The 2024 season for USC football is officially underway.
In a showdown as old as time between the USC offense and USC defense, the defense came out on top.
“You saw some really good moments from both sides, some really good potential from both sides,” head coach Lincoln Riley said postgame. “As those guys that played today get better, as we get some of these guys back here for summer and fall camp, [I’m] excited about where we can go.”
The spring game rules are nothing like the normal rules of football.
Because the game is offense versus defense, the defense starts with 24 points, while the offense starts with none.
The defense can score points in five different ways: Three points for forcing a turnover, three points for a fourth-down stop, three points for a missed field goal by the offense, seven points for a defensive touchdown and seven points for a forced safety.
USC fans got their first look at what is likely to be a redshirt junior quarterback Miller Moss-commanded team, as well as UNLV transfer redshirt freshman quarterback Jayden Maiava, who showed signs that he is still in the running to compete for the coveted position as USC’s starting quarterback.
In his first snap on the field of the Coliseum, Maiava ripped off a short run, which he likely would have taken for more if the play was not blown dead by the spring game’s light tackling rules.
The USC defense took a dominant start, nabbing interceptions on three straight offensive possessions by all three of the Trojan QBs, Maiava, Moss and junior Jake Jensen.
Two of the interceptions were grabbed by newcomers. Graduate cornerback DeCarlos Nicholson (a Mississippi State transfer) grabbed the first and freshman cornerback Marcelles Williams grabbed the second.
The USC defense started off up 33-0 after not allowing the Trojans offense any leeway whatsoever.
Senior defensive lineman Jamil Muhammad discussed how much better he believed the tackling has been for the Trojans so far in the offseason — an issue that has plagued Riley’s Trojans thus far in his tenure.
“I think we had some live periods today where guys were the first ones to the ball, and we needed no more bodies because they broke them down,” Muhammad said. “I think tackling has been much better, and I think also that is a component of getting bigger, getting stronger in the weight room this offseason.”
The first touchdown of the game came from a dart to the corner of the end zone from Maiava to freshman wide receiver Makai Lemon.
After the first score, the offense got cooking, as Jensen and company marched down the field and punched in a touchdown on the ground, with freshman running back Bryan Jackson capitalizing to end the first half with the offense down 33-14.
The hot stretch for the offense did not continue as after a dropped Moss pass to junior wide receiver Kyron Hudson wound up in the hands of junior cornerback Prophet Brown, who took the interception back 100 yards for a pick-6 to give the defense a 40-14 lead.
“I probably haven’t run that long since my high school days at running back,” Brown said jokingly. “I was definitely gassed after that play.”
Riley spoke of how the defense’s performance was nothing new to the coaching staff and what they have seen so far in 2024, saying “I thought that defensively, you saw some flashes of what we have been seeing on the practice field. Defensively did a great job creating turnovers, probably the story of the day of the defense making the offense pay for their mistakes.”
The slow grind continued for the offense as the clock dwindled down, but the offense seemed unphased and proceeded with its game plan.
Eventually, Moss lofted a short pass to Jackson to score the receiver’s second touchdown of the game, as the USC offense eclipsed over 20 points, still sitting 19 points down to the Trojan defense.
Moss finished with 133 yards, two interceptions and the lone touchdown; however, he wasn’t phased when he was told that Riley said he would be the starting quarterback if they had played a real game today.
“My mentality or approach isn’t by coach Riley saying that I am the starting quarterback or not. My job is to lead this team and do everything I can to help us win,” Moss said.
The defensive domination continued the next drive, as Maiava threw his second interception of the game, putting the defense up 43-21.
The game ended with redshirt freshman running back A’Marion Peterson carrying the ball 6 yards for the touchdown, effectively finishing the game with the defense on top, 43-28.
USC has a long offseason of tackling drills, quarterback competitions and overall development before the 2024 season.
The Trojans’ first game in the Big 10 kicks off at 4:30 p.m. on September 1 in Las Vegas against the highly vaunted LSU Tigers.