No. 21 USC football (4-0, 2-0) will head to Champaign this weekend for a Big Ten battle with No. 23 Illinois (3-1, 0-1)—its first ranked opponent of the season.
The Fighting Illini are looking to bounce back against the Trojans after a 53-point blowout loss to Indiana last weekend. Despite averaging 45 points per game through their first three, the Illini were limited to just 10 against the Hoosiers.
For USC, the matchup presents another opportunity to prove itself in a season packed with parity. The Trojans have been rolling through unranked opponents this year behind stellar play from redshirt junior quarterback Jayden Maiava.
“Accuracy is a compliment to an entire offense: the line, the protections, obviously the routes, catching the ball, finishing the plays… it’s a group step in my mind,” head coach Lincoln Riley said to media on Tuesday. “I think Jayden [Maiava] has done his part up to this point of being prepared, and his footwork has radically improved.”
Maiava started only four games for the Trojans last season, but now leads the Big Ten in passing yards through four starts this year. High praise for his quarterback aside, Riley’s offense is notably run-focused for the first time in his tenure at USC. Junior running back Waymond Jordan and redshirt senior back Eli Sanders have been particularly productive for the Trojans on the ground.
Despite the move to employ more run-heavy offensive schemes, Riley’s receivers have been shining this season. Junior receiver Makai Lemon leads the Big Ten in receptions and receiving yards, and was named the Paul Hornung National Player of the Week for his performance against Michigan State after recording 225 all-purpose yards and scoring both through the air and on the ground. The award is presented weekly to college football’s most versatile player.
“[I] don’t really pay too much mind to it,” Lemon said of the award. “I keep doing what I gotta do on the field.”
It’s still unclear whether fellow junior wideout Ja’Kobi Lane will return to action against Illinois this weekend. Lane was sidelined for the Trojans’ last game against the Spartans with an unspecified injury. Freshman Tanook Hines and redshirt senior Jaden Richardson have been holding down the position in Lane’s absence.
“They got the confidence. That’s all I need,” Maiava said of his receivers. “They trust in me, I trust in them.”
The Trojans will take the field at Memorial Stadium against the Illini at 9 a.m. on Saturday.