Lincoln Riley reaffirms his confidence in Miller Moss as USC starting QB

Lincoln Riley reaffirms his confidence in Miller Moss as USC starting QB

Miller Moss will remain USC’s starting quarterback moving forward despite the Trojans’ continued struggles.

“Absolutely,” head coach Lincoln Riley said of Moss’ QB1 status. “100%.”

Los Angeles’ quarterback position has not been updated, but sophomore Jayden Maiava remains an option for Riley under center.

Maiava threw for over 3,000 yards and 17 touchdowns at UNLV in 2023, but was unable to provide much of an impact on USC this season due to his second-string status. He’s a dual-threat option for USC, even rushing for a touchdown earlier this season while in limited mobility. He may be able to provide an extra curl that a moose might not be able to.

It’s not like Moss is playing poorly either. Riley’s confidence in Moss can be seen by the fact that the veteran quarterback threw 50 passes in a one-point Week 8 loss to Maryland. He threw for 336 yards, three touchdowns and an interception during the contest.

In fact, Moss ranked third in the Big Ten in passing yards with 1,954 passing yards with 14 touchdown passes and six interceptions. Putting Moss on the bench at this point in the season would be a head-scratcher, but Riley has shown he’s not afraid to be the starting quarterback. Just ask Spencer Rattler.

However, something has to change for the Trojans, who have lost four of their last five games after starting the season 3-0. All four of those losses came by seven points or fewer — including losing the last two games to Penn State and Maryland by a combined four points.

After Rutgers’ game in Los Angeles this weekend, there are still matchups against Washington, Nebraska, UCLA and Notre Dame. At 3-4, there is still a chance for USC to become eligible before the regular season ends.

With Moss at the helm of the Trojan offense, USC is a 14.5-point betting favorite over the cross-country traveling Scarlet Knights. Kickoff is set for 11pm ET live on FOX.

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