Two historically significant college football programs will meet under the bright lights of Vegas at Allegiant Stadium for the SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl. The matchup features the USC Trojans (6-6, 4-5) against the Texas A&M Aggies (8-4, 5-3). Together, these teams boast a combined total of 750 wins and 14 national championships.
Both head coaches, Lincoln Riley of USC and Mike Elko of Texas A&M, are eager to end the season on a positive note after their teams suffered crucial losses at the end of the regular season. USC is coming off a 49-35 defeat to Notre Dame, while Texas A&M lost to their in-state rivals, the Texas Longhorns, with a score of 17-7.
As is common in bowl games, there will be player opt-outs as some prepare for the 2025 NFL Draft or enter the transfer portal. The Trojans will be significantly impacted by the loss of key players, especially on offense. They will be without their star running backs, Woody Marks and Quinton Joyner, four wide receivers, and right tackle Mason Murphy.
On the other hand, Texas A&M will have the majority of their starters available, with only a few key players on the defensive line—Nic Scourton, Shemar Stewart, and Shemar Turner—will be unavailable for this game.
After Connor Weigman entered the transfer portal, the Aggies are now looking to freshman quarterback Marcel Reed to continue his development within the program. Marcel is a dual-threat quarterback who averaged 49.7 rushing yards per game and scored a total of 18 touchdowns this year. The Aggies hope to build on Reed’s success as they prepare for the 2025 season under Collin Klein’s offense.
Meanwhile, with Lincoln Riley’s offense also undergoing a change following Miller Moss’s departure to the transfer portal, the team has found some success with sophomore quarterback Jaiden Maiava. Maiava has a record of 2-1 as a starter, recording 7 passing touchdowns and 3 rushing touchdowns in those three games. This will be Jaiden Maiava’s first start at Allegiant Stadium after playing for the UNLV Football Rebels during his freshman year.
Here is the highlights and recap of todays Las Vegas Bowl game:
