USC’s offense just got absolutely hammered in a 24-7 upset loss to unranked Wisconsin, posting its ugliest performance in quite some time, and Head Coach Lincoln Riley isn’t dodging the fallout one bit. This stunning defeat has reignited every single question about his job security, but Riley came out swinging Tuesday, making his position crystal clear about where he stands with the program.
Riley Calls His Shot Amidst the Noise
Riley directly addressed the whispers about his future, telling everyone, “This is where I want to be. This is the right place for me. I’m the right person to be here, and that’s as honest and transparent as I can be.” Sixteen words that leave no room for doubt about his commitment, right? He also shot down all the chatter about his relationship with Athletic Director Jen Cohen, calling it “stronger than the chatter suggests.” He praised Cohen, saying, “She’s a tremendous AD. Even though she’s not the AD that I came here with and I’m not the head coach that she hired…fantastic relationship. She’s been a huge part of all the progress that we’ve made.” It sounds like he’s trying to settle things down, but that Wisconsin loss makes it tough to ignore the pressure cooker.
The On-Field Disaster: Play-Calling and Brutal Numbers
The real problem, according to Riley himself, was his play-calling against Wisconsin, especially in the second half. “The biggest problem I thought was I didn’t do a good enough job staying with it to be completely honest,” he admitted about his run game. “We could have been better, which always for a playcaller is going to increase your confidence to call it more.” The numbers back him up: USC finished with a miserable -17 rushing yards and put up its lowest point total since 2018. That’s just unacceptable for an offense with so much talent, and Riley knows it. The self-accountability is there, but the execution absolutely was not.
A Locker Room Looking to Tighten, Not Fray
It wasn’t just Riley taking the heat. Quarterback Jayden Maiava, who threw two picks in the loss, put the blame squarely on his own shoulders. “Just didn’t play to my standard, and the Trojan standard,” he said. “Got to play better. Can’t dwell on that. Another big opponent coming up this weekend.” Maiava pointed to teammates, like Justin Tauanuu picking him up after his second interception, as proof of a locker room ready to tighten up instead of fall apart under pressure. Running back King Miller echoed that sentiment, highlighting backup Shahn Alston’s readiness. Alston led all Trojan rushers with 28 yards on seven carries, and Miller praised his work ethic, saying, “He’s one of the guys that studies his tail off, recovers his body. When you put him out there, I had no doubt he was going to do exactly what he was supposed to.” Freshman wideout Trent Mosley, back from injury with 156 receiving yards on 14 catches in two games, said the response has been about getting back to basics. “I just think we need to get back to what we were doing and how we were playing. We’re a real close team, and we just need to show it on the field.”
The road ahead is brutal, with Ohio State allowing just 650 rushing yards from opponents this season, the fourth-least in the Big Ten. The Trojans need to find their ground game, and fast, if they want to prove that Riley’s conviction and the team’s unity are more than just talk. This weekend is massive.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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