Lincoln Riley's tenure as USC's head football coach is under scrutiny following poor performances against Oregon and Washington during the first half of the 2026 season. During the game against Washington, "Fire Lincoln" chants were heard from the student section despite USC eventually winning 25-21. The article highlights repeated issues with penalties, poor tackling, and missed opportunities that have become characteristic under Riley's leadership, raising doubts about his ability to lead the team back to national prominence as expected at the start of the season.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-05,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
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No political leaning scored for article 56355 · logged 2026-10-05
And perhaps no season better epitomizes the program and its direction than the first half of 2026 in Los Angeles.
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season → epitomize → Angeles
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page → contain → partners
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that → create → newsroom
SC entered the season with clear, defined expectations: make the College Football Playoff and return to national relevance after years of frustrations, missed opportunities, and disappointments.
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SC → enter → frustrations
But elite teams win big games against other top teams.
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teams → win → teams
Oregon was the first opportunity for SC to show they belonged at that elite level, and they did the opposite.
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they → show → opposite
The Ducks gained over 500 yards on offense, even though backup quarterback Dylan Raiola replaced Dante Moore after Moore's injury on a terrible USC tackle.
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Raiola → gain → tackle
Even though the score was 27-27 in the fourth quarter and SC's defense seemed to get a stop on a long third down, a trademark poorly timed, and frankly absurd and ridiculous, roughing the passer penalty gave the Ducks a free first down.
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penalty → seem → down
Still, one loss in the modern era isn't a death sentence and Saturday night against the Washington Huskies provided an opportunity for USC to show that the OU loss wasn't a definitive statement on the quality of the team.
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loss → provide → team
And yet, despite Washington being a clearly inferior opponent, loudly audible during the game were chants of "Fire Lincoln" from the USC student section.
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chants → fire → section
How often do you hear an announcer just come right out and say that a team's effort and execution was "awful?"
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effort → hear → ?
The Trojans came back to win 25-21, thanks in part to a strip-sack scoop and score from sophomore defense lineman Jakheem Stewart, but it was yet another example of how things under Riley are always going to be the way they are.
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they → come → Riley
Seemingly as always, USC had multiple big plays or key opportunities canceled out by terrible penalties.
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USC → have → penalties
Jayden Maiava had a terrible interception on a second quarter drive, then woefully underthrew a wide open receiver in the fourth quarter with a chance to salt away the game.
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Maiava → have → game
Again in the second, SC had a 16-yard completion wiped away by an illegal formation penalty.
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completion → have → penalty
That same drive, on 3rd and 2, Maiava hit Kayden Dixon-Wyatt for a 37-yard touchdown.
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Maiava → hit → touchdown
That too was called back for an...illegal formation penalty.
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That → call → penalty
Instead of a 17-7 lead, SC punted, and the Huskies promptly went 80 yards for a touchdown and 14-10 lead.
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Huskies → punt → touchdown
The ensuing USC drive, Maiva found Boobie Feaster for a five-yard gain on 3rd and 6, setting up an easy 4th and 1 from the UW 42.
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Maiva → ensue → UW
Instead, lineman Alani Noa was hit with a dead ball 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for pulling a UW defender off his quarter.
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Noa → hit → quarter
4th and 1 and a chance to score turned into 4th and 16 and a punt.
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4th → score → 4th
Then, in the third, Dixon-Wyatt got a 15-yard unsportsmanlike of his own for retaliating to a hit, turning 3rd and 7 into 3rd and 22.
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Wyatt → get → 3rd
And again, in the 4th, up 25-21 with 5:37 to go and the ball at the UW 45, Maiva underthrew a wide open Tanook Hines to force SC to punt.
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Maiva → go → SC
It's just the same long, long list of mistakes, and it's clear SC fans have had enough.
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fans → have → enough
And already and immediately, the hot seat rumblings have gotten louder and louder.
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rumblings → get → ?
USC's invested heavily in NIL, upgrading their facilities, and on the coaching staff around Riley.
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USC → invest → Riley
Letting the status quo continue?
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quo → let → ?
The Aporia
