"He was on the brink of the biggest moment of his football career last November when Jayden Maiava tried firing a back-shoulder pass to the sideline and disaster struck. His third start at USC, to that point, had been his best, by far. While Notre Dame rolled over USC's run defense, the young quarterback kept the Trojans afloat, passing for three scores and rushing for two more in a performance reminiscent of the one that, in 2022, secured Caleb Williams his Heisman Trophy."
"Maiava is averaging 10.8 yards per attempt, which not only leads the nation this year, but would rank among the best over the past five years. He has yet to be tested, though, by a defense as aggressive as Notre Dame. While the Irish have allowed opponents to pile up a ton of passing yards through the season's first half, they've also been among the most opportunistic when it comes to takeaways. Their 11 interceptions through six games ranks second in the nation."
Jayden Maiava suffered two critical pick-sixes last November that followed several early turnovers, prompting intensive film study and a focus on decision-making. He cut interceptions to two through six games and incurred only five turnover-worthy charges on 172 attempts, stabilizing USC's passing game. USC's aerial attack leads the nation in yards per attempt at 10.8, ranking among the best of the past five years. Notre Dame's defense, while allowing plenty of passing yards, remains highly opportunistic with 11 interceptions through six games, posing a major challenge for ball security.
Read at Los Angeles Times
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