In the last gasps of an otherwise lost season, USC’s new quarterback trotted onto the field Saturday afternoon as a towering 6-foot-5 symbol of hope. Any last chance of the Trojans salvaging their season — or at least securing a bowl bid — rested on his broad shoulders.
The weight of the moment was what Jayden Maiava had transferred to USC to find in the first place. Nothing had been guaranteed when he committed more than 10 months earlier, joining a USC offense that already had a presumptive starter in Miller Moss. The long wait had since only amped up the anticipation, as Maiava told himself to “fall in love” with the process, waiting his turn. But now the process had led him here, with all hope of USC ending the season on a high note suddenly hinging on his rocket right arm.
That hope wavered and wobbled throughout a 28-20 win over Nebraska, as USC’s new quarterback looked equally dynamic and confounding at different junctures. Backbreaking mistakes gave way to comeback scores. Touchdown drives gave way to long lulls on offense.
But after Maiava fumbled away one drive deep in USC’s own territory, and the Trojans’ special teams squandered another with a blocked kick, Maiava stood behind the line on fourth and one, just across midfield. It felt like a familiar fourth-quarter turning point for a team that had so many times let late leads slip away.
But as wideout Zachariah Branch sprinted into motion, Maiava faked the pop pass and took off to his left, pitching the ball to running back Woody Marks, who sprinted 34 yards.
Four plays later, Maiava scampered into the end zone for the game-sealing touchdown.
It was a strong finish to what was, at times, an erratic debut for Maiava, who opened the afternoon with a pick-six.
He bounced back in a big way from there, 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 steadying 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.
However, the story 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, as he twice let it fly deep on USC’s first drive. But it took a while longer for USC and its new quarterback to find any semblance of rhythm.
Maiava dug the Trojans a hole to climb out of first. With 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 disquieting of a start as USC could have imagined for its new quarterback. After two drives, Maiava was a meager two for seven with a crushing pick-six — concerning enough to hush a Coliseum crowd that hoped he might be the answer to what ailed USC’s offense.
But any existential panic ignited by that slow start ultimately was short-lived. Brushing off the interception, Maiava threaded the needle on a critical third-down pass to Ford for 18 yards.
Then, on a mad-dash scramble to his right, Maiava threw up a downfield prayer to Duce Robinson, who came back to the ball for a miraculous reception.
Maiava finished the drive just one play later with a six-yard screen to Branch, who punched in his first touchdown in more than a year.
Maiava looked even sharper the next time the Trojans touched the ball, as he completed five passes in a row, the last of which Kyron Hudson pulled down for a 12-yard score.
What began with a two-for-seven whimper had turned into a scorching nine-for-nine stretch for Maiava. But just as soon as he seemed to have the offense moving, the Trojans once again ground to a halt.
The next three USC drives yielded just 39 total yards, with both teams trading mostly empty possessions. Nebraska failed to make USC pay with an 11-play drive. It would take Robinson running wide open down the seam to break through the stalemate, as 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 amid an up-and-down second half that saw a field goal blocked and a fumble lost by Maiava.
It would take one last defensive stop for the Trojans to finally put Nebraska away, as Greedy Vance Jr. intercepted a pass from Nebraska’s Dylan Raiola as time expired.
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.