 He won the team player of the game award against rival-Notre Dame, and had the highest number tackles in games were USC struggled against opposing teams' rushing attack.In the 2009 Rose Bowl Game, Maiava became the third straight linebacker from USC to have won the most valuable defensive player of the game, following 2009 bowl game teammates Cushing (2007) and Maualuga (2008).Maiava was one of twelve USC players, including the four senior linebackers Brian Cushing, Maiava, Clay Matthews III, and Rey Maualuga, who attended the by-invitation-only 2009 NFL Scouting Combine (top rated NCAA Division 1 teams might send only one to three senior players to the Combine).