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USC Quarterback Jayden Maiava Blew Off Postgame Interview As Calls Mount For Lincoln Riley To Be Fired

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Jayden Maiava Skip Postgame Interview Lincoln Riley Fired USC Behavior Attitude
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USC quarterback Jayden Maiava did not play his best game in a win over Washington on Saturday. He completely skipped out on his postgame interview as calls mount for Lincoln Riley to be fired.

The fifth-year senior did appear next to his head coach and defensive teammate during the postgame press conference.

Maiava’s decision to bail on the on-field discussion drew criticism from college football fans on social media but this was not a new thing. It also happened last weekend after the loss to Oregon.

USC beat Washington.

There has been a lot of chatter about the Trojans in recent weeks. Lincoln Riley is in his fifth season as head coach and USC has not been in a position to compete for a national title. He lost at least three games in each of the first four years.

This year is supposed to be different. Maiava is a fifth-year senior, former TCU head coach Gary Patterson was supposed to fix the defense, and a talented group of freshman were supposed to provide a spark. The Trojans were ranked as high as No. 12 in the preseason. Even if the preseason rankings don’t actually mean anything of value, they set expectations.

USC has not quite lived up to those expectations through the first six games, with underwhelming wins over Rutgers, San Jose State and Louisiana, and a loss to Oregon. Its defense continues to put on a clinic on how not to tackle.

Even though the Trojans will be ranked inside the top-20 at 5-1, they face a brutal schedule in five of the next six weeks. USC will play at Penn State, at Wisconsin, at Indiana, and at UCLA with a home game against Ohio State (and Maryland) squeezed in between. There is a legitimate path to the playoff. It seems unlikely.

Not only do the Trojans continue to struggle with lesser opponents, they are dealing with a lot of outside noise. Fans called for Lincoln Riley to be fired during the game on Saturday.

You could hear the students chanting ‘Fire Lincoln’ on the television broadcast.

The chants even continued after the win.

It was a disappointing performance with a good result. Two things can be true at once!

Jayden Maiava bailed on the postgame interview.

Although a majority of the criticism stems from on-field results, attitude is also an issue for USC. The Trojans often look unprepared or uninterested. Riley is not super involved with the fanbase or the community. His players don’t always act right.

Defensive back Desman Stephens showed zero remorse for a nasty hit to the head of Oregon quarterback Dante Moore last weekend. Stephens actively celebrated the collision while Moore laid motionless on the ground. Riley was criticized for allowing his player to remain on the sideline after he was ejected. The head coach only suspended him after public backlash.

Jayden Maiva’s behavior after the win over Washington is another example. It was not his best game. The first half was especially ugly. The dark horse Heisman Trophy candidate got the win, which is all that matters, but he did not play well.

Maiava ran right back into the locker room after the game, just like he did after the loss to Oregon. He did not stick around to shake hands or talk to the media. USC’s SID ran after the quarterback and tried to pull him out of the tunnel. She was ignored.

It should be noted that Maiava did attend the postgame press conference.

However, the 23-year-old quarterback gets paid millions of dollars. A chunk of that money comes through television media rights. Should he be obligated to speak to NBC and/or local media on the field after a game? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!