Tag: Miller Moss

The big loser in USC football’s quarterback change? Eric Musselman

Eric Musselman and USC are 2-0, but the football team was still the big story of the week due to its QB change. It’s a reminder about what gets the headlines.

Monday night at USC basketball was supposed to be all about Eric Musselman. Coaching his first game in charge of the USC men’s basketball program, the “Muss Bus” impressed in his debut. The Trojans dominated UT Chattanooga in a wire-to-wire 77-51 victory. Unfortunately for Musselman, however, he only had the spotlight for barely an hour after the game ended. That was because around 10 p.m. local time on Monday night in Los Angeles, it was reported that the football team was making a change at quarterback, and turning to Jayden Maiava to start against Nebraska.

Suddenly, Musselman and the basketball team were pushed to the back page. With the attention of USC fans naturally turning toward the big football news, they quickly forgot about the impressive performance from Musselman’s team in a game they had just watched.

Oh, and to top it all off, there was an election the next day — that was kind of important.

Fortunately for Musselman, Monday was only the first game of a long season. He and his team will have plenty of other opportunities to play their way back into the spotlight. USC beat Idaho State on Thursday in a game which was not on national television. It’s just as well: USC didn’t play particularly well. Yet, the Trojans are 2-0 and are trying to build something special under Musselman.

For the time being, however, being pushed aside by football in the news cycle must have been at least a little bit frustrating for the new head coach.

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Timing was important in USC quarterback change

One reason for this USC quarterback switch from Miller Moss to Jayden Maiava really stands out. It reinforces why this was the right time to make the move.

On Monday night, it was reported that USC will be making a change at quarterback. After redshirt junior starter Miller Moss struggled in a loss at Washington, the Trojans will turn to redshirt sophomore UNLV transfer Jayden Maiava when they take on Nebraska.

While segments of the fan base had been calling on head coach Lincoln Riley to make a quarterback change for several weeks prior, the timing was seemingly challenging. After Moss had an up-and-down day in a loss at Maryland, the Trojans had a short week, returning to the field just five days later against Rutgers.

Against the Scarlet Knights, Moss played well, completing 20 of 28 passes for 308 yards and two touchdowns. It was enough to silence the doubters for at least a week. On the road in Seattle, however, he threw three interceptions in a 26-21 loss, once again raising questions about his future as the starter.

There is no good time to make an in-season quarterback change, but with the Trojans having a break this upcoming week, it is about the least bad timing they could ask for. Maiava will have a full two weeks of practice before his first start in Cardinal and Gold.

Further, USC will not leave Los Angeles County again this regular season. The Trojans will play two of their final three games at home, with the one “road” game coming against crosstown rival UCLA at the Rose Bowl. Hence, Maiava will not be thrown into any truly hostile environments the rest of the year.

It is obviously a tough break for Moss, who opened the season by leading the Trojans to a signature victory over LSU and had been having a solid season overall. Yet, with USC sitting at 4-5, Riley desperately needed to switch something up in order to potentially make a bowl game and salvage something out of what has been a lost season.

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National columnist says Miller Moss is taking the fall for Lincoln Riley at USC

Miller Moss is not the problem with the USC Trojans’ struggles, rather Lincoln Riley is covering up his own failure.

After starting the season 3-1 and moving up to No. 11 in the AP Poll, the USC Trojans plummeted with losses to Minnesota, Penn State, and Maryland. The Trojans are just 1-3 in their last four games, but the weight of the struggle seems to have fallen on the wrong shoulders.

It was announced earlier this week that quarterback Miller Moss lost the starting job to transfer Jayden Maiava, but Moss and the offense are not entirely the problem. The Trojans have scored 21 or more points in eight of their nine games this season while scoring 28 or more in three of their last four.

This season, Moss has a 64.3% completion rate with 18 touchdowns and 9 interceptions. Four players — Woody Marks, Makai Lemon, Zachariah Branch, and Ja’Kobi Lane — all have 32 or more receptions, while Lane (5) and Lemon (3) are amongst the teams’ top TD targets.

The Trojans rank fifth in points scored this season in the Big Ten behind Iowa, Ohio State, Oregon, and Indiana.

While the offense surely has room to improve, it is clearly still performing at high levels, which begs the question: Is Lincoln Riley just using Miller Moss as a scapegoat to cover up his atrocity of a season?

College football columnist Patrick Conn of College Sports Wire makes a good point when he notes that the quarterback is far from the only reason USC has struggled in 2024. This is not a one-man problem:

Moss didn’t play particularly well in their last game against the Washington Huskies, turning the ball over with three interceptions. Moss doesn’t have terrible numbers by any stretch but this feels like someone having to take the fall. Maiava could provide a spark for this team but even when the quarterback play has been good, this team has found ways to lose.

USC has lost as a team this year, meaning that in the games USC lost, the blame generally couldn’t be placed on any one player or position group. Some position groups have been more disappointing than others, but a little bit of everything has gone wrong in these games. To an extent, the move to Jayden Maiava might be Lincoln Riley’s way of hoping that the other USC players will step up to help their quarterback.

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Lincoln Riley benches Miller Moss as Jayden Maiava gets the start vs Nebraska

Quarterback Jayden Maiava will start for the Trojans in their upcoming matchup against Nebraska, replacing Miller Moss.

Here’s a big story in the world of USC football: It has been confirmed that Jayden Maiava will be promoted to starting quraterback when USC faces Nebraska in two weeks. Lincoln Riley benching Miller Moss is a decision that comes with some questions.

An obvious first question is this: Why are the Trojans allowing Nebraska two weeks’ notice to game-plan for the change?

Miller Moss and Maiava have different play styles, so releasing this news so early gives an unnecessary advantage to Nebraska in being able to plan for the change.

In terms of head coach Lincoln Riley, it seems as though this move can only negatively impact him.

If Maiava can turn around the team and his promotion to starter is positive, we will be forced to ask why Riley waited so long to make the change.

If the change is for the worse, Trojan fans will feel further confirmation that Riley needs to go and does not have what it takes to turn this program around.

One thing is clear: At least this team is trying. At least the coaching staff has not thrown in the towel, even though the season has not gone the way anybody hoped. Whether Maiava will be a positive change is yet to be seen, but developing the sophomore transfer against a beatable Nebraska team is something that should get fans excited.

Former USC QB offers perspective on Trojans’ tough season

Former USC quarterback Max Browne talks about the process the Trojans need to follow in order to restore the toughness they have lost.

It is no secret that USC’s 2024 season under Lincoln Riley has not gone according to plan. After another frustrating loss on Saturday, the Trojans now sit at 4-5 and need to win two of their final three games just to make a bowl game.

It feels like a decade ago that USC won 11 games in Lincoln Riley’s 2022 debut season. Following the loss, former USC quarterback Max Browne argued that in hindsight, the 2022 success is largely responsible for USC’s 2024 failures.

“In hindsight, the 2022 season was the worst thing for USC,” Browne said in a tweet following the game.

“Gave the program the illusion the right foundation was being built in Year 1 reaching the Cotton Bowl. Instead, it was because of a super human QB and set an ‘all star’ transfer portal identity into the team.

“Most programs in Year 1 take their lumps, but use it to establish a foundation of grit, physicality, and toughness.

“If you don’t establish that mentality in Year 1, it’s extremely difficult to change course because if you all the sudden become a hardass in Year 2, you run the risk of losing your locker room as it comes across inauthentic.”

The “super human QB” that Browne is referring to is, of course, Caleb Williams. USC’s 2022 success was largely based around Williams being Superman on the football field and constantly bailing out his team. Because USC was winning with Williams’ heroics at the time, however, they failed to establish an identity of toughness and physicality.

Now, with Williams no longer around to erase USC’s mistakes, the team’s lack of toughness is being exposed. Despite being in the third year of the Lincoln Riley era, it feels like the Trojans are in the first year of a rebuild.

When you are paying your head coach as much as USC is paying Riley, that simply is not acceptable.

Miller Moss will be the best quarterback Penn State has faced

USC hopes that Penn State’s list of opposing QBs has been so mediocre that a great game from Miller Moss can have a maximum effect against PSU.

One big concern for USC football this week is that Penn State is a better, more talented team than any other squad the Trojans have faced to this point. Given that USC has already lost twice, that’s a large problem. However, the Trojans might benefit from the same dynamic in the other direction. Penn State has not faced an opponent with USC’s talent and upside. Miller Moss is a better quarterback than the other signal callers Penn State has faced to this point. Nittany Lions Wire has more on this angle of Saturday’s matchup:

After Caleb Williams was taken No. 1 overall in this past NFL draft, Miller Moss stepped into the starting role looking to replace the production the former Heisman winner had during his career. So far, the drop off hasn’t been that noticeable with them ranking 20th in the country with 292.8 passing yards per game.

Penn State will have their hands full, going up against easily the most prolific passing attack they have faced all year. Their inexperienced secondary will finally be tested, and even though that unit looks great on paper by sitting tied for 11th with just 157.0 passing yards allowed per contest, there have been some worrying moments in certain games.

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Photo gallery from Wisconsin’s disappointing loss to No. 13 USC Trojans

Photo gallery from Wisconsin’s disappointing loss to No. 13 USC Trojans

The Wisconsin Badgers football team lost to USC 38-21 on Saturday. It was the second straight blowout loss for Luke Fickell’s squad.

Wisconsin was coming off of their bye week and quarterback Braedyn Locke took over as the full-time starter following Tyler Van Dyke’s season-ending knee injury versus Alabama on Sept. 14.

The Badgers took advantage of three first h-lf turnovers from the Trojans, taking a 21-10 lead into the break with running back Tawee Walker scoring two touchdowns in the second quarter.

The second half was the complete opposite story for Wisconsin as they fumbled a punt return, which led to a USC touchdown on the following possession. They also failed to convert on fourth down deep in Trojans’ territory in the third quarter.

USC quarterback Miller Moss hit his stride following halftime, throwing for two touchdowns in the second half, while also adding a fourth-quarter rushing touchdown.

Braedyn Locke finished his day with 180 passing yards and a touchdown, while also throwing a pick-six to Mason Cobb in the fourth quarter. Tawee Walker compiled 55 yards and two scores on 12 carries.

For USC, Miller Moss produced 308 passing yards and three touchdowns while adding 17 rushing yards and a score on five rushes. Wide receiver Ja’Kobi Lane had a monster day, reeling in 10 catches for 105 yards and two touchdowns.

The Badgers will look to get back on track when they host Purdue at Camp Randall on Saturday in Week 6. In the meantime, here are some of the best pictures from Wisconsin’s Week 5 loss to the Trojans:

TV channel, start time revealed for Wisconsin Badgers Week 5 game against USC

Start time revealed for Wisconsin Badgers Week 5 game against USC

The Wisconsin Badgers will travel to play the No. 11 USC Trojans in Week 5 of the 2024 football season. It will be the Badgers’ Big Ten opener after they sat idle during Week 4.

The game, as recently announced, will be at 3:30 p.m. ET, 2:30 p.m. CT next Saturday, Sept. 28.

UW received its start time on Saturday following a six-day selection by television networks. CBS will broadcast the game with Brad Nessler, Gary Danielson and Jenny Dell on the call.

This will mark the second time Wisconsin has played at 3:30 p.m. ET in 2024. Luke Fickell’s team previously squared off against the South Dakota Coyotes during that timeslot in Week 2. It will be the team’s second-consecutive nationally-televised game after losing to No. 4 Alabama on Fox Big Noon Kickoff.

Lincoln Riley’s squad will enter the Week 5 contest following a 27-24 defeat at the hands of the No. 18 Michigan Wolverines in Ann Arbor on Sept. 21. Just 37 seconds bridged the gap between a victory and defeat for USC in its first Big Ten football game in its illustrious history.

If anything, the back-and-forth should cause Badger fans some concern for their first road and conference game of the season. Outside of his pick-six sequence late in the third quarter, experienced quarterback Miller Moss handled the stout Michigan defense quite well.

UW’s defense, meanwhile, is clearly worse than what the Wolverines can offer. On Sept. 14, Wisconsin allowed 42 points to the No. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide at Camp Randall.

To put that into context, Alabama quarterback Jaden Milroe threw 17 passes in the 42-10 thumping. Moss’ fewest completion attempts in a single game this season is 30.

Sure, USC may take a hit in the latest AP poll. In the end, the Trojans are a better overall team than Wisconsin in every single unit on the field.

Fickell and company will look to prove their doubters wrong at 3:30 p.m. ET on Sept. 28.

Wisconsin football Week 5 opponent suffers heartbreaking loss vs. Michigan

Wisconsin football Week 5 opponent suffers heartbreaking loss vs. Michigan

The No. 11 USC Trojans lost dramatically to the No. 18 Michigan Wolverines in Ann Arbor, Michigan on Saturday.

USC, which had generated a steady passing attack all game, lost 27-24 in the final minute of its first conference game as a member of the Big Ten.

The outcome is certainly notable considering Wisconsin will travel to Los Angeles to play USC at 3:30 p.m. ET on Sept. 28.

The game’s first four possessions, two from both USC and Michigan, ended in punts before the Wolverines leaned on Kalel Mullings and their run game. Mullings ripped a 53-yard run off in Michigan’s third possession to put his team ahead 7-0 late in the first frame.

Wolverines RB Donovan Edwards followed Mullings’ rush with a 41-yard strike of his own early in the second to extend Michigan’s lead to 14. The Trojans would execute on a field goal before the half ended, as Sherrone Moore’s team walked into the locker room with an 11-point edge.

USC quarterback Miller Moss captained a 12-play, 75-yard drive to open the second half and bring the Trojan deficit to four, 14-10. On his next possession, Moss gift-wrapped an interception to future NFL star cornerback Will Johnson, who returned the pick 42 yards to the end zone.

Moss responded with two more passing touchdowns to Jay Fair and Ja’Kobi Lane, but Michigan would ultimately prevail.

Shortly after ripping off a 63-yard rush on a crucial third down play late in the fourth quarter, Michigan’s Mullings reached the end zone for the second time to push the Wolverines ahead 26-24 with just 37 seconds remaining in the game.

USC quarterback Miller Moss would bring the Trojans up to their 37-yard line, but it was too little, too late. Michigan turned USC over on downs.

Although USC lost, Moss looked crisp for a majority of his throws. He threw 51 times against a stout defense, which suggests Riley and company may lean heavily on its passing attack against a struggling UW secondary.

USC’s defense, which has received criticism over the past few years, also appeared more than respectable in Ann Arbor. The Trojans forced a pair of fumbles and recorded two sacks against the Wolverines.

If Wisconsin hopes to contend against the Trojans, it will need to generate points early and often. In other words, the team will need to look much different than it did against the No. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide on Sept. 14.

Michigan star Mason Graham hopes to make Miller Moss throw the ball

Mason Graham very clearly said that he wants USC to throw the ball, and that he wants to force the Trojans to throw the ball in order to beat Michigan.

Mason Graham is a centrally important player on Michigan’s defense. Heading into this Saturday’s big game against USC, Graham was asked about what Michigan needs to do when the Trojans have the ball. Wolverines Wire collected Graham’s comments, which dealt with USC quarterback Miller Moss.

Graham said about Moss, “I just feel like he’s doing a good job, protecting the football, doing good things, playing within their offense, getting the ball to playmakers, letting them make plays,” Graham said. “And just feel like they’ve been able to run the ball consistently. So I feel like that’s something where we need to stop them and make them throw the ball and make them beat us throwing the ball.”

It’s true that if USC can run the ball, Michigan is in deep trouble. That might be why Graham is focusing more on run defense than pass defense. However, USC’s passing game is very capable. It made the big plays which led to a win over LSU. Miller Moss throwing the ball is not a bad thing for USC, provided he gets enough time in the pocket. We will see if Mason Graham’s analysis holds up.

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