LOS ANGELES – San Jose State’s season-opening loss to No. 14 USC on Saturday came with a rough first half, but the Spartans rallied to score all 26 of their points in the second half.
Despite the 42-26 defeat, coach Ken Niumatalolo left Los Angeles encouraged by what he saw from his team.
“I was proud of our kids. I thought we fought at the end,” Niumatalolo said. “It could have been very easy to quit, but it just shows the moxie of our team.”
The Spartans entered the game as 38.5-point underdogs and held the Trojans to a single touchdown in the first quarter thanks to a fourth-and-goal stop on a scramble by USC quarterback Jayden Maiava. The second quarter yielded three USC scores, though, making a 28-0 halftime deficit that was too much for the Spartans to overcome.
A second-half comeback to tighten the score, even with the result all but assured, was positive for a team that finished last season 3-9.
Here are the takeaways from Saturday’s loss:
WEAVER’S DEBUT
Don’t worry, Spartans fans, there was no quarterback switch this time, unlike several games last season.
Quarterback Luke Weaver, who transferred from Hawaii over the offseason, made his San Jose State debut and played a turnover-free game. He completed 21 of 32 passes for 234 yards and two touchdowns while also rushing for 42 yards on eight carries and adding a rushing touchdown.
Weaver’s mobility added another element to offensive coordinator Craig Stutzmann’s offense. He avoided USC’s pass rush throughout the game and was not sacked.
His ability to extend plays was evident early. On the possession following San Jose State’s fourth-down stop, Weaver took over at the Spartans’ 1-yard line with pressure coming his way. He avoided a safety while taking a hit and threw the ball away.
Niumatalolo said Weaver’s ability to make plays with his legs stood out to him during fall camp.
“What he does, keeps extending plays, uses his legs,” Niumatalolo said. “The things he did today is what I saw all of camp.”
Weaver’s first touchdown came early in the fourth quarter on a 28-yard pass to San Diego State transfer Jerry McClure, who finished with six catches for 68 yards. Weaver later found Sacramento State transfer Jordan Anderson for a 3-yard touchdown for the Spartans’ third touchdown late in the game.
SPREADING IT AROUND
Niumatalolo said before the season that the Spartans planned to rotate nine receivers, and six caught a pass Saturday.
True freshman Carson Clark led the team with 74 receiving yards on six catches, including a 42-yard reception from Weaver that helped set up San Jose State’s first points of the game, a 22-yard field goal by kicker Trajan Sinatra, an Idaho State transfer.
McClure also emerged as a reliable target, while Anderson found the end zone in the fourth quarter.
Niumatalolo said Clark’s performance was not a surprise to the coaching staff.
“Carson is a really good player,” Niumatalolo said, calling him “one of our top guys.” The Spartans’ receiving depth could become an important part of an offense that showed flashes against one of its toughest opponents of the season.
Southern California wide receiver Corey Simms (10) loses the ball after contact with San Jose State cornerback Caleb Womack (32) during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Aug. 29, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/William Liang)
RUNNING GAME COULD BE A BIGGER FACTOR
San Jose State rushed for 102 yards on 24 carries, with redshirt senior Jabari Bates showing promise in his return from a season-ending injury suffered in the fourth game of last season against Stanford.
Bates rushed for 35 yards on 10 carries and opened the second quarter with back-to-back 13-yard runs.
His backup, Vilimai Teu, also provided a spark with 25 yards on two carries.
With Weaver providing another rushing threat, the Spartans could have an opportunity to make the ground game a bigger part of their offense moving forward when their playcalling isn’t dictated by a multiple-score deficit. Last season’s team averaged just 119.7 yards per game, 111th in the Football Bowl Subdivision.
PASS DEFENSE LIMITS BIG PLAYS
USC finished with 341 passing yards, but San Jose State did not allow the Trojans to consistently hit explosive plays through the air. The Trojans required eight plays or more on all but one of their six touchdown drives, suggesting that they beat the Spartans with patience rather than explosiveness.
The Spartans also forced their first turnover of the season late in the fourth quarter when linebacker Naseri Danielson intercepted USC quarterback Jonas Williams in the red zone.
That is an encouraging sign for a San Jose State defense that struggled to create turnovers last season, forcing only seven interceptions the entire year, and finished 115th nationally in passing yards allowed per game.
USC still controlled the game offensively, particularly on the ground, but the Spartans were able to limit some of the explosive passing plays that could have made the deficit even larger.
“I leave the Coliseum encouraged,” Niumatalolo said, noting that the Trojans were likely “the best team that we’ll play all year.”
UP NEXT
San Jose State will travel to Rynearson Stadium in Ypsilanti, Michigan, to take on Eastern Michigan at 3:30 p.m. Pacific Time Friday before returning home the following week to face Cal Poly.