LAS VEGAS — Jayden Maiva threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to hit tight end Kyle Ford with eight seconds left to give Southern California a 35-31 victory over Texas A&M in the Las Vegas Bowl on Friday night.
A graduate of Liberty High School in nearby Henderson and a transfer from UNLV, Maiva helped the Trojans (7-6) overcome a 17-point deficit.
After Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed raced 19 yards for a touchdown with 1:49 remaining to regain the lead, Maiva drove Southern California 75 yards in 10 plays for the winning score.
The Aggies (8-5) opened the third quarter by scoring 17 straight points to take a 24-7 lead, but squandered the lead thanks to several untimely penalties that allowed the Trojans to mount a comeback, eventually taking a 28-24 lead with 4:30 remaining.
Maiava finished 22 of 39 for 295 yards with four touchdowns and three interceptions. Bryan Jackson ran 16 times for 66 yards and scored once.
“At the end of the day, we all realized what we came to do in Vegas, and that is come out with a win,” said receiver Ja’Kobi Lane, who caught seven passes for 127 yards and three touchdowns. “And I think we’re all happy with that, and it’s time to go home and enjoy a little bit of Christmas time that we missed.”
Reed completed 26 of 42 passes for 292 yards. He threw three touchdowns and two interceptions. He also ran for 46 yards on nine attempts.
Reed spread the wealth to eight targets, including Jabre Barber, who caught seven passes for 48 yards and one touchdown. Noah Thomas had five catches for 29 yards and two TDs.
The Aggies (8-5) looked like they might even be playing for a national title at the end of October. They were 7-1 overall and the only undefeated team (5-0) in the Southeastern Conference at that point.
But then came the season-ending slide, with four losses in their final five games, including the bowl loss to USC.