Greg McElroy impressed by USC comeback vs. Nebraska

Greg McElroy came away encouraged by USC’s grit after a hard-fought road win at Nebraska. On the latest episode of his Always College Football show, McElroy praised the Trojans for finding a way to survive a tricky environment in Lincoln, as Nebraska rocked their blackout look under the lights.

While the passing game wasn’t up to its usual standard, quarterback Jayden Maiava continued to show maturity and poise, even on a night when he wasn’t at his best. “USC goes on the road to Nebraska, blackout, really cool environment there,” McElroy said. “The passing attack for USC was not where it’s been this year.

“Jayden Maiava this year has played phenomenal football, really good. This was not one of those games where he’s going to want to keep the ball. There were some misses. I thought there were several times when a couple guys were open.”

Despite throwing an interception, Maiava and USC’s offense responded behind a dominant rushing attack that carried the load. McElroy pointed out that the Trojans went over 200 yards on the ground and leaned on an offensive line that controlled the line of scrimmage.

“The pick that he threw and predetermined right to a corner was a really bad decision,” McElroy said. “It didn’t hurt them. Outside of a flea flicker there in the second half that gave him a 43-yard play and the eventual go-ahead score, he was really held in check to have just about 130 through the air. This was about USC’s rushing attack.”

McElroy credited Lincoln Riley’s squad for adapting to the situation, and knowing when to shift away from their usual air-heavy approach and trust the trenches instead. It was an effort he felt showed maturity from both Maiava and his coaching staff.

“Being able to go for over 200, I thought they had a really good game along the offensive line,” McElroy added. “… A good win by USC. It’s all about survive and advance at this point of the season.”

For McElroy, the performance symbolized what elite teams do when their primary strength falters, as USC found another way to win. While the night wasn’t clean or flashy, the Trojans’ resilience, physicality, and late-game execution earned his respect.

Next up for USC is a showdown with Northwestern. The Trojans will be back home for that game, and hoping to get their passing attack back humming against the Wildcats.