The USC Trojans did not produce the amount of fireworks I anticipated versus San Jose State, but it still was an impressive showing. Many young playmakers had great debuts, and Jayden Maiava manned the ship perfectly.
Here is what I got right and wrong from my bold Trojans' offense predictions for Game 1:
Jayden Maiava will come out hot
"Jayden Maiava had an amazing start to his season last year. I think he will pick up right where he left off after a very good year 1. Maiava is more confident this season, and everyone is speaking nothing but praise in regard to him. Lincoln Riley has the utmost trust in his starting quarterback. All of the offseason talk and hype will come to fruition in game 1, as Maiava will start his Heisman campaign with a brilliant showing."
It was a slow-paced
game for the offense in the beginning, and it was a vanilla game plan. Maiava did not throw for over 300 yards, but he still had a very elite showing. His production matched the level of a Heisman candidate, and his leadership was on full display. Not much more you could ask from your veteran starting quarterback.
King Miller will run for over 100 yards
"There was no decision on who the #1 back will be on the Trojans' offense just yet. I think King Miller will help his case in Saturday's game with an explosive performance. King Miller is coming off a big freshman season, and he is ready to run wild this season. In game 1, he will remind the Big Ten and college football that he is one of the country's best home-run hitters at running back with a 100-yard rushing performance."
At first, it looked like Waymond Jordan was the lead guy, but as the game progressed, King Miller got more and more confident. King Miller fell shy of 100 yards rushing on the day, yet it was still a good performance in Game 1. King Miller ran for 63 yards and a touchdown.
Tanook Hines will get a ton of targets
"Tanook Hines is healthy and ready to go for game 1. The last time we saw Hines, he had 6 catches for 163 yards. He is a playmaker, and I think in game 1, Jayden Maiava gives him many targets to help maintain the connection they built last season. Hines and Kayden Dixon-Wyatt will be the Trojans' most productive receivers in game 1."
Tanook Hines did not suit up for the Trojans in the first game, but that did open the door for all of the freshman wide receivers to get much-needed reps.
Jonas Williams will see some action
"Last season, it was Husan Longstreet who got to see some game action after Jayden Maiava ran up the score. In these first few games, I think we will see Jonas Williams. He is a freshman quarterback with a lot of promise, and what better way to get him acclimated than against a non-conference opponent. I could see him getting some reps in the 4th quarter and showing some great flashes."
Jonas Williams did in fact see action, and although he threw a poor interception, he was very impressive in every other regard. He led a scoring drive in the 4th quarter, and he showed off great mobility. Getting experience in games like Saturday will go along way for Jonas.
Trojans' offense will score 50 points
"The Trojans were a high-scoring offense to start the season last year, and they got off to a hot start. I expect that same trend to continue this season, starting with a 50-point scoring day. The offense may have some young guys seeing a lot of reps, but the talent is undeniable. Jayden Maiava and Lincoln Riley will kick off the 2026-27 season with a bang."
The Trojans' offense was just shy of my prediction of 50 points, as they ended the game with 46. The offense still looked explosive, and all the young guys showed great promise.
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This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: What Micah Huff got right and wrong from USC versus San Jose State
