The USC Trojans competed against the Texas A&M Aggies in the SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl. Jayden Maiava started his fourth game at quarterback for the Trojans. It was a tough start for Maiava and the Trojans, but they rallied in the fourth quarter and pulled off a comeback win, 35-31.

Maiava finished the game 22 of 39 for 295 yards with four passing touchdowns and three interceptions.

It was up and down for Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava, but he did enough to get the win. In his four starts through the end of the 2024 season, Maiava went 3-1. USC coach Lincoln Riley feels good about Maiava being the focus of the 2025 season, and he said as much after the 35-31 win in the Las Vegas Bowl.

“I have a lot of confidence in him (Jayden Maiava). “The guy is so selfless, and the same goes for the team,” Riley said. “He just kept getting better and better.”

Maiava showed his poise tonight and was able to fend off early mistakes to fuel the Trojans’ late surge.

Things looked bleak for USC late in the third quarter after Texas A&M took a 24-7 lead. It was a battle for Maiava and the Trojan offense for two and a half quarters. Maiava finished the first half with just 69 yards and didn’t convert a pass on third down until the second half. He also didn’t take care of the ball and had some bad interceptions.

The comeback was initiated by two Texas A&M defensive pass interference penalties that extended a USC push in the third quarter. With 3:42 left in the third, Maiava connected with wide receiver Ja’Kobi Lane for one of his three touchdown receptions of the night.

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USC inched closer with a Bryan Jackson touchdown run, cutting the Aggies’ lead to 24-21 early in the fourth quarter. USC got the ball back and marched down the field to take a 28-24 lead after a lane touchdown by Maiava.

Then the Aggies’ offense got going, and quarterback Marcel Reed used his legs to extend several plays on the ensuing drive, eventually rushing for a 19-yard touchdown run to regain the lead at 31-28 with 1:49 left in the fourth quarter.

Maiava and the USC offense got the ball back. Jacobi Lane had two great receptions to get the Trojans deep into the rezone. Maiava then threw a seven-yard touchdown pass to Kyle Ford in the final seconds to secure a 35-31 USC victory.

USC started and ended its 2024 season with thrilling victories in Las Vegas over SEC teams.