Lincoln Riley Not Fully Satisfied With Jayden Maiava as Costly USC Misses Continue to Haunt HC

It couldn’t have been a better week for USC fans. The Trojans climbed the Big Ten standings with a 33–17 road win at Ross–Ade, snapping a long drought away from the West Coast. Quarterback Jayden Maiava powered the victory with 282 passing yards and a rushing score, while Ja’Kobi Lane added 115 yards on just three catches. For a program that had lost 14 straight games in the Central and Eastern time zones, including nine in the East, this marked their first win there since 2012.

Even so, Lincoln Riley wasn’t fully satisfied with the Maiava-led offense. The USC head coach praised Maiava’s composure but pointed to missed chances on offense. “So we missed a couple of just easy completions just as an offense, not just him, not just the wide outs, just everybody as a whole got to be a little bit more crisp and in, and some of our route running and some of our just easier completions, especially in the second half,” Riley said. He noted sloppy execution in the second half, especially in the passing game, that kept the Trojans from building a bigger lead.

The issues were most apparent in the red zone. Drives stalled too often, leaving points on the field. While Purdue couldn’t make them pay, Big Ten heavyweights won’t be as forgiving. To take the next step, USC needs more crisp route running, more physicality at the line, and the ability to finish possessions with touchdowns. For now, the Trojans sit at 3–0 with momentum and a quarterback finding his stride. But if USC wants to contend for the conference crown, good won’t be good enough. There are teams in the Big Ten that would punish even the smallest lapse of judgment. If USC wants to be a top side, they will have to learn how to finish their games with a statement.

Lincoln Riley week 4 match-up prediction

The victory against the Boilermakers means USC now sits at the #2 position in the Big 10 conference. The 3-0 start to the season is impressive, even by USC’s standards. The next test lies in the next four games, where USC faces off against MI State, Illinois, Michigan, and Notre Dame.

So, it’s not going to be an easy road for Riley and his men. If USC improves on the takeaways of their match against Purdue, then we could see a close encounter against the big teams in the league.

USC enters the week 4 matchup as the superior team. Michigan State, even at full strength, doesn’t stack up against the Trojans’ talent and depth. And while Lincoln Riley’s group isn’t quite in the same conversation as Ohio State, Penn State, or Oregon for the Big Ten crown, a home date with the Spartans sets up as a game they should handle comfortably.

While oddsmakers have predicted a 40-22 win margin, do you think USC’s red zone troubles might lead to a closer score?