LOS ANGELES — Cameras flashed when USC’s Jayden Maiava and Nebraska’s Dylan Raiola embraced on the Coliseum field last fall.
The two quarterbacks of Polynesian descent posed with shakas up for a viral social media moment, but the words exchanged between the two meant more than clicks.
“That was a pretty special moment for us,” Maiava recalled to reporters after practice on Tuesday. “Two small kids from the island, playing at a really high level right now in D1 college football. Taking it in and being grateful for where we’ve come from.”
Maiava and Raiola were both born in Hawaii, and the latter is the son of Polynesian Football Hall of Fame member and 14-year Detroit Lions veteran Dominic Raiola. Although the two quarterbacks are not close, Maiava told reporters that their families know each other through his quarterback coach.
The two will meet again on Saturday — this time in Lincoln, Nebraska — under significantly different circumstances for Maiava.
Last season’s Nebraska game was the first one that Maiava started in after Miller Moss had been benched. In a 28-20 USC win, he ended the night with 259 passing yards, three touchdowns and one rushing touchdown.
“It was a lot at first,” Maiava said. “I think this year I did a really good job in terms of staying neutral-headed. I wish I’d have known that last year, but everything happens for a reason, so I’m super grateful.”
Raiola ranks fourth in the Big Ten in touchdown passes with 17 and helped Nebraska bounce back from a loss to unranked Minnesota to beat Northwestern 28-21 at home. Raiola went 16-for-22 for 238.6 yards, a touchdown and an interception.
Maiava has one of the best arms in the Big Ten Conference, completing passes at a conference-leading clip of 311.4 yards per game.
Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule praised the USC quarterback’s development during a press conference on Monday.
“He manages the game at a really high level,” Rhule said. “He can throw the deep ball, he can move, he can run zone read. They utilize him as a runner down in the red zone. He gets outside the pocket, can see the field. He’s just another in a long line of great quarterbacks under coach.”
Offensive line update
USC coach Lincoln Riley was hesitant to say whether the original group of starters on the offensive line will be back together this weekend in Nebraska.
Center Kilian O’Connor has missed the last two games due to a knee injury and left tackle Elijah Paige hasn’t seen the field since Week 4 when he sustained a lower-body injury against Michigan State.
“I definitely think we’re making progress,” Riley said. “We’ve got a couple of lingering things that some of these guys are able to start doing some things on the field, and then you’re trying to judge the difference between being able to do a few things in practice and then, realistically, being ready to play.”
A second bye in four weeks has allowed players to rest and get healthy, but the Trojans are still being cautious.
“The thing we try to be careful about is pouring a bunch of reps into a unit and then they end up playing with a different one,” Riley said. “We’re trying to keep as much continuity as we can.”