Southern California is benching starting quarterback Miller Moss and will replace him with transfer Jayden Maiava, multiple outlets reported Tuesday.
The Trojans (4-5) are on a bye week after losing four of their past five games. They are preparing Maiava to start in their next game, Nov. 16 against Nebraska.
It’s been a free fall for USC, which was ranked No. 13 in the Associated Press Top 25 poll after their season-opening win against LSU.
Moss threw three interceptions in a 26-21 loss to Washington on Saturday. In nine starts, he has completed 233 of 362 passes (64.4 percent) for 2,555 yards with 18 touchdowns and nine interceptions.
He was all but anointed as the 2024 starter last winter after he threw for a Holiday Bowl-record six touchdowns as a replacement for Caleb Williams, who skipped the game to prepare for the NFL draft.
Maiava, a redshirt sophomore, started 14 games for UNLV in 2023 as the Rebels made their first appearance ever in the Mountain West championship game. He completed 63.5 percent of his passes for 3,085 yards, 17 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He also ran for 277 yards and three touchdowns as he was named 2023 Mountain West Freshman of the Year.
The Trojans are 2-5 in the Big Ten in their first season and need two wins to become eligible for a bowl game. They close the season with games against traditional rivals UCLA (Nov. 23) and Notre Dame (Nov. 30).