LIVE Score Updates USC Trojans vs. Texas A&M Aggies: Can USC Win the Las Vegas Bowl?

This article will be updated live throughout the game. The most recent news will be posted below.

Pregame 

USC has lost 19 players to the transfer portal, including key contributors receivers Duce Robinson, Zachariah Branch and Kyron Hudson, running back Quinten Joyner, offensive tackle Mason Murphy and defensive end Sam Greene. The Trojans will also be without running back Woody Marks, center Jonah Monheim and cornerback Jaylin Smith, all three have declared for the 2025 NFL Draft and opted out of Friday’s contest. 

Quarterback Jayden Maiava will be making his fourth start in a Trojans uniform. Maiava took over for Miller Moss as the starter in week 12 and went 2-1, helping USC become bowl eligible after a 4-5 start. The UNLV transfer has thrown for 906 yards, seven touchdowns versus three interceptions, he’s also added four touchdowns on the ground. 

“I have a lot of confidence in Jayden, he played well led us to two big victories and I thought really put us in great position,” said USC coach Lincoln Riley … “I think he’s gonna continue to progress and get better and better.”

The Trojans are very young at running back heading into this matchup. The departure of Marks and Joyner leaves freshman Bryan Jackson and redshirt freshman A’Marion Peterson to carry the workload. At receiver, USC has lost three of its top six pass-catchers, paving the way for some other players to be featured in the rotation, like Jay Fair, Jaden Richardson and Josiah Zamora. Freshman Xavier Jordan, a former top 100 recruit in the 2024 recruiting cycle could make his Trojans debut. 

Defensively, it will be the last go around for a plethora of players, including defensive lineman Gavin Meyer and Nate Clifton, defensive end Jamil Muhammad, linebackers Easton Mascarenas-Arnold and Mason Cobb, cornerbacks Jacobe Covington and John Humphrey and safeties Akili Arnold and Bryson Shaw. 

Texas A&M jumped out to a 7-1 start and were ranked as high as No. 10 in early November. The Aggies looked primed to make a run for the SEC Championship and a berth in the College Football Playoff, but dropped three of its final four games. 

USC announced its captains as Maiava, Mascarenas-Arnold, receiver Kyle Ford, defensive end Devan Thompkins and center Kilian O'Connor prior to kickoff.

Texas A&M is a 3.5-point favorite in this matchup. The over/under is set at 54.5.

Kickoff is slated for 7:30 p.m. PT and will be broadcast on ESPN.