Nebraska travels to California for a clash with the USC Trojans in the Los Angeles Coliseum. Both teams announced big changes to their offenses ahead of this matchup, making the outcome more unpredictable.
The Huskers changed offensive coordinators and play-callers, bringing in Dana Holgorsen to jump-start Nebraska’s offense. However, USC also made a change during the bye week, benching quarterback Miller Moss and starting sophomore UNLV transfer Jayden Maiava.
Maiava played in all 14 games for the Rebels in 2023, leading the team to the Mountain West Championship, where they fell to Boise State. UNLV then played Kansas in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl but lost 49-36 after throwing 24 completions off 35 throws for 291 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions
He finished his freshman year completing 224 of 353 passes, averaging just over 220 passing yards, throwing 17 touchdowns and ten interceptions, and suffering only ten sacks across 14 games.
However, he also had run support at UNLV, with the Rebels racking up 2,429 rushing yards and 39 rushing touchdowns. Maiava is a dual threat, breaking seven double-digit yard runs during the 14-game span.
UCLA’s Ethan Garbers showed that quarterback runs are another critical factor in getting by Nebraska’s defense. However, Maiava only has one season of play under his belt, which primarily consisted of facing Mountain West teams.
Now, he earns his first start as a Trojan against a Big Ten defense that, despite its struggles, still poses a threat to inexperienced quarterbacks. The Blackshirts stand with 25 sacks and nine interceptions while holding opponents to just over 19 points per game.
Also, adding Phil Snow as a defensive consultant could give Tony White support and help turn the defense around.
USC relies on the passing game but can produce on the ground when needed. Nebraska’s defense primarily shuts down running backs, excluding Indiana. So, the Huskers need to get to Maiava if they want to stop the pass. Bring the pressure, take away the first read, and force the Trojans to run.
With a shake-up finally occurring for Nebraska, USC can’t rely on the predictability aspect, as it’s hard to say what Dana Holgorsen will call from the playbook or even cook up.
He’s only been in Nebraska for less than two weeks, so it’s more than likely that Satterfield’s playbook is still present. But Holgorsen is calling the shots and could even rework a few of the plays to his liking.
However, unlike the Husker’s last three opponents, USC can’t foresee what Nebraska will do, which doesn’t help its defense. The Trojans allowed an average of around 22 points per game this season.
However, with Nebraska’s recent history of seeking the sixth win, it’s hard to give the Huskers the win here. USC has struggled in the fourth as of late, but it couldn’t have asked for a better team to get out of that stretch than Nebraska.
Score Prediction: USC 28, Nebraska 24
Contact/Follow us @CornhuskersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Nebraska news, notes, and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Cornhuskers Wire: Expert score predictions: Nebraska vs. USC
