Jayden Maiava passed for 259 yards and accounted for all four touchdowns in his first career start, and Southern California reversed its misfortune in close Big Ten Conference games on Saturday with a 28-20 win over Nebraska in Los Angeles.
The Trojans (5-5, 3-5 Big Ten) came into Saturday’s contest 0-5 in one-score Big Ten games, accounting for all of their losses on the season.
But Maiava, a UNLV transfer, gave USC some breathing room with a 2-yard touchdown run with 2:45 remaining in regulation, and Greedy Vance Jr. made a leaping interception of Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola’s pass in the end zone as time expired.
The victory came after a stretch in which USC dropped 4-of-5 games and its bowl hopes were hanging in the balance.
For Nebraska (5-5, 2-5), Saturday’s setback marked its fourth straight.
Maiava was announced as USC’s starting quarterback last week during the Trojans’ bye week, taking over for beleaguered Miller Moss. Maiava shined in his debut in completing 25 of 35 passes and all four USC touchdowns, but not before a rocky start.
Maiava was unofficially in on five touchdowns, giving up a Pick-6 to Ceyair Wright — a Los Angeles native and former Trojan — in the first quarter for the game’s initial score. The Trojans quarterback settled in the rest of the way, throwing scoring strikes of 6 yards to Zachariah Branch on a swing pass, 12 yards to Kyron Hudson and a deep ball to Duce Robinson for a 48-yard touchdown.
Robinson caught four passes for a game-high 90 yards. Woody Marks rushed 19 times for 146 yards, an average of 7.7 yards per carry.
Raiola, who was injured late in Nebraska’s last outing two weeks ago against UCLA, returned to the lineup and went 27 of 38 for 191 yards. He threw a 29-yard touchdown pass to Emmett Johnson that sent the teams into halftime tied at 14.
The Cornhuskers could only get a pair of John Hohl field goals on the board in the second half. Nebraska’s special teams blocked USC kicker Michael Lantz in the fourth quarter, with Wright deflecting the attempt.
The Cornhuskers could not cash in on the ensuing possession, and USC extended its lead to eight points after forcing a punt.
