USC is making a change at quarterback, replacing starter Miller Moss with UNLV transfer Jayden Maiava, head coach Lincoln Riley confirmed Tuesday.

After the Trojans lost four of their last five games and fell to 4-5 on the season, coach Lincoln Riley will opt to give the sophomores starting appearances when they host Nebraska on Nov. 16. USC is currently in the second bye week of this season.

“When we came back and looked at it, we felt like it was in the best interest of the team to give Jayden a chance here,” Riley said after practice Tuesday. “This reflects nothing more than that we have another good player in the room and we feel he gives us a good chance. …It really is that simple.”

Moss began the season by leading the Trojans to a decisive win over LSU in Las Vegas, but he has regressed in recent games.

Playing behind a shaky offensive line, Moss made crucial mistakes of his own. The junior has thrown seven interceptions in his last five games. Against Washington on Saturday, Moss threw three costly picks in a 26-21 loss.

In nine games as a starter, Moss has thrown for 2,555 yards with 18 touchdowns and nine interceptions.

“You literally couldn’t change anything that Miller did and we could be sitting here with a really, really good record,” Riley said. USC notably has lost five fourth-quarter leads this season. “Miller did a very good job. He was a really good leader for this team. He remained loyal to this program. He worked hard and did a lot of really good things on the football field.”

Maiava transferred to USC this offseason after having a strong freshman season at UNLV in which he threw for 3,085 yards and 17 touchdowns. He completed 63.5% of his passes and added three rushing touchdowns.

“He has improved throughout the year. He has improved in camp. And he continued to improve,” Riley said. “It’s not easy being a substitute and I felt like he handled it so well. He is a talented boy. In such cases it is hard. It’s like having two kids, especially in this position, and only one of them. “We’ll be out there, but we’re obviously excited for Jayden to get this opportunity.

Although Riley said he doesn’t expect the move to unlock another aspect of the Trojans’ offense or add anything that’s missing, Maiava is a more mobile option under center. This season, Maiava has shown in limited appearances that he is capable of escaping the pocket and making plays on the run. He has eight completions for 66 yards and ran the ball three times for 27 yards, including a touchdown.

After backing up Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams for two seasons, Moss made his first start in the 2023 Holiday Bowl, when he scored a bowl-record six touchdowns and staked his claim as the starter in 2024. Although the quarterback competition between Maiava and Moss carried into fall camp, Riley insisted throughout team practice that Moss came out on top.

Despite four losses in the last five games, Riley had outwardly maintained his confidence in Moss as a starter. Just before USC’s game against Rutgers two weeks ago, Riley said Moss was “100%” the starter going forward.

“He just has to be ready for the next opportunity, you never know how that’s going to turn out,” Riley said of Moss. “The hard thing is you don’t know exactly what’s going to happen, but knowing Miller, he’s going to keep a really positive attitude. He will come and go to work for this team and he will be ready for his team. “We will continue to push him and coach him to help him.”

Asked Tuesday whether the quarterback change was made with the future in mind — Moss has one year of eligibility remaining and Maiava is only in his second season — Riley bristled at the idea.

“With this team you only get so many moments and that’s why I never tried to make decisions… I’m not saying don’t think about the future because of course we do,” Riley said. “But I think I’m in the wrong for just paying attention to that, and so this is not a forward-looking decision.”

USC’s loss at Washington last week puts it at risk of not securing a bowl spot. With three games left, the Trojans are hoping Maiava can provide a much-needed spark.