USC Trojans Upset By Washington Huskies: 'Unacceptable' Says Lincoln Riley

USC Trojans suffered the fifth single-digit loss of the season after having a fourth-quarter lead. Coach Lincoln Riley and the USC Trojans fell to 4-5 on the year and are winless in Big Ten road games. USC is 12-12 in their last 24 games, and the buck stops with their coach.

Nov 2, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley stands on the sideline during the fourth quarter against the Washington Huskies at Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images / Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

Nine games into the season, coach Lincoln Riley and the USC Trojans have a losing record. The Trojans once again failed to control a winnable ball game, losing yet another fourth-quarter lead to the Washington Huskies 26-21. Fourth-quarter lead, fourth-quarter failure. That’s been the theme of the five unsurprising USC losses at this juncture.

"I don't handle losing very well. It hasn't happened much in my career. That part of it is unacceptable." said Lincoln Riley after the game. 

Nov 2, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; USC Trojans running back Woody Marks (4) rushes against the Washington Huskies during the first quarter at Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images / Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

Last season, Washington won the Pac-12 and played for a national championship. Their coach from last season, Kalen DeBoer, left to take over for Nick Saban at Alabama, and Jedd Fisch left Arizona to replace DeBoer. The lenses have been adjusted for that program, as they only returned two starters from the team that made the national title game. 5-4 could almost be considered a positive in their situation.

USC is in an entirely different situation. Riley, who never lost more than two games in a season during five years as the program leader in Oklahoma, has now lost at least three games in each of his first three seasons and lost at least five games in consecutive seasons. This was a team ranked in the top 25 to start the season with serious expectations. At one point in this season, the Trojans were ranked as high as No. 11. To be 4-5 with this amount of talent is flat-out unacceptable.

Riley is 12-12 in the last 24 games. The Trojans have blown fourth-quarter leads in each of their five losses this season. USC has had a fourth-quarter lead in every ball game they’ve played this year, and they’re 4-5 with every loss by single digits. There’s an adage in the football world that says teams learn how to win. The inverse is also correct, and this USC Trojans team has learned how to lose. 

Nov 2, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Washington Huskies head coach Jedd Fisch, left, shakes hands with USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley following a Washington victory at Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images / Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

"It's not like we're getting our a** kicked. It's not like I go back to the drawing board like gah, we're doing this terrible and people are wearing us out on this or that. It's not that," Riley said in the post-game press conference.

Riley is correct. USC isn’t getting outclassed. USC isn’t less talented than its opponents. USC is plainly being out-coached. The poor game plan from Riley to not establish the run on the second-to-last ranked run defense in the conference is, kindly put, bewildering. It does, however, follow the theme Riley has set for the Trojan offense as they entered the contest with the lowest run rate in the FBS on the road with 31 percent.

To continue to throw the ball at the highest rate of his coaching career, this time against the number one ranked passing defense in college football led by Steve Belichick, in the rain, well, that’s how you go into a 20-7 halftime hole. The second-half adjustment is even more confirmation that there’s a modicum of competitive competence left, but the head-scratching question remains: why does it take a double-digit deficit to do the obvious?

Why is the short-handed defense continually put in inopportune situations? Why is the offensive line that’s struggled mightily in pass protection asked the hold-up for 50 passing attempts? Why are the running backs, both averaging over 5.6 yards per carry in the game and on the season, getting nearly half as many rushing attempts as the passing attempts? The questions fall directly to one man.

Nov 2, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; USC Trojans quarterback Miller Moss (7) looks to pass against the Washington Huskies during the second quarter at Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images / Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

"We put ourselves right there in position to win the game. Proud of the team for doing that. Obviously didn't make the plays in the end to do it. Came up one play short," Riley finished.

When a team repeatedly loses in the same fashion, it’s a reflection of the preparation and leadership. Believe what’s put on display.

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