Trojans kick off 2026 campaign with 42-26 win over Spartans

LOS ANGELES — With expectations sky high for head coach Lincoln Riley in year five at the University of Southern California, the Trojans opened the season with a 42-26 victory over the San Jose State Spartans on Saturday afternoon at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

USC quarterback Jayden Maiava opened his senior season in impressive fashion, completing 25 of 29 passes (86%) for 286 yards and three total touchdowns (two passing, one rushing). His 86% completion percentage was the highest rate by a USC quarterback over the last 30 seasons when attempting at least 25 passes. 

"We put in the work all offseason," Maiava said. "We put it on display today."

Maiava, who led the nation in QBR (91.2) last season, started the scoring with a one-yard quarterback sneak on the opening drive to put USC ahead 7-0 with 8:55 left in the first quarter. 

The Trojans' standout freshman class made an immediate impact in the season opener, collecting four of USC's six touchdowns. Wide receivers Trent Mosley and Kayden Dixon-Wyatt found the end zone through the air, while running backs Riley Wormley and Shaun Alston each scored on the ground. 

USC's new pass catchers accounted for 217 of the team's 341 passing yards, good for 62.7% of its production through the air. The early-season success was a positive first step toward replacing the contributions of Makai Lemon and Ja'Kobi Lane, who were both selected in the NFL Draft in April. The Philadelphia Eagles picked Lemon in the first round while Lane went in the third round to the Baltimore Ravens — leaving Maiava without two of his top targets from a year ago and the production that helped him lead the Big Ten in passing yards.

Mosley made perhaps the biggest splash in his collegiate debut, hauling in seven passes for 118 yards and a second-quarter touchdown. The wideout from Santa Margarita Catholic High School became the first Power 4 freshman with 7+ reception, 100+ yards and a touchdown in his debut since Purdue's Rondale Moore in 2018. 

And he didn't just produce on the outside. He made an impact on special teams.

On his first touch as a Trojan, Mosley returned a punt 41 yards into Spartans territory, breaking multiple tackles and providing a glimpse of how dangerous he can be with the ball in his hands.

Riley took notice of the freshman's dynamic performance.

"He's a consistent, explosive player," Riley said. "He attacked and didn't play hesitant."

Following the opening-drive score, the Trojans continued to excel on both sides of the ball, dominating the first half and taking a 28-0 lead into the locker room.

USC, who entered Saturday as the lone ranked team playing in Week 0, controlled nearly every major statistical category through the first two quarters, holding significant advantages in first downs (19-6), total yards (312-102) and time of possession (20:14-9:46). The Trojans capitalized in key situations, finding the end zone on four of five red-zone trips while going 9-for-13 (69.2%) on third down.

The lone red-zone possession that failed to result in points came on USC's second drive, when Maiava was stopped short of the goal line on fourth-and-goal while looking for his second rushing touchdown in as many drives. San Jose State linebacker Ethan Powell made a terrific open-field tackle at the 1-yard line to keep the quarterback out of the end zone.

The highly anticipated USC debut of defensive coordinator Gary Patterson did not disappoint through the first three quarters, as his unit made life difficult for Luke Weaver and San Jose State's offense, allowing just three points while forcing four punts and a crucial turnover on downs inside USC's own 10-yard line.

Defensive tackle Jide Abasiri led the charge up front with 2.5 tackles for loss. His best play came on fourth-and-1 from USC's 7-yard line, when the junior perfectly timed the snap, split a double-team and stuffed San Jose State running back Isaiah Carlson in the backfield to deny the Spartans an early scoring chance.

On a scorching hot day in Southern California, Riley used the heat, combined with a 32-point lead, to get depth pieces into the game.

The decision led to a final quarter that proved to be a different story than the first three.

The Spartans put together three touchdown drives and converted multiple two-point attempts, trimming what looked to be a blowout victory into a two-possession game in the final minutes. Riley noted Patterson's frustration with how the team finished the game.

"He's pissed about the fourth quarter, his standards are high," Riley said. "There's a burning desire to be great."

The 6-foot-5 defensive tackle shared his perspective on the fourth-quarter struggles.

"We let our foot off the gas," Abasiri said. "That's something we have to get better at next week."

Despite the late surge from San Jose State, the Trojans opened the season with a victory, giving Riley a perfect 10-0 record in season openers in his career as a head coach, dating back to his time at the University of Oklahoma.

The win moved USC to 7-0 all-time against San Jose State and 12-2 in the month of August.

The Trojans will stay in Los Angeles and face a tougher test as they welcome the Fresno State Bulldogs for a Week 1 Friday night matchup.