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.
What went well for USC, and what went poorly? Here are some positives and negatives from the game:
Positive: Trent Mosley
USC might have its next star receiver, and he happens to be true freshman. In his college football debut, Mosley led the Trojans in receiving, catching seven passes for 118 yards and a touchdown.
Positive: Jayden Maiava
Playing only the first three quarters, USC quarterback Jayden Maiava kicked off his senior season with one of his most accurate performances. Maiava completed 25 of his 29 pass attempts for 286 yards and two touchdowns.
Positive: The running game
It was certainly a very good start to the year for the Trojans’ rushing attack. USC ran the ball
forty times for 164 yards and four touchdowns—scored by four different players.
Positive: Luke Wafle
Another true freshman who impressed in his first college football game was defensive lineman Luke Wafle. The former top recruit looked impressive as a pass rusher and finsished with two tackles, one pass defended, and 0.5 tackles for a loss.
Negative: The entire fourth quarter
While the game was out of hand by then, the fourth quarter was a nightmare for USC. After outscoring San Jose State 35-3 during the first three quarters, the Trojans were outscored 23-7 in the final frame. While the vast majority of the players on the field for the fourth quarter were not starters, it still certainly left a bad taste in USC’s mouth.
Negative: The secondary
If there was any USC position group that struggled on Saturday, it was the secondary. The Trojans allowed San Jose State quarterback Luke Weaver to complete 21 of 32 passes for 234 yards and two touchdowns.
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This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Positives and negatives from USC’s 42-26 victory over San Jose State
