Biggest Winners and Losers From USC's Win Over San José State

The No. 14 USC Trojans handled business in their season opener, beating San José State 42-6. While there was a lot to like in the victory, there were some winners and losers throughout the Trojans’ performance.

Winner: 2026 Recruiting Class

USC Trojans Lincoln Riley Recruiting Class Tron Baker Sierra Canyon Madden Riordan Jayden Crowder Spring Practice Luke Wafle — USC Trojans freshman receiver Tron Baker | USC Trojans on SI

On Aug. 26, the Trojans released their depth chart that showed that four true freshmen will be starting – receivers Kayden Dixon-Wyatt and Trent Mosley, tight end Mark Bowman and defensive end Luke Wafle. Then moments before kickoff, Terrell Anderson was listed as inactive, which made way for Tron Baker to step in as the third starting wideout.

Here are the final statlines of the starting freshmen:

Baker: four receptions for 45 yards
Dixon-Wyatt: four receptions for 36 yards
Bowman: three receptions for 15 yards
Wafle: two total tackles, one quarterback hurry

In total, 16 freshmen saw action in Week 0.

Loser: Quarterback-Receiver Chemistry

USC Trojans San Jose State Spartans Week 0 Jayden Maiava Trent Mosley Kayden Dixon-Wyatt Corey Simms — Aug 29, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California quarterback Jayden Maiava (14) reacts after a touchdown during the second half against San Jose State at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

This is really a lower case “L” in loser. USC coach Lincoln Riley played it pretty close to the chest in regards to player health and there's no need to flex full passing-strength against the likes of SJSU and Fresno State in back-to-back weeks. That said, the passing game will be going through some slight growing pains.

Jayden Maiava hardly threw the ball downfield. The first, “real” downfield pass soared over Dixon-Wyatt’s head while Mosley did most of the work on his longest reception of the day – 32 yards after the catch. Riley’s play-calling relied on quick reads, check downs and short-yardage pickups for most of the first half.

The second half of action was a different story. It seemed that Riley was willing to let Maiava deal a little bit more as the running game took a backseat. Maiava was surgical through three quarters, finishing the game with 286 yards, two touchdowns, 86.2 completion percentage and a quarterback-rating of 191.8.

With another week of practice and the possible return of Anderson and Hines, the passing game could return to its high-flying action.

Winner: Trent Mosley

USC Trojans Big Ten Week 0 Trent Mosley Lincoln Riley — Aug 29, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California quarterback Jayden Maiava (14) is tackled by San Jose State wide receiver Jahari Johnson (0) during the first half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Mosley was missing from the previous winner section due to his performance standing apart from the rest.

In the first half the true freshman made his presence known through special teams – two punt returns for 56 yards. Then he brought in four receptions for 86 yards before heading into the locker room for halftime. Once the final whistle blew, Mosley had seven receptions for 118 yards and a touchdown.

For fans and analysts who may have been wondering who could fill the void left by All-American Makai Lemon, the answer is Mosely.

Loser: Defense

USC Trojans Big Ten Week 0 Jide Abasiri Jamaal Jarrett Alex VanSumeren Luke Wafle Kameryn Crawford — Aug 30, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans defensive tackle Jide Abasiri (97) celebrates after a sack as center judge referee Amanda Sauer watches against the Missouri State Bears in the second half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

This selection was surprising. While 26 points allowed is not the end of the world – a shutout would have been ideal to the Trojan faithful – the lack of sacks and turnovers is a bit concerning.

When the rotation in the trenches is built with the likes of Jide Abasiri, Zuriah Fisher, Jamaal Jarrett, Alex VanSumeren and more, one would think there would be more sacks on the stat sheet. The pressure is there and the unit has shown they can make plays in the backfield – Abasiri had three tackles for loss while linebacker Desman Stephens II had one.

Wafle, who was a block away from getting a sack-safety, and Fisher recorded a quarterback hurry. Wafle and Jarrett were also the only defenders to record a pass deflection.

The secondary as a whole came up empty handed by the end of the game. Spartans quarterback Luke Weaver threw for 234 yards, two touchdowns and had a completion percentage of 65.6.

On the bright side, the Trojans forced three three-and-outs, one turnover-on-downs, while subduing the Spartans to five-for-11 on third downs.

Winner: Waymond Jordan and King Miller

USC Trojans Big Ten Week 0 Waymond Jordan King Miller — Oct 11, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans running back Waymond Jordan (2) carries the ball for a first down in the first half against the Michigan Wolverines at United Airlines Field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It only took one half of action to realize how special this duo will be down the road. At halftime, Waymond Jordan and Miller combined for 107 yards while Miller punched in a touchdown. It's a shame that Riley elected to focus on the passing game for the second half but it's better to preserve the health of these two workhorses.

Final statline for the two backs is as follows:

Jordan: eight rushes for 48 yards, 6.0 yards per carry
Miller: 15 rushes for 66 yards, 4.2 yards per carry, one touchdown

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