There's no denying that Indiana's biggest game on the regular season schedule comes on October 17 against Ohio State. However, one tough matchup that is flying under the radar is a home tilt against the USC Trojans on November 14. The Trojans are into a make-or-break season under Lincoln Riley, as USC has yet to make the College Football Playoff under Riley's leadership. Patience is wearing thin out west, and Riley is in desperate need of a successful season.
The Trojans were in action in Week 0, and took a dominating 28-0 lead into halftime against San Jose State. They eased off the gas pedal in the second half, which led to SJSU making some big plays to make the final outcome look a little more respectable. In the end, USC won 42-26.
Several Trojans put forth noteworthy performances in the victory. We are still several months away from seeing the Hoosier and Trojans clash on the gridiron, but there are three players who should already be on Indiana's radar following Week 0.
Jayden Maiava has probably been on the mind of IU defensive coordinator Bryant Haines throughout the offseason. Maiava led the Big Ten with 3,711 passing yards last season, and he entered the 2026 campaign among the preseason favorites to win the Heisman Trophy. Quarterbacks under Lincoln Riley always tend to post monster numbers, and there's no denying that Maiava is primed for a huge season.
In the season opener, Maiava was as advertised. He was extremely efficient, showed great chemistry with his receivers, and didn't try to force the issue. In total, he completed 25 of his 29 pass attempt (86.2% completion percentage) for 286 yards and a pair of touchdowns with zero interceptions. He faced a weak SJSU passing defense, but Maiava was still impressive. He gives the Hoosier defense a lot to worry about on November 14.
The breakout star of the weekend for USC was WR Trent Mosley. The 4-star true freshman put on a show from the jump, totaling 7 catches for 118 yards and a touchdown. He made history in the process, as he became just the second true freshman wide receiver in USC history to reach the 100-yard mark in his first career game.
With Makai Lemon and Ja'Kobi Lane both off to the NFL, many wondered who would emerge as Maiava's favorite target in 2026. So far it's been Mosely. The 5'10" 180-pound wideout was making plays all over the field, and put his 4.41 40-yard dash time on full display while racking up yards after the catch. When the Trojans come to Bloomington in November, the Hoosiers will have to have a solid game plan in place for slowing Mosley down.
The defensive star for USC against San Jose State was DT Jide Abasiri. The junior playmaker led the Trojans in tackles (4) and tackles for loss (2.5). He accounted for half of USC's tackles behind the line of scrimmage, as they managed 5.0 on the day. It was an impressive season debut, and signals that Abasiri could be in line for a major role on the Trojan defensive front this season.
Over the past two seasons, Abasiri has been primarily used as a rotational piece. Appearing in all 13 games last season, he collected 26 total tackles, 4.0 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks, and a forced fumble. He is now looking to take a big step forward in 2026, and he is off to a great start in that effort. It will be interesting to see how he performs against better competition, but after one game, Abasiri is the player to watch on the Trojan defensive front.
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