USC's Jayden Maiava breaks down the Trojans' road win over Penn State

USC quarterback Jayden Maiava has given an inside account of the Trojans' Week 6 win at Penn State. He credited a freshman left tackle, the return of his top receiver and a fourth-down decision by Lincoln Riley that he said put the game away.

Maiava spoke with USC Trojans On SI as No. 19 USC heads into its bye week. He finished 21 of 33 for 301 yards and three touchdowns, with no turnovers, in front of the White Out crowd at Beaver Stadium. The outlet reported that the Trojans' offense was flagged only three times. The only one it described as truly self-inflicted was a false start on the opening drive. Maiava, a senior, now has 37 career starts between UNLV and USC.

The Trojans had to adjust the lineup on game day. Veteran left tackle Elijah Paige was listed as a game-time decision and did not play, so true freshman Vlad Dyakonov made the start. Dyakonov was a four-star recruit from Folsom High in California. Maiava praised his composure and said the freshman never flinched once he was on the field.

The passing game also got a lift from freshman receiver Trent Mosley, who had missed three weeks with a knee injury. In his first game back he led USC with nine catches for 111 yards and a touchdown. He had 13 catches for 255 yards and four scores in the first three games before he got hurt. Asked what Mosley's return means for the offense, Maiava answered: "Score touchdowns for sure."

The sequence Maiava singled out came with under five minutes to play. USC faced fourth-and-4 from its own 13. Riley kept the offense on the field, and Penn State coach Matt Campbell used the Nittany Lions' last timeout to set his defense. Riley then sent out the punt team. Maiava said the coaches did have a play ready, but Riley told him over the headset to wait and hold the line. He said the call sealed the game.

The running game also helped. Redshirt sophomore King Miller ran for a third-quarter touchdown and leads USC with 595 yards and four scores on 114 carries. The Trojans average 152.3 rushing yards per game.

For Penn State, the loss dropped the Nittany Lions to 3-3, and the schedule gets tougher. They play at Michigan (3-2) on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. EDT on CBS. With six games played and a .500 record, a second straight loss would leave Penn State very little margin for error in the Big Ten race. Michigan is also looking to establish itself in the conference after two early losses.

Michigan is a 6.5-point favorite, with the total at 42.5. Novig, one of the venues pricing the game, has the Wolverines favored at -212, and the best sportsbook price on Michigan is -230 at FanDuel. Full prices are on the Penn State at Michigan odds page.

USC is off this week after a result that strengthens its Big Ten résumé.