On Saturday, USC opened up its 2026 season by handling San Jose State 42-26 at the Coliseum. With the victory, the Trojans started off the year 1-0.
Following the game, quarterback Jayden Maiava and defensive lineman Jide Abasiri spoke to the media. Here are some of the highlights of what they had to say:
Maiava, on his chemistry with USC’s young receivers
“We put in the work all off-season. We had a lot of really good reps together, and it was a really good camp for those guys. I think it was put on display today.”
Maiava, on wide receiver Trent Mosley
“Like Coach [Lincoln] Riley said, he does it in practice in front of [the] Bloom [Center]. I’m happy you guys had a chance to see it. Overall, it was a great team win. Shoutout to Trent, shoutout to the guys up front and the running back room. Everybody played great for three quarters,
and now it’s on to the next.”
Abasiri, on USC’s defensive performance
“Definitely the intensity we brought to the field. The first game being a home opener, everyone’s excited to goout there and play. But when you start scoring a bunch of points and start letting up a little bit, that’s when things can go south. I think that’s when we let our foot off the gas, and that’s something we have to get better with next week.”
Abasiri, on his vision for the defense
“We always want to hold every team to zero points. Obviously, teams are going to make plays, but as long as we hold everyone to one less point. That’s the main objective.”
Abasiri, on playing in the heat
“I didn’t like it. Being from Minnesota, snow games are my preference over the super hot games, but stayinghydrated throughout the week really helped me prepare for this game.”
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This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Jayden Maiava, Jide Abasiri discuss USC’s victory over San Jose State
