FOOTBALL

Lincoln Riley Thinks USC Is Close To “Taking Off”

USC coach Lincoln Riley on the Trojans:

“We feel like we’re a group that’s one little spark away from taking off.”

Riley admitted he may have been reluctant to run the ball after MarShawn Lloyd’s fumble.

Riley on missing practices:

“Those were the first practices I’ve missed in 20 years of coaching.”

Riley said he’s been sick since last Tuesday.

Asked about Michigan’s sign-stealing controversy, Riley said advocated communication via helmets.

“It’s amazing we haven’t gotten there to this point yet,” he said.

22 thoughts on “Lincoln Riley Thinks USC Is Close To “Taking Off””

  2. CLR, enough with your insane bullshit. Unless you commit to building this program through the physical offensive and defensive lines, running the ball between the tackles, taking defense seriously, and making Special Teams a priority, USC is going continue to be a half-ass program destined for lower tier bowl games. Don’t be surprised if Cal punks the Trojans this Saturday, because this team is mentally and physically soft, and it starts at the top.

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    3. Riley was too busy calling bubble screens that went nowhere but backwards every other play, he’s just wasting more RB talent.

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    4. 100% been beating this drum since last year, just cant see why LR is so oblivious to what the issues are- clearly- everyone else- fans, pundits, other coaches, scouts, the media- knows what the issues are but him.

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  3. Dick Wolf, I mean Scott Wolf, continues to post non-newsworthy crap. The guy is so desperate for real content. This blog is at an all-time low…..Thanks, Scott!

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  5. Well, Coach, I am a ‘positive thinker’ like you
    but it is disingenuous to say that “SC is a spark away” when in fact
    it needs a Maui-type fire

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  6. If this doesn’t say it all about CLR, Grinch, and the entire USC football staff, then nothing does…Regarding the two wheel routes Utah ran (One for a touchdown, the other for a big gain), Published reports quote Grinch as saying it was hard to prepare for that play because the play wasn’t on film….only problem with this response is that Utah ran the exact same play the week before against Cal. You cannot make this stuff up.

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  9. And of course the problem is even if the offense catches that “spark”
    what do they do to control the opposition’s ‘forest fire’

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  10. Scooter,

    SC should have just kept Helton. It would have been cheaper for SC. Riley is not seeing the reality of the situation. If he does, he would understand that his team is underachieving and in a world of hurt.

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  11. Perhaps Wiley needed “some time away from the office” in order to objectively assess the current SC football state which lately has not even been a ‘lighted match” offensively while the defense cannot put out numerous brush fires

    Enough with the metaphors, Zach Branch said “every team has got players and every week we’ve got to be on our game”
    A nice time to re-start would be this Saturday

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    1. Really, both Riley and Helton in their first 22 games at USC have the same won/loss record…17-5.

      In 3 of the last 4 games the, Ladies of Troy have given up over 40 pts.

      2019 when USC/Helton finished 8-5 that team gave up over 40 pts. only twice, vs Oregon and vs Iowa.

      Lincoln Riley will be lucky if he turns out to be Clay Helton 2.0. At least Clay had a somewhat decent defensive coordinator.

      Alex Grinch is trash, anyone that knows anything about football can see that, but Riley doesn’t give a fuck,

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  13. Reluctant to run Lloyd after the fumble??? Lets remember this, first 13 mins 12 seconds, 5 carries 79 yards (ave 16yds/per carry). From 1:48 left in the first to 6:02 left in the third (the fumble on a 12 yard carry), 2 carries (26 mins). No carries after that. He didn’t give up on Lloyd after the fumble. He gave up on him before the end of the first quarter. No one realizes that they went to throw throw throw early for reasons of either being scared cause they were down, or a stat and consequence grab to get caleb back in the heismen race. You tell me. Lloyd was gashing them for 16yd a crack and they just eliminate his contribution. He was out of the groove when he got stripped. Most great backs like him (with no history of putting the ball on the ground) usually respond after a fumble with more aggression and powerful runs. But Riley wouldn’t know that cause that is not a position he pays much attention to. Also they have invested in 3 receiver coaches (inside, outside, TEs) and not one of the players has been taught to break off routs and get back to the qb when he breaks the pocket and the play breaks down, like on every play. Pick any one to them and they hit the routes and if they are covered then they stay on the same route track and shut down becoming more coverable. That’s the first thing you learn in Pop warner when your QB breaks the pocket, If he’s still on the offensive side of line of scrimmage you break off and come back to him if he’s on your side of the field and you break off and come across and back if on the other side. If he crack the line then you find some ones chest numbers and you put your face mask or shoulder between the numbers as hard as you can and knock the DB or LB on his ass to give your guy a cut back lane. None of that happens.

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