When No. 23 USC takes the field on Sunday to face No. 13 LSU in Las Vegas, it will do so with a new face at quarterback. With Caleb Williams off to the NFL, longtime backup Miller Moss is the heir to the Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback as the Trojans look to reach the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history.
Moss made his lone start in the 2023 Holiday Bowl against Louisville, where he set a bowl record with six touchdown passes as part of a 372-yard day in the 42-28 victory. Moss entered fall camp as the heavy favorite to win the starting job and beat out UNLV transfer Jayden Maiava, who joined the Trojans after originally committing to Georgia out of the portal.
Moss, a former four-star prospect from the 2021 recruiting cycle, enrolled at USC before Riley's arrival from Oklahoma. Moss saw limited action during his first three seasons, completing 43 of 59 passes for 542 yards and three touchdowns in a reserve role before his breakout bowl performance.
Two weeks before the Holiday Bowl, USC five-star quarterback Malachi Nelson, who many viewed as a top candidate to become Williams' replacement, entered the transfer portal and enrolled at Boise State. Nelson just lost the starting quarterback competition to Maddux Madsen and will start this season as the backup.
Riley has a track record of developing quarterbacks, and getting Moss up to speed as the full-time starter could be the difference in USC having success in its first season as a member of the Big Ten or falling behind in the largest league in college football.
This will mark the first time under Riley that a starting quarterback will make his regular-season debut against a ranked opponent. Here is how Riley's other quarterbacks fared in their regular-season debuts under his tutelage.
Baker Mayfield
When: Sept. 5, 2015 | Opponent: Akron
Riley was hired at Oklahoma in 2015 as the program's offensive coordinator/QB coach under Bob Stoops after serving previously in a similar role at East Carolina. Mayfield sat out the entire 2014 season after transferring into the program from Texas Tech and eventually won the starting job over Trevor Knight. Mayfield passed for 388 yards and three touchdowns and added another score in his Oklahoma debut, a 41-3 win. In Riley's debut season as Oklahoma's coach in 2017, Mayfield won the Heisman Trophy and led the team to the CFP.
Kyler Murray
When: Nov. 25, 2017 | Opponent: West Virginia
Another transfer entered the Oklahoma program in 2015 when Murray left Texas A&M to play for Riley at Oklahoma. Murray had to sit out the 2016 season due to previous transfer portal rules and served as Mayfield's backup the following season. Murray technically made his first regular-season start under Riley against West Virginia while Mayfield sat in the first quarter due to disciplinary action stemming from the previous game against Kansas. Murray finished the day by completing both of his passing attempts for 52 yards and a touchdown and added 80 yards on the ground.
Jalen Hurts
When: Sept. 1, 2019 | Opponent: Houston
Hurts had the most prolific regular-season debut of any quarterback under Riley, completing 20 of 23 attempts for 332 yards and three touchdowns plus another 176 yards rushing and three more touchdowns on the ground in a 49-31 win over Houston. Hurts only played one season for Riley at Oklahoma after transferring into the program from Alabama, but he helped the Sooners reach the CFP before falling to eventual national champion LSU.
Spencer Rattler
When: Sept. 12, 2020 | Opponent: Missouri State
After sitting behind Hurts during the 2019 season, Rattler finally got his chance to be the starter the following season. The former five-star recruit threw for 290 yards and four touchdowns in a blowout win over Missouri State in the 2020 season opener. Rattler eventually lost his starting job to Caleb Williams and transferred to South Carolina for the remainder of his collegiate career.
Caleb Williams
When: Oct. 16, 2021 | Opponent: TCU
Williams' first start in an Oklahoma uniform came against TCU in 2021, but his first significant action came the week prior against rival Texas when Riley benched Rattler. Williams entered and passed for 212 yards and accounted for three total touchdowns in a comeback win over the Longhorns. Williams followed up that performance by throwing for 295 yards and four touchdowns against the Horned Frogs and earned the permanent starting job over Rattler. Williams transferred to USC when Riley left Norman for Southern California and helped usher in a new era.
