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USC wide receiver Makai Lemon finds an open field on his way to the end zone for the score against Georgia Southern in the first quarter in Los Angeles on Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
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USC wide receiver Makai Lemon finds an open field on his way to the end zone for the score against Georgia Southern in the first quarter in Los Angeles on Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
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LOS ANGELES — Both feet left the ground. His right hand was in air.
And with a quick swipe, USC receiver Ja’Kobi Lane had made the most eye-catching touchdown reception of the college football season.
The one-handed catch was just one flashy component of an aerial attack that earned the Trojans (2-0) an 18-point advantage over Georgia Southern at halftime on their way to a 59-20 win on Saturday evening.
Quarterback Jayden Maiava went 16-of-24 passing for 412 yards and four touchdowns before backup Husan Longstreet came into the game with 12 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.
The Eagles (0-2), who are coached by former USC head coach Clay Helton, were the first on the scoreboard after USC running back Waymond Jordan fumbled on the opening possession. Defensive back Prince Green III made the initial tackle to pop the ball out of Jordan’s grasp, then Caleb Moore recovered the ball.
Quarterback Bryan Weston, who played only one snap in last week’s loss to Fresno State, threw a 37-yard pass to Camden Brown for the touchdown and Georgia Southern’s only lead of the game.
The Trojans’ offense made up for the blunder by scoring three straight touchdowns, all of which came from the arm of quarterback Maiava.
Lane scored the first with his one-handed grab, then Maiava threw back-to-back strikes to Makai Lemon, who finished as the game’s leading receiver with 158 receiving yards on four catches.
Lemon found open space for his first scoring catch from Maiava and broke multiple tackles for the 62-yard touchdown. The quarterback hit running back Eli Sanders with a swing pass and 18-yard gain to set up the scoring play.
Lemon once again was wide open when he teamed up with Maiava for a 74-yard touchdown. Both Jordan and Sanders had lined up in the backfield on the play, leaving Maiava free to launch a long ball to the Los Alamitos High School product.
Jordan had the majority of carries against Georgia Southern after the ball was shared between multiple running backs against Missouri State the week before. He finished with 167 yards on 16 carries.
USC defensive end Anthony Lucas had the first two sacks of his career in the game, wiping imaginary sweat from his brow after the initial one. Kameryn Fountain recorded a sack in the second quarter, which added to a strong defensive effort that only allowed 377 yards of total offense.
The performance wasn’t without flaws, though. A miscommunication along the defensive line allowed Georgia Southern to score another passing touchdown early in the second quarter. JC French sent a 12-yard scoring pass to Brown that left the Trojan defensive players frantically looking at each other, shoulders in a confused shrug.
Running back Walker Lyons scored his first career touchdown when he hauled in a quick 14-yard pass from Maiava. Lane, who attempted to hurdle a defender on the play prior, made the final block that allowed Lyons to reach the end zone.
Second-half scoring included a 36-yard rushing touchdown by Jordan and a one-yard scamper by Sanders — both in the third quarter. French threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Dalen Cobb as the Eagles went into the final quarter trailing 45-20.
Sanders added another 5-yard touchdown with 12:55 remaining in the game, and King Miller rushed 41 yards for one final trip to the end zone.
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