Jayden Maiava vs. Garrett Nussmeier statistical comparison ahead of college football Week 1 matchup

The 2024 college football season got underway last weekend with eight teams in action. The No.10-ranked Florida State Seminoles were the only ranked team to take the field, suffering a 24-21 upset loss to the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in Dublin, Ireland.

Week 1 will see each team in the AP Top 25 Poll take the field, with multiple matchups pitting ranked opponents against each other right out the gate. One of the most high-profile games on the schedule will feature the No.23-ranked USC Trojans and No.13-ranked LSU Tigers facing off in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Both teams lost a Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback to the 2024 NFL Draft, as 2022 winner Caleb Williams and 2023 winner Jayden Daniels were selected first and second overall, respectively.

Take a look at a statistical comparison of their replacements, Jayden Maiava and Garrett Nussmeier below, ahead of the college football week 1 matchup.

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Jayden Maiava vs. Garrett Nussmeier statistical comparison ahead of college football week 1 matchup

Jayden Maiava

Jayden Maiava joined the UNLV Rebels as a three-star prospect in the 2022 recruiting class. After redshirting his true freshman season, he started 11 of 14 games last season.

He led the program to a 7-4 record, finishing the year with 3,085 passing yards, 17 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Maiava completed 63.5% of his passes, while adding 277 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 73 carries.

Following the college football season, he joined the USC Trojans via the transfer portal. Maiava has spent much of training camp battling with Miller Moss for the starting role, but both are expected to see the field in Week 1.

Garrett Nussmeier

Garrett Nussmeier joined the LSU Tigers as a four-star prospect in the 2021 recruiting class.

He has seen limited playing time in three seasons with the program - the first of which he redshirted. He has appeared in 18 games but has made just one start - during last season's 35-31 ReliaQuest Bowl victory over the Wisconsin Badgers.

Nussmeier has thrown for 1,720 yards, 11 touchdowns and seven interceptions while completing 58.9% of his pass attempts. He won the starting quarterback role for the Tigers after waiting his turn and has consistently been listed as a top-10 quarterback entering his first season as a starter.