Jayden Maiava has USC football humming. However, the Trojans may need more than offensive fireworks to survive their biggest test yet. No. 12 USC enters Saturday’s showdown with No. 20 Oregon unbeaten and armed with one of the nation’s hottest quarterbacks. Still, the defense remains the obvious question mark. Appearing on ESPN’s College GameDay, Pat McAfee praised Maiava as a “PROBLEM.” He noted that Maiava leads the Big Ten in passing yards and touchdowns. The redshirt senior has been spectacular. He ranks first nationally with 1,173 passing yards and 12 touchdowns through four games while completing 75.7% of his throws.

Jayden Maiava is a PROBLEM..

He leads the Big Ten in pass yards and touchdowns..

The issue for USC is the defense #CollegeGameDay pic.twitter.com/T3IwLaxRAs

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) September 26, 2026

Article Continues Below

Yet McAfee also identified the issue that could derail USC: “The issue for USC is the defense.” That concern became impossible to ignore after the Trojans allowed 35 points to Rutgers in their 42-35 Big Ten-opening victory. That was despite Maiava throwing for 277 yards and two touchdowns. Against an explosive Oregon offense, USC could be dragged into another shootout. This places enormous pressure on Maiava to keep producing. For Lincoln Riley’s College Football Playoff ambitions, defensive improvement is the difference between surviving this matchup and making a legitimate statement.

Maiava has already built a compelling college career. He earned Mountain West Freshman of the Year honors at UNLV in 2023 after throwing for 3,083 yards and 17 touchdowns. That's before transferring to USC. He eventually took over the Trojans’ starting job in 2024. Maiava then exploded in 2025 with 3,711 passing yards and 24 touchdowns. He also earned All-Big Ten Third-Team recognition. Now, Maiava is playing at an even higher level, and USC’s defense must catch up.