USC Coach Lincoln Riley Has Excuses Lined Up When He Should Be Using QB Caleb Williams’ Talent
By the middle of the second half of Lincoln Riley’s sophomore campaign at Southern California, Caleb Williams’s dreams of winning the Heisman Trophy again and the Trojans’ prospects of winning a national championship are all but gone.
USC Coach Lincoln Riley Has Excuses Lined Up When He Should Be Using QB Caleb Williams’ Talent
Oh, and Riley’s record through his first 22 games at USC is identical to that of Clay Helton, his much-maligned predecessor.
This obviously wasn’t the plan when USC paid top dollar to entice Riley away from Oklahoma almost two years ago, knowing full well that the Trojans would regain the national prominence that their wealthy backers, a resource-rich university, and decades of NFL-bound players demanded.
At the beginning of the College Football season, DP speculated about the possibility of Lincoln Riley leaving #USC to follow Caleb Williams to the #NFL. Reports this week came out that Lincoln has put out feelers about taking a job in the NFL next season. 🤔 pic.twitter.com/TEjZMbk2SQ
— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) October 18, 2023
Rather, there has been a lacklustre defense, poor media relations, and more hype than substance.
The previous season, USC lost to Utah in the Pac-12 title game, which prevented the Trojans from qualifying for the College Football Playoffs. Williams, the Heisman Trophy winner from last year and a possible first choice in the April NFL Draft, has an electrifying skill, but this year has been much worse.
I really like USC QB Caleb Williams but after a very thoughtful/honest postgame presser with HC Lincoln Riley, who mentioned distractions off the field, Caleb didn’t talk. Really bad look. You must face the music & show your face in wins & losses. Hope that changes next time pic.twitter.com/BX4WzPnVWT
— Krystle Rich-Bell (@KrystleRich) October 22, 2023
Riley’s club was almost eliminated from the playoffs on Saturday night by Utah once more. This Utah squad, which did not have star quarterback Cameron Rising, had only scored 21 points in two games against Pac-12 heavyweights Oregon State and UCLA. Fortunately, USC overcame Pac-12 powers Colorado and Arizona, two teams who are unlikely to place in the top half of the league and whom it was unable to stop.
Riley is 17–5 at USC, but nobody is pleased at all.
USC vs. Utah: 0-3
USC vs. anybody else: 17-2
(Lincoln Riley/Caleb Williams era) pic.twitter.com/8ny9bVBdXL
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) October 22, 2023
Following many weeks of Williams and his teammates’ play progressively declining, the Trojans (6-2, 4-1 Pac-12) suffered back-to-back losses to Utah and Notre Dame. Only a stunning comeback would be able to undo the damage.
“Definitely not a feeling that I want to get used to,” Riley said after the Trojans lost 34-32 to Utah on Saturday night by allowing a lengthy Utes drive in the final two minutes and a field goal at the gun. “As gut-wrenching a defeat as I can remember in my career. Hate it for the guys in there. We fought our tails off. We fought so hard.”
USC HC Lincoln Riley has been one of the lucky few coaches to have a Heisman candidate or winner at QB pretty much every year he's been the head coach.
He's had Caleb Williams, Kyler Murray, Baker Mayfield, and Jalen Hurts under center & will most likely not even sniff a… pic.twitter.com/iDXNYi41vR
— Ryan Fravel (@Fravel_Ryan) October 16, 2023
The worst part is that, with only one touchdown and three interceptions in the previous two weeks, Williams appears to be regressing, and USC is squandering a tremendous talent. Still, in these two defeats to Utah and Notre Dame, the defense has given up 72 points. Riley’s offense is not the problem, and it never has been.
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