USC Preparing for 'Much Improved' Purdue Team in Big Ten Opener

The challenge may be greater than some think. Although Purdue has played two games for USC's staff to evaluate this year, it's still an entirely new roster and coaching staff from the 2024 season. It can be tough to prepare for the unknown.

One thing USC coach Lincoln Riley has noticed? Purdue is a much better football team than it was a season ago. Through the first two weeks, he has been impressed with the job that Barry Odom and his staff have done in West Lafayette.

"They've done a good job. Their personnel — they took some really good guys. They had to overhaul a ton of players," Riley said during his media availability on Tuesday. "But give them credit, they've gotten two wins and done some really good things with that many new guys, new coaches, and all that. Give them credit, they look like a much-improved team. It's hard to even compare them to last year, because everything is different."

Purdue has more than 80 new players on the roster from last year's squad, 54 of whom came via the transfer portal. It can be difficult to game plan against a team with so many uncertainties.

"You get to see a couple of games, but you don't see everything," Riley said.

Obviously, USC will be mostly concerned with itself on Saturday, knowing it has to perform at a high level to leave Ross-Ade Stadium with a victory. But could the uncertainty with Purdue cause the Trojans some problems?

Maiava excited to play against former coaches

USC Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava (14) throws a pass | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

When USC quarterback Jayden Maiava steps foot on the field, he'll see some familiar faces on the opposite sideline. He played for Barry Odom and defensive coordinator Mike Scherer while at UNLV in 2023.

Maiava says he's ready to play against some of his former coaches this weekend.

"He's a great coach. I know he's got his players ready to go this week," Maiava said when asked about his relationship with Odom. "But we're ready, as well. I can't wait for the opportunity to go out there and play on the road."

In the early preparation for Purdue, Maiava has already noticed how much better Purdue's defense looks. He gives a lot of that credit to Scherer, someone he's also looking forward to competing against on Saturday.

"Great defense," Maiava said. "I've played with the (defensive coordinator) before at UNLV, so super stoked to go up against him. They're a great team."

Maiava excited to play against former coaches

Related stories on Purdue football