USC football makes loud opening statement in rout of San Jose State

It was Week 0 for USC football.For the poor San Jose State Spartans, it was more like ground zero.Say what you want about Trojans coach Lincoln Riley, still vying for that College Football Playoff breakthrough going into Year 5, but he knows how to pour it on against overmatched teams in season openers.He’s now a crisp 10-0 as a head coach going back to his Oklahoma days after No.14 USC made quick work of the Spartans at a sweltering Coliseum on Saturday afternoon.The Trojans methodically drove for a touchdown on the game’s opening possession and barely let up from there except for a few second-half hiccups on the way to a 42-26 triumph that wasn’t nearly as close as the score indicated.

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By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.Never miss a story The biggest nuisance for USC – besides its late letup after leading 28-0 at halftime – might have been the late August heat, an old-fashioned temperature dial near the peristyle end of the stadium hovering uncomfortably close to 100 degrees at kickoff for the announced crowd of 51,144.A new season gave rise to a fresh set of faces, with one quickly emerging as a possible superstar.True freshman wide receiver Trent Mosley was a force to behold catching passes and returning punts, his reliable hands continually pulling in passes that were a bit off the mark.While he put up big numbers, completing 25 of 29 passes for 286 yards and two touchdowns, USC quarterback Jayden Maiava did not live up to his billing in the team’s game notes, which described him as “the nation’s best quarterback.” That remains to be seen after Maiava struggled with his touch on more than a handful of passes, his receivers often saving him with tremendous catches.With USC leading big entering the fourth quarter, Maiava gave way to top backup Jo...