC, which already had a presumed starter in Miller Moss. The long wait had only increased anticipation since then, as Maiava told himself to “fall in love” with the process and wait his turn. But now the process had led him here, with all hopes that USC would end the season on a high note suddenly hinged on his right arm.
Those hopes wavered and wavered during a 28-20 win over Nebraska, with USC’s new quarterback looking equally dynamic and confusing at several moments. Debilitating mistakes gave way to comeback scores. Touchdown drives gave way to long pauses on offense.
But after Maiava flung one drive deep in USC’s own territory, and the Trojans’ special teams wasted another with a blocked punt, Maiava found himself behind the line on fourth-and-1, just across the midfield. It felt like a familiar fourth-quarter turning point for a team that had let late leads slip away so many times.
But when wideout Zachariah Branch got moving, Maiava faked the pop pass and took off to his left, throwing the ball to running back Woody Marks, who sprinted 34 yards.
Four plays later, Maiava ran into the end zone for the go-ahead touchdown.
It was a strong ending to what was at times an erratic debut for Maiava, who opened the afternoon with a pick-six.
From there, he bounced back in a big way, throwing for three touchdowns and 249 yards in his first start at USC (5-5, 3-5 Big Ten).
But it was running back Marks who once again proved to be the steady hand, even as a new quarterback took the reins. Marks ran for 146 yards on 19 carries to go with six catches for 39 yards.
The story, however, was Maiava, who became the first quarterback of Polynesian descent to start at quarterback for USC.
It took all of two plays for the Trojans to test Maiava’s big arm, letting him fly deep twice on USC’s first drive. But it took a while for USC and its new quarterback to find any kind of rhythm.
Maiava dug a hole for the Trojans to climb out of first. Under pressure from Nebraska (5-5, 2-5) closing in on the quarterback on an early third-and-long situation, Maiava floated a panicked pass over receiver Kyle Ford and straight to Nebraska cornerback – and former Trojan – Ceyair Wright. who returned the interception for a 49-yard touchdown.
It was as troubling a start as USC could have imagined for its new quarterback. After two drives, Maiava was a paltry two for seven with a crushing pick-six — worrying enough to silence the Coliseum crowd that was hoping he could be the answer to what ailed USC’s offense.
But any existential panic sparked by that slow start was ultimately short-lived. Maiava brushed off the interception and threaded the needle on a crucial third down pass to Ford for 18 yards.
Then, during a frenzied scramble to the right, Maiava offered an on-field prayer to Duce Robinson, who returned to the ball for a miraculous reception.
Maiava ended the drive just one play later with a six-yard screen to Branch, who scored his first touchdown in more than a year.
Maiava looked even sharper the next time the Trojans touched the ball, completing five straight passes, the last of which brought down Kyron Hudson for a 12-yard score.
What started as a two-on-seven whimper had turned into a torrid nine-on-nine stretch for Maiava. But as soon as he seemed to get the offense moving, the Trojans came to a standstill again.
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The next three USC drives totaled just 39 yards, with both teams trading mostly empty possessions. Nebraska failed to make USC pay with an 11-play drive. Robinson would have to run wide open up the seam to break the deadlock, while Maiava floated a touch pass to the wideout, who ran 49 yards untouched into the end zone.
That score would keep the Trojans ahead even in an up-and-down second half that saw a field goal blocked and a Maiava fumble lost.
It would take one last defensive stop before the Trojans could finally knock off Nebraska, as Greedy Vance Jr. intercepted a pass from Nebraska’s Dylan Raiola as time expired.
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This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.