LOS ANGELES — Elijah Paige has been playing college football since 2023, and he’s seen a lot. But nothing prepared him for the giant red cubes that his teammates were holding on the sidelines during the season opener.
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“The juice box was awesome,” Paige told reporters. “I’ve never seen that in my life until I got out of the game and I saw it.”
Two larger-than-life juice boxes have been hoisted throughout USC’s first two games of the season against San José State and Fresno State – and they’ve become symbolic of the sideline culture that head coach Lincoln Riley is cultivating.
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“The energy on our sidelines is real,” Riley said. “You feel that from our guys. Our team feels it.
“No matter what atmosphere we play in – whether it’s home, whether it’s on the road, no matter how the game’s going, our mindset is that we bring our own energy wherever we play.”
The 14th-ranked Trojans (2-0) have won 11 straight games at the Coliseum, adding to their .750 win percentage at their home venue. They’ve struggled on the road, however, and went 2-3 in away games during the 2025 season and won just one away game in 2024.
The hope is that the sideline support grown in USC’s backyard can help when the team travels to tough road environments like Indiana or Penn State – which will be hosting its notorious white-out game when the Trojans visit on Oct. 10.
“The juice is really what we need,” freshman receiver Tron Baker said. “Throughout all four quarters, it’s us needing that juice every kickoff, every snap and we really just feed off that energy.”
The juice boxes come complete with a “100% juice” label and bendy straws. Riley did not say where they came from or whose idea they were, but running back Waymond Jordan described them as a trophy given to players who bring the most sideline energy.
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“The juice box gets us hyped,” Jordan said. “I want to win a juice box award. We always have awards every week for the three players that brought the juice on the sideline the most. I’m gonna try to get one.”
The award system is a way for any player to get involved, regardless of how much playing time they see. Each player on the team has a role, whether that’s helping the team prepare during the week behind the scenes or catching touchdown passes under the stadium lights.
“I’m very grateful for those guys (one the sideline),” Paige said. “Those guys are just as important as the guys on the field.”
MAIAVA WINNING AWARDS
Quarterback Jayden Maiava is collecting awards after his performance in USC’s 39-0 shutout of Fresno State. The redshirt senior completed 23 of 25 passes for 349 yards and three touchdowns, and he’s yet to throw an interception after two nonconference games.
He was named the Big Ten Player of the Week on Monday and gained two more awards on Tuesday.
The Manning Award, which recognizes the accomplishments of college quarterbacks, named Maiava one of eight “Stars of the Week” along with Arizona State’s Cutter Boley, Mississippi’s Trinidad Chambliss, Pittsburgh’s Mason Heintschel, Wake Forest’s Gio Lopez, Miami’s Darian Mensah, Oregon’s Dante Moore and Mississippi State’s Kamario Taylor.
He also has the chance to be named the Davey O’Brien Quarterback of the Week after making this week’s initial “Great 8” list.
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