LAS VEGAS – USC is heading back to Las Vegas to play in the Las Vegas Bowl where the Trojans will face the Texas A&M Aggies on Friday, Dec. 27, at Allegiant Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. PT on ESPN.
USC (6-6, 4-5) opened the season at Allegiant Stadium in the Vegas Classic, beating Top 10 Louisiana State. It would be the high-water mark for an otherwise forgettable season for the Trojans.Texas A&M (8-4, 5-3) will be play in Nevada for the first time and serve as the home team, while the Trojans will make their first appearance in the Las Vegas Bowl in 11 years and third overall (2013, 2001).
Texas A&M and USC have met three times, with the Trojans having won each time. The most recent meeting came in the Bluebonnet Bowl on Dec. 31, 1977. Las Vegas Bowl XXXIII will just be the second edition that takes place post-Christmas.
“What a powerful matchup of historic college football brand names we have this year in USC and Texas A&M,” said SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl executive director John Saccenti. “This will be a great mix of a nearby university that we welcome to the bowl for the third time and a first-time visitor to our game that is only the second team we’ve hosted from the state of Texas. We can’t wait for these two powerhouse programs from the SEC and Big Ten to travel to Las Vegas for our famous bowl week in the Sports and Entertainment Capital of the World.”
This is not how Lincoln Riley envisioned the season ending after deciding to go with Miller Moss as the starting quarterback. However, this choice may have been questionable. Jayden Maiava, who replaced Moss for the final three games of the regular season as the team fought to save their season, demonstrated poise on the field and proved to be a great leader and teammate.
He led the Trojans to victories over Nebraska and UCLA but lost the final game of the season against Notre Dame, partly due to two crucial interceptions. It will be interesting to see which team Riley fields on December 27th against the Aggies.
Through his three starts with USC, Maiava has recorded a 77.3 grade per PFF to rank No. 18 among all Power 4 QBs with a minimum of 50 passing attempts. In that same time frame, he is also tied for No. 7 among all Power 4 QBs with 7 passing TDs and is No. 3 in big time throws (8) per PFF. After the Notre Dame game, Maiava had a 91.2 grade per PFF to mark the third best grade among Power 4 quarterbacks in Week 14. He also recorded 6 big time throws, the most among Power 4 QBs in Week 14. He is 79-of-130 (.608) for 906 yards and 7 TDs. He has also rushed for 49 yards on 17 carries (2.9 avg.) for 4 TDs.
With the recent departure of linebacker coach Matt Entz, who accepted the head coaching position at Fresno State, Easton Mascarenas-Arnold and Mason Cobb are potential players who may participate in the upcoming bowl game or choose to opt out. They are not the only players facing a decision in the coming days; Kamari Ramsey, Jaylin Smith, and Jonah Monheim are also key players that USC might need as they prepare to face a tough Texas A&M team.
Kyron Hudson and Sam Greene announced their intention to enter the transfer portal last week. Additionally, Woody Marks will not participate in the bowl game as he prepares to enter the NFL Draft.