USC Trojans To Play Texas A&M Aggies In Las Vegas Bowl: Preview

The USC Trojans will play the Texas A&M Aggies in the Las Vegas Bowl at Allegiant Stadium on Dec. 27. USC will end their season at the same place it began, against an SEC opponent in Las Vegas. The Trojans upset the LSU Tigers 27-20 in the opener.

Nov 30, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava (14) throws against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the first half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

The USC Trojans will play the Texas A&M Aggies in the Las Vegas Bowl on Friday, Dec. 27 at Allegiant Stadium. USC is 1-1 all-time in the Las Vegas Bowl.

The Trojans return to the same place they started the season: against an SEC opponent in Las Vegas. USC upset the LSU Tigers 27-20 in Las Vegas when senior running back Woody Marks scored the game-winning touchdown with eight seconds remaining in regulation. 

Nov 30, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava (14) throws against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the first half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

After a 4-5 start, USC won two of its last three games with redshirt sophomore quarterback Jayden Maiava under center against the Nebraska Cornhuskers and their crosstown rival UCLA Bruins to become bowl eligible. 

The Trojans ended the regular season 6-6 after a loss to the No. 3 Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the finale. A loss in the bowl game would dip the Trojans below .500 for the first time since 2021 and the third time since 2018. 

Bowl practice gives the Trojans more practice opportunities with the current group of players on the roster. For the 2025 recruiting class, it gives them an opportunity to take part in practice and get acclimated with collegiate athletics before they take part in spring practice. Early enrollees are not eligible to play in the bowl game, but every other part of bowl preparation can go a long way with early development.

"You can get pretty creative," said USC coach D'Anton Lynn. "You have all that time to prepare for your opponent. You're preparing for your opponent but you're also trying to get your team better as well. I think when you start experimenting and then the guys you start to see them grow more and more within the scheme."

Five-star quarterback Husan Longstreet will graduate from Corona Centennial on Dec. 16 and immediately to start practicing with the Trojans the next day. However, because Longstreet cannot suit up and redshirt juniors Miller Moss and Jake Jensen have entered the transfer portal, USC is down to just one quarterback on scholarship for the bowl game. They will need to find an emergency backup for Maiava.

Although, it has been disappointing season in year three of the Lincoln Riley era, but a win can carry positive momentum heading into the offseason.

Texas A&M won seven straight games after falling to Notre Dame in the season opener, including two wins over then No. 9 Missouri and No. 8 LSU. The Aggies appeared to be a team competing for a berth in the SEC Championship and College Football Playoff but dropped three of its final four games in November and finished the regular season 8-4.

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