USC head coach Lincoln Riley discovered a scapegoat for the Trojans’ irritating first 12 months as a Huge Ten convention member.
On Tuesday, Riley benched junior quarterback Miller Moss, who began the primary 9 video games in 2024, for switch quarterback Jayden Maiava.
Final season, as a freshman at UNLV, Maiava was 224-of-353 (63.5 %) for 3,085 yards, 17 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
This 12 months, Moss is 233-of-362 (64.4 %) for two,555 yards, 18 touchdowns and 9 interceptions.
Moss had arguably his worst sport of the season in Week 10’s loss to Washington, which dropped USC to 4-5. Moss was 30-of-50 for 293 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions within the 26-21 loss.
However Moss hasn’t been the explanation the Trojans have misplaced 4 of their final 5 video games.
In back-to-back losses to Related Press No. 6 Penn State and Maryland, for instance, Moss was 54-of-84 for 556 yards, 5 touchdowns and two interceptions, and USC averaged 29 factors per sport.
The protection failed in every occasion, permitting a median of 473.5 yards per sport.
If Riley did not have a popularity for squandering elite quarterback expertise, we would give him a go for his determination to maneuver on to Maiava.
Moss is not the caliber of quarterbacks that a few of Riley’s finest (Caleb Williams, Kyler Murray, Baker Mayfield) had been, however transferring on from him appears like a transfer from a coach who’s out of concepts.
The Riley period at USC started in 2022 and has been a disappointment. In two-plus seasons underneath Riley, the Trojans are 23-13.
If he actually desires to assist this system, Riley will look within the mirror.
