USC Offensive Line Holds its Own in Loss to Indiana

No. 18 USC (7-3) came into their road game at No. 9 Indiana (9-1) needing a win over another top 10 team to solidify their path toward a playoff berth.

On a chilly day in Bloomington, missed opportunities doomed the Trojans in a 27-13 defeat to the Hoosiers.

Quarterback Jayden Maiava operated behind a Trojan offensive line that allowed zero sacks on the day against a tough and tenacious Indiana defense.

Indiana came into the game ranked No. 5 in the country in sacks and averaged three per game.

Maiava threw for 311 yards and a touchdown, and completed 62 percent of his passes. He threw three interceptions.

With the offensive line providing a clean pocket, Maiava threw for 300+ yards passing for the first time since 301 yards on the road in a victory over Penn State.

According to the College Football Scoreboard broadcast Saturday on ABC, USC has a four percent chance to make the College Football Playoff with three losses.

Trojans offensive line, led by junior Elijah Paige, was tied for seventh in the Big Ten in sacks allowed with 13. They were tied with Indiana and UCLA.

At 6-foot-7, 315 pounds, Paige is considered a top NFL prospect and ranks in the top ten among all offensive linemen in both pass-blocking and run-blocking.

USC’s offensive line has performed well against Big Ten competition. Their only blemish on the season was in their loss to Wisconsin. The Trojans allowed five sacks of Maiava in that game.

Behind Paige and his warrior brothers, the Trojans moved the ball up and down the field at times to the red zone against the Hoosiers.

But the Indiana defense stiffened and forced USC to settle for field goal attempts. 

However, two of those attempts missed their mark, and the Trojans came away with no points.

Behind the USC road graders, running backs Waymond Jordan and King Miller combined for 98 yards rushing.

They gashed the Indiana defense a couple times for explosive plays for 12 and 19 yards.

However, Jordan and Miller failed to find the end zone.

A look ahead at the remaining schedule shows USC’s next opponent, Maryland, is ranked No. 4 in the Big Ten in sacks with 24, and an average of 2.67 sacks per game.

In a 34-29 win over Purdue, the Terrapins recorded a season-high seven sacks.

So, Maryland could present a challenge to Paige and the rest of the boys along the line when they meet on Nov. 21.