By Earl Heath | Contributing Sports Writer
Jayden Maiava and the USC Trojans kept their high-scoring offense rolling Saturday night, dominating Louisiana 49-30 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
The victory moved USC to 3-0 and denied Louisiana an opportunity to begin the season with back-to-back victories.
It was the Trojans’ final nonconference game before they open Big Ten play next week on the road at Rutgers.
Maiava Leads the Offense
Maiava completed 17 of 25 passes for 206 yards, four touchdowns and one interception, continuing his strong start to the season.
Mark Bowman was one of his favorite targets, finishing with six receptions for 83 yards and two touchdowns, including a 9-yard scoring reception.
Bowman’s 83 receiving yards marked the most in a single game by a USC tight end since Anthony McCoy recorded 153 yards against Notre Dame in 2009.
Bowman’s performance also helped him earn Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors.
Freshman Trent Mosley contributed 33 receiving yards and a touchdown. He also returned a punt for a touchdown in the second quarter, giving the Trojans another spark on special teams.
Riley Points to Penalties
Despite the offensive production, USC coach Lincoln Riley said the team still has areas to address, particularly penalties.
“I thought we did a pretty decent job early in the game after they had a little bit of momentum from grabbing it back and really maintaining it,” Riley said. “I thought about midway through the third quarter, the penalties are going to be the most alarming thing for us.”
The Trojans will now turn their attention to conference play. USC travels to Rutgers next week for its Big Ten opener, beginning the next phase of its schedule.
For a team that has opened the season with three consecutive victories, the Trojans will look to carry their offensive momentum into conference competition while cleaning up the mistakes Riley identified against Louisiana.