We’ve seen this introduction before from USC football under Lincoln Riley.
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We → see → Riley
It involves a great start against overmatched teams, leading to bold proclamations.
Look at that offense!
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It → involve → offense
Who could possibly stop them?
uncertain
Who → stop → them
A deflating answer has presented itself by midseason.
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answer → deflate → midseason
Those stumbles have kept USC out of the College Football Playoff, something that cannot happen again in 2026 without seriously endangering Riley’s job.
So how do the Trojans fashion a different trajectory after opening this season in similarly spectacular fashion to recent years?
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Trojans → keep → years
Riley contended there’s not one major issue that’s been an ongoing concern, but lots of little things could add up as the competition stiffens.
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competition → contend → things
Here are five fixes that need to be made as No. 12 USC (3-0) prepares to open its Big Ten schedule at Rutgers (0-2) on Saturday:
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USC → need → Saturday
Get sturdier on defense
The bloody gashes on Gary Patterson’s face last weekend were a metaphor for what’s happened to USC’s defense in pockets over the first three games.
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what → get → games
Now that defense needs to respond like Patterson did after the defensive coordinator got knocked off his feet by a player colliding with him on the sideline.
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coordinator → need → sideline
Dismissing offers to help him up, Patterson rose to make the next call.
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Patterson → dismiss → call
While his defense has mostly held firm – especially up front – there have been some concerning moments in the secondary and late in games.
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defense → hold → games
The Trojans gave up 23 points in the fourth quarter against San Jose State and 14 in the fourth quarter against Louisiana.
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Trojans → give → Louisiana
Some will dismiss that as mostly happening when second- and third-stringers were in the game, but there have been wider coverage concerns and too many big plays given up before the fourth quarter.
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stringers → dismiss → quarter
USC also struggled to stop mobile Ragin’ Cajun quarterback Lunch Winfield, who accounted for three touchdowns and ran for 91 yards.
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who → struggle → yards
If the Trojans can’t stop a gutty quarterback from the Sun Belt Conference, what chance do they have against the Big Ten’s best?
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they → stop → best
Part of the issue on defense has certainly involved backups getting beaten.
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backups → involve → defense
Riley said he wanted those players to get experience because they’ll be needed later in the season.
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they → say → season
Now, as the Trojans move into their conference schedule, they’ll need to find the right balance between continuing to build quality depth and not allowing too big of a drop-off.
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they → move → off
Managing that poorly could cost them a game.
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Managing → manage → game
Riley said one point of emphasis – among starters and backups – has been raising the floor of their play.
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point → say → play
“We’ve had a million guys that made great plays that weren’t great players – there’s a big difference,” Riley said.
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Riley → have → plays
“A lot of times it’s how, if we went and found your worst plays in the game, are they plays that kill us or are they still pretty solid, average plays.
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they → ’ → us
“The great players, for the most part, even their bad plays aren’t that bad and because of that there’s a smaller gap between what their good and bad plays look like and at the end of the day, that’s what great players do, that’s what great teams do – they minimize bad football and then when they have their opportunities they make their plays.
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they → ’ → plays
Get more out of “Way-mo”
USC’s run game finally produced a 100-yard rusher last weekend, but it wasn’t Waymond Jordan.
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it → get → rusher
The tailback who was ripping off big chunks of yardage before going down with an ankle injury last October hasn’t recaptured top form in the season’s early going.
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who → rip → going
He’s averaged 54 yards per game while failing to break any run longer than 16 yards.
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He → average → yards
Riley said Jordan’s lack of a breakout game can be pinned on his sharing carries with King Miller – who ran for 128 yards against Louisiana – and rounding into form from an injury that limited him all the way into the early portion of training camp.
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that → say → camp
But at some point soon the Trojans are going to need more from someone expected to carry a much bigger load.
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Trojans → go → load
The Trojans were called for eight penalties against Louisiana, including a roughing-the-kicker call that helped the Ragin’ Cajuns score a touchdown.
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Cajuns → call → touchdown
“You can’t afford to have intolerable penalties, to have some of those mindless penalties that we had at key times,” Riley said on “Trojans Live.”
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Riley → afford → Trojans
“You know, we had a big enough lead, obviously, that we were able to get away with it in terms of winning the game, but that’s obviously going to be an important part of the areas that we have to improve going forward as we get into these different challenges.”
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we → know → challenges
USC’s average of 52 penalty yards per game ranks No. 57 nationally – and must improve.
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average → rank → No
There’s a way that USC’s stout pass rush led by Jide Abasiri and Luke Wafle can get significantly better.
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rush → ’ → Abasiri
It involves getting Jahkeem Stewart back.
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It → involve → Stewart
The sophomore defensive tackle has returned to practice and nearly played against the Ragin’ Cajuns before Riley decided to hold him out one more week.
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Riley → return → him
The former freshman All-American is expected to make his season debut against the Scarlet Knights and will need to quickly regain top form before the Trojans face Oregon on Sept. 26 at the Coliseum.
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Trojans → expect → Coliseum
The Aporia
