The USC Trojans welcomed back former head coach Clay Helton in a Saturday afternoon showdown against the Georgia Southern Eagles — and made sure his return was a rough one. While Georgia Southern struck first, scoring within the opening two minutes, USC quickly settled into rhythm and never looked back, cruising to a commanding 59–20 victory.
Quarterback Jayden Maiva wasn’t quite as sharp as in his season debut, but he continued to show poise and control, completing 16 of 24 passes for 412 yards and four touchdowns — setting a new career high and surpassing his previous mark of 360 yards against Notre Dame last season, according to USC Athletics. Freshman quarterback Husan Longstreet also made an impact off the bench, completing 4 of 6 passes and rushing for 34 yards.
At wide receiver, Makai Lemon turned in a breakout performance with a 74-yard reception in the first quarter — the longest of his career — finishing with four receptions for 158 yards. Ja’Kobi Lane, a junior, added highlight material of his own with a one-handed touchdown grab, finishing the day with three catches for 91 yards.
“At times at receiver, there are plays where that’s the only way you’re going to get it, and that’s great — but it’s not something you want to rely on,” said head coach Lincoln Riley. “The great highlight was awesome; it was a phenomenal catch. But we want the high-percentage plays too.”
Running back Waymond Jordan anchored the Trojans’ ground game with 162 rushing yards on 16 attempts, rebounding after a fumble on the opening kickoff led to Georgia Southern’s first score.
“This is kind of the first adversity he’s had here,” Riley said. “He was disappointed about [the fumble], but he’s typically very responsible when he carries the ball. We didn’t have a problem showing confidence in him to come back, and I thought all of our guys on the sideline made sure he didn’t get down — and he responded.”
For Georgia Southern, quarterback JC French IV struggled to find rhythm, completing 19 of 35 passes while adding 179 rushing yards. Redshirt junior Turner Helton — son of the former USC coach — went 4 of 9 for 24 yards in relief. Wide receiver Camden Brown caught three passes and scored two touchdowns, while Dalen Cobb added six receptions and one touchdown.
Helton, reflecting on the loss, emphasized the importance of the team’s early-season growth.
“These first two games were kind of a training test for us — being on the road, being far away, having that opportunity to go through some adversity,” Helton said. “Our kids handled it well. We all wanted better results, but to see their growth from week one to week two — how they held together and bonded — it’s just going to make us a better football team.”
Defensively, USC linebacker Eric Gentry led the way with 10 solo tackles, followed by redshirt senior safety Bishop Fitzgerald with six. For Georgia Southern, linebacker Brandon Tyson tallied nine solo tackles and two assists, while veteran Brendon Harrington contributed eight total tackles. Though Georgia Southern’s defense provided more resistance than USC’s opener against Missouri State, the Trojans’ offensive firepower once again proved too much to handle — solidifying their early-season momentum and spoiling Helton’s homecoming.
