The “Jayden Bowl” matchup at the Coliseum put Fresno State against USC, bringing two quarterbacks with different backgrounds head-to-head. While Fresno State junior Jayden Mandal made just his second collegiate start, USC redshirt senior Jayden Maiava took the field for his 33rd start.
Maiava’s experience took center stage as USC shut out Fresno State 39-0. He finished with a total of 349 passing yards and three touchdown passes.
A narrative before kickoff about Fresno State’s head coach Matt Entz, former USC assistant head coach for defense and linebackers, questioned whether his defensive power could contain his old team. That concern proved unsupported in the opening half, as the Trojans sliced through the Bulldogs for four touchdowns, scoring just six minutes into the game. By half time, the score was 30-0.
The Trojans carried this momentum throughout this game silencing the Bulldogs on their season opener. Mandal and the Bulldogs offense only reached the red zone once in the game, but never scored. The Trojans reached the red zone six times, scoring four touchdowns offensively and two safeties defensively. Mandal got sacked six times, one coming from junior safety Kennedy Urlacher.
Safeties were the name of the game. In the second quarter, the Trojan defense put pressure on Mandal when Urlacher tackled him in the end zone resulting in a safety, bringing the score to 16-0. Then with five minutes remaining in the third quarter redshirt defensive lineman Alex Graham executed a shot blitz, sacking Mandal in the end zone.
“The safeties are hard to get and I don’t know that as long as I’ve been coach I’ve ever had two in a game, so that was pretty darn cool,” head coach Lincoln Riley said.
The Trojans’ defense only allowed 116 yards tonight, its fewest since playing against Washington in Oct. 2008.
“I felt the team really prepped well and was ready to play this game,” Riley said. “We will need this guy here and this guy there. That’s how great teams function.”
Compared to last week’s game, the fourth quarter defense gave up 23 points. Tonight, the defense did not give up a single point. Urlacher credited defensive coordinator Gary Patterson for their success.
“[Patterson] has done a lot. He brings a whole lot of energy to us, he stays on us, he just helps us get better and better each and every day.” Urlacher said.
The Trojans hope to advance to 3-0 with their return to the Coliseum next Saturday against the University of Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns at 8 p.m.