QUARTERBACK
Jayden Maiava threw his first interception of the season and faced some real pressure. But he played well enough to win the game if he had some help on defense.
Grade: B
RUNNING BACK
After some impressive flashes against inferior competition, I thought the backs looked pretty average against Illinois.
GRADE: C
WIDE RECEIVER
Makai Lemon had a great game (as usual) and the tight ends got open but USC looks pretty ordinary otherwise as receiving corps when Ja’Kobi Lane is hurt.
GRADE: B+
OFFENSIVE LINE
Some people — including Urban Meyer — keep pumping them up but did they establish the running game or provide excellent pass protection? Their biggest play was getting the trick play TD called back. Their average.
Grade: C+
DEFENSIVE LINE
Boy, months of hype and then totally pushed around by the Illini offensive line. They looked hopeless on the final drive when Illinois ran six running plays and passed only once. What a disappointment.
Grade: F
LINEBACKERS
Eric Gentry and Desman Stephens made a lot of tackles but that was because Illinois was plowing right through the defensive line. Still waiting for the vaunted Rob Ryan impact here.
Grade: C+
DEFENSIVE BACKS
Is there anyone who can cover a receiver in this group? It’s been apparent all season but the ineptness was on full display at Illinois. One excuse is their youth but the transfers weren’t doing much either. It’s a total joke right now and does D’Anton Lynn have any answers?
Grade: F
SPECIAL TEAMS
The kicking game did everything that was asked of it but it couldn’t overcome the horrible defense.
Grade: B+
COACHING
Lincoln Riley’s clock management became an issue like it always does in close losses. And D’Anton Lynn’s vanilla defense was dissected by QB Luke Altmeyer and Co. What did the much ballyhooed new strength coach contribute in this game?
All in all, a complete travesty. A trademark of the Riley Era.
Grade: F
InsideUSC with Scott Wolf 
lack of depth is hurting the o – line, once O’Connor went out, they were much less effective.
Maiava is an A-, take away the one pick and you couldn’t realistically ask for more.
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The sky isn’t falling. If Paige is back for Michigan I think we’ll be mostly okay on the 0-Line…[Reed was the projected starter after Spring practice]. Maiava [and Longstreet in certain goal situations] can pose problems for anyone.
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…and remember: while we’re resting this Saturday, Michigan is playing Wisconsin….
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LOL, the sky already fell.
It’s better to face reality than to hope.
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KAM: The sky isn’t falling? We are USC and we aren’t ranked in the Top 25 in October.
DON: The phony Riley Coyote 4-0 record over cream puffs was exposed to all Saturday. Our defense couldn’t stop a mediocre team that only gained 2 yards rushing and was annihilated by the Hoosiers by 53 points the week before.
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KAM: I could ask for Matt Leinart or Sam Darnold.. but USC’s lack of another receiver, not Maiava, is the issue. Lemon and Lane have been solid, but the Trojans have nobody reliable behind them.
DON: Once either of our two star receivers goes down, it becomes nearly impossible to beat good teams in the Big Ten with just one competent pass-catcher.
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IMO the TEs are good and are being (finally) utilized much more.
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USC is not ranked but they’re only a ONE point dog to fairly highly ranked Michigan according to several online betting sites….
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That’s about right. They’re at 20, we’re just outside the Top 25, having gotten 22 points, and we’re playing at home which they say is worth about 3 points.
I’m expecting another loss.
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I’m expecting a win…. cuz I know that Lincoln understands the gig is up if he loses. I expect his offense to be jacked up —which they’ll have to be since Michigan possesses the best defense they’ll face all year.
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USC was ranked and favored by 6 1/2 over Illinois, how did that turn out ?
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hi john,dos u thinck taht if we loose unuthur gaim tuh mishuhgin we shud may be opin a baikurey insted of tryin to plaiy the fott baul,thanx alot
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…of course… we’ll need to bring Carol back if we go that route…
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If we do, Ed, will we cater to weddings of the gay & lebanese?
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Coach Riley has no charisma; he’s an X’s and O’s technician. Former head coach John McKay had a lot more leadership and charisma than Riley, but even he delegated leadership to Marv Goux, who the players would jump off a cliff for. Can USC find another Goux? Chad Bowden is such a person but in a different role. Assistant coaches all very good technicians. Riley, the technician, doesn’t understand football is war. Maybe coach Henderson or Rob Ryan? To get the troops to stick their head up out of the trench and shoot their weapons in war there must be a leader will be the first to charge the enemy. Example: General Patton riding his jeep to the front line. Naive Riley didn’t understand going to Illinois they were going to food poison his troops, brainwash them with film that beating Illinois was going to be a cakewalk, and schedule the game at an odd hour to throw off their sleep rhythm. Welcome to the “Big Den” who know how to fight wars! Discipline? No. Charismatic leadership, yes. Look what ASU is doing with much less $. All the former USC president wanted was a non-philandering, family oriented coach who was otherwise boring. She and USC got what they asked for, a moral man and qualified technician. How can I say this?: find someone with some vices (smokes, drinks, overweight, or comically intelligent like Mike Leach but isn’t a womanizer to appease the fan base and advertisers).
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No womanizing? As Ollie said to Coach Norman Dale, when he told them there would no scrimmaging or shooting at practice: “That’s ain’t no fun!” 😛
All joking aside, great post.
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Red Sanders and John Robinson famously liked the ladies but it didn’t seem to affect their coaching.
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THAT
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me too… I liked Mike Leach; even the Lane train is rolling…
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Leach left us way too soon. He was such a character. We loved rooting for his teams!
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How many would have put that picture up in their office?! He had a great sense of humor.
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A one in a million post from Wayne!
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P. S.
“Coach” Riley announced on Monday that food poisoning was just “one of those things.” He’s a coward and an idiot….who needs to wise up and grow up in a big phucking hurry…..
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For sure, something is wrong to be this bad in the 2ndary. Good coaches,like good managers know how to get the most out of what they have to work with to benefit the endeavor. Like offense changes formations to defeat the defense, the defense changes to make the athletes perform within their abilities. Man to man in basketball might change to a zone, etc…
Good coaches find a way.
Wolf is about right on the grades unfortunately.
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A good defensive line needs at least one unstoppable player. Someone who needs to be double teamed, accountable by the offense. Unfortunately, we do not have that guy. We heard in the fall and summer workouts that Kam Crawford was the guy, and that Devon Thompkins and Anthony Lucas had taken major strides. Nope. And without pressure, the inexperienced defensive backs are exposed by the offense.
Maybe Coach Henderson and Shaun Nua are over hyped. Anthony Lucas was a five star. Braylon Shelby is a physical specimen. When are these guys going to break out.
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“They’re average” … grammar Scott!
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Is that you, Cal75?
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Cal75…..the racist sack of $hit who never told a lie he didn’t like……I am sure he burned in hell
get off your lazy—-azz and help the fire victims…….quit being a hypocrite
sola needs some more KY-jelly…… try the strawberry scent
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Scooter,
I thought the oline did better than the grade you gave them. They gave up one sack and they did run the ball. The trick play td was a bad call by the refs. There was no lineman down field.
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