FOOTBALL

My Analysis Of USC’s Victory Over Penn State

Lincoln Riley celebrated USC’s victory over Penn State like he won the national title last night.

But that was almost nothing compared to after the game, when he went both barrels at everyone who ever questioned him.

“Nobody in the world gave us a chance to come in and win this game, and we did it,” Riley said. “We did it our way.

“We didn’t listen to all that you guys had to say on the outside.”

No one expected USC to beat a team that got destroyed by Northwestern the previous week? What exactly is winning his way? He never explained that part.

More importantly, Riley acted like he had somehow silenced anyone who ever questioned him. His defensiveness showed he has been stung by the past two weeks, with fan furious over the Oregon loss and some chanting for him to be fired at the Washington game.

Riley is actually very thin-skinned although he tries to project he doesn’t care about “outside” noise.

  • Isn’t it interesting that Riley’s big moment to crow at Penn State came on the same day Bob Chesney beat Oregon in Eugene? Chesney’s earned a signature win midway through his first season bigger than anything Riley did at USC.

UCLA’s win should also mean we won’t have to hear “Do you realize how bad a team Lincoln Riley inherited at USC?” from Riley supporters with Chesney working wonders.

Now, do you want to analyze the game? Plenty of USC fans acted (again) like the Trojans turned a corner by overpowering Penn State.

USC played better than it did at Rutgers. It’s receivers were too much for Penn State and its defense bent but did not break. Of course, look at Penn State’s offense and tell me who they will scare the rest of the season? They have one of the worst collections of skill players in the Big Ten. And Penn State still passed for 289 yards.

  • But here’s a couple questions: Why did Riley try an onside kick to start the second half? That could lose you a game against a good team.

And why did he wait until the THIRD QUARTER to commit to the run when Penn State was so inept it let Northwestern rush for more than 400 yards. Was that a coaching masterstroke?

Those two decisions could really backfire against winning teams.

  • This victory was good for team morale after the past few games. But things are going to get real soon with Wisconsin (maybe), Ohio State and Indiana ahead. Did I mention UCLA to end the season?

You can’t have coaching blunders against those teams.

78 thoughts on “My Analysis Of USC’s Victory Over Penn State”

  1. KAM: “The victory {over Penn St] was good for team morale” claims Scott.

    DON: That’s just like Wolf to put a positive spin on an SC game

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  3. After 2 or 3 more losses, we’ll see how much consolation Riley finds in this victory. Same with the people who are now saying “a win is a win”.

    Our wins are against teams with a combined 18-17 record. Our upcoming opponents have a combined record of 22-6.

    Other than Maryland, we have no “locks” ahead of us. Heck, we’d be very lucky to split the other 4! But 4 losses is very possible.

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply

    1. I understand in year 5 the frustration but I also see a steady trend in:

      last night – defense both secondary and line….
      offense – run game in particular….
      special teams – even for accounting for the failed onside last and FG a good night last night – solid rise.
      Minimize penalties 3 for total 25 yds. compared to season average of 7.
      Time mgmt. especially in the last 4 minutes – after the punt that nailed USC deep in their endzone and the 3 and out with the kick the defense again rose and finished off PA St.
      This game was an all time high attendance 114,419….

      By this time in years past it was obvious there was missing direction, time mgmt, penalities stalling defensive stands, penalties negating TDs etc.

      USC was ready.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

    1. AP still mad about Desmon’s celebration after targeting penalty….USC is 19th …cuz…virtue signaling….

      [Bunch of teams ahead of us will lose on the 17th —while we’re resting up for 24th]…..

      Liked by 3 people

      Reply

  5. Scott, who ae the plenty of USC fans who tell you that USC has turned the corner. I read the comments on your site, and almost all like the win, but realize that this team is good but far from perfect. LR is only human and has a right to be excited about a win. And, yes he may be reacting to criticism,. Some of his coaching decisions like the onside kick are ridiculous and running the same first running play to start every series is really stupid. I hope that they use the two weeks of practice time to develop some new running plays and wrap arms around players when tackling. The team did appear more disciplined and focused. The big Iowa win at Washington was also a reality check. Can’t wait to see your report card…..with Mosely healthy and Bowman out, I would give the receivers and A. Fight on, Dan, Class of 1962

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    1. If we get to FULL strength on offense [all our wide receivers, tight ends and o-linemen] we will be hard for anybody to beat….

      #But…

      #..NoMoreOnsideKicks

      #UnlessWeNeedThem…

      #…With25SecondsToGoInGame

      Liked by 3 people

      Reply

      3. Definitely not, T [I just saw you guys shut down Oregon — even when the refs were trying to steal it from you]….

        #WishingYouLuck…

        #…until the USC game…

        Liked by 3 people

    2. 25% of the people on this blog think last night’s win is something to celebrate.

      The rest of us are glad we won, but know what’s coming. 3-2 would be great! But 2-3 is much more likely. 1-4 wouldn’t shock 75% of us.

      Liked by 4 people

      Reply

  6. Let’s pray that Mosley stays healthy – the offense is SO MUCH BETTER with him back. This may have been Maiava’s best game. Glad there is a bye week for the guys to rest and heal, but the game versus OSU could be awful, what with our secondary and Ohio State having perhaps the best receiver in the country with Jeremiah Smith.

    Alv is right, the rest of the schedule is awful. If only we could play a D’ Anton Lynn coached defense every week…

    BTW, Bear Alexander with a totally dirty play yesterday. No flag…

    Liked by 5 people

    Reply

    2. There was a horrible no call against Georgia last night, towards the end. Defender ran straight into the receiver. Did not look back once, had no idea where the ball was.

      DeBoer was livid and we couldn’t blame him one bit.

      Liked by 6 people

      Reply

      1. So Cal —It really is terrible when the refs hand the game over like that [I love the announcers going from “Gotta be a flag” to “I guess the ball was uncatchable”…..

        #Yeah,Right

        Liked by 3 people

  7. Yeah, SC is back baby ! They beat a pathetic team in a tough environment, yeah.

    The defense still sucks, the team still isn’t disciplined, the coach is still a moron, but they’re 6-1 ( against HORRID teams ) so yeah, just ignore all of problems.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    3. All we have to do is watch what a real coach does to see how subpar LR is. Chesney, in his 1st year inherits a program with no Nil, no culture, minimal talent, and horrible facilities and turns it completely around. That’s a real coach. Our Buffon acts like this was a signature win- wtf is this guy smoking? Don’t care it was on the road with 114,000 fans in white- it’s a bad team that LR managed to keep in the game. I’m w Buddy on this- it’s another ho hum win. Other than improving on the penalties- still see the same issues- poor tackling, suspect play calls, subpar special teams, lack of physicality- until we improve in those areas, we are stuck in the same rut we’ve been in for 5 years.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      1. Exactly right – point I always make about Urban – the year before he arrived at Ohio State they had a losing record … he took the same roster to a perfect season in year 1.

        Like

    2. KAM: Imagine hanging out with Cowardly Sparrow Gabby aka psychotic Cowardly Gabby in person?

      DON: “Want to see my collection of animal d e f e c a t i o n videos?”

      Like

      Reply

  11. Lincoln Riley was hired with the expectation he would win a national title for the Trojans. True Trojan fans won’t feel sorry for him in that he hasn’t delivered. He has proven that he doesn’t have the ability to win a national title and he has no clue as to what’s wrong with team. He has been given an undeserved ridiculous contract. Any initial preseason excitement you had for this year’s team has quickly evaporated. At this point we will have a tough time defeating UCLA.

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply

    1. When many were celebrating that #1 recruiting class, some of us knew Lincoln would do little with it. So there was no preseason excitement.

      Sark used to be known as “7 win Sark”. Riley is a game or two better than that.

      Liked by 4 people

      Reply

  12. Bottom line – does anybody think USC has played playoff level football in any game this season?

    No.

    Winning is better than losing, but Riley does not have the team playing at the level they should. They are always playing down to competition.

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply

  13. Riley is a good OC. So fire him and hire a coach who’s willing to take him on in that capacity.

    Pay him $3M as an OC, which would leave us owing him about $8M a year for his current contract. We’d just need to find a coach who doesn’t mind making less than his OC. Cuz after this fiasco, we need to make a coach EARN an eight figure salary.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    1. He’s not a good OC, why people on this board constantly say this is beyond me.

      His redzone offense is awful. A good OC sees the weaknesses in the defense and attacks it, Riley doesn’t do that.

      Riley is a 💩🤡

      Liked by 3 people

      Reply

      4. Completely agree w/BK on this – he’s just another air raid geek (not sure whose whose poor man – neither is rich man – but him and Kingsbury interchangeable) …

        Liked by 4 people

      6. Urban Meyer and Nick Saban have commented that he is an offensive savant. Maybe if he only worried about the offense he would do a lot better. Or maybe with a second shoulder-tapper…

        Liked by 3 people

      9. No…for USC’s entire history it’s always been …..Wisconsin.

        [On a serious note —that’s the game that made McKay National Champion for the first time and put USC back on the map]….

        Liked by 1 person

      10. MG – You are right, but that being pre-Quest For Fire … USC actually established themselves in the public’s conscience in 1962 with the regular season-ending shutout of Notre Dame … and the national championship was awarded after that and prior to the famous Rose Bowl win over the Badgers (which cemented the team’s greatness, given that many teams choked away bowls in that era at that juncture – Michigan St., Alabama, Texas, Alabama again).

        Like

    1. …and he propositioned the married, pregnant wife of an LSU official at a gas station…..

      #WeOnlyWantCoachesWhoTravel”ThePathOfRighteousness”

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

      1. Lincoln Riley is living off his limited early success at Oklahoma with no championships and foolish Bohn was bamboozled into thinking Riley was the answer and at the same time apparently handcuffing the program for 10 years

        Liked by 3 people

  15. Certainly ironic for someone who claims to not hear “outside noise” say in the same breath that “no one” thought they could win.

    This was a good win for USC, simply, because they didn’t lose and they can go into bye week with some confidence. But in no way, shape, or form is it the resounding success Riley was making it out to be.

    Liked by 5 people

    Reply

    2. Let’s ease up on Lincoln. No human likes to hear his own cheering section chant it’s time to fire him. Moreover –whether this is an up or down year for them –Washington and Penn State are major football schools with big time resources. So is LSU. So is Texas A&M. Give the guy some credit.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

      1. Michael, to play devil’s advocate, he is getting $11 million a year, a subsidized mortgage on an estate in palos verdes, and a driver…

        Liked by 3 people

      7. Nope MG – not on this one. No easing up. Miley Coyote is a dissembling, lying incompetent, who is squatting on a position he should never have been given and if he had even a shred of integrity would step down from. His record is virtually identical to Helton. Only Hackett was worse (Ted Tollner’s 1984 team beat #1 Washington and an absolutely loaded Ohio State team, both wins far eclipsing anything Dough’Riley has accomplished).

        Liked by 3 people

      8. Lincoln is plainly smarter than Clay or Hackett —& he’s dealt with stuff they never dreamed of [changing conferences, NIL, lousy campus culture]. [Personal note– I heard a Tollner pre-game speech —it was embarrassing and totally punk: “Ryan, that’s the way UCLA feels about your mother. Are you gonna let them get away with it?!”]…..

        I’ll take Lincoln. I think he’s still the same coach he was at Oklahoma –a savvy offensive guy who doesn’t expect much more from the defense than 2 stops per game.

        Liked by 1 person

      9. Miley Coyote was an air raid geek at Oklahoma and he’s an air raid geek at USC who has never won anything and has never found a rock on the path he couldn’t describe as Mount Everest. He’s the George McClellan of USC football history. We just don’t have a Lincoln to fire his sorry @$$. Tollner beat #1 Washington (costing an 11-1 team a national championship) in a dog fight of a game – pun only partially intended … and topped the season off beating an Ohio State team with Keith Byers, Chris Carter, Chris Spielman, and Mike Tomczak, and Jim Lachey in the Rose Bowl. Hackett is the only one worse than Miley.

        Like

    3. KAM: Beating a mediocre team is always good.

      DON: But barely beating a mediocre team that was threatening to tie the score at the end of the game is no occasion for celebration, especially by the head coach who knows better.

      Liked by 3 people

      Reply

      2. You just nailed the Riley Philosophy of Football, 67!

        [And, when we’re full offensive strength, it works pretty damn well].

        Liked by 1 person

  16. That’s the problem Gabby- this jacka$$ doesn’t know better. I appreciate supporting our team, but what can’t see is how we support a head coach who clearly is clueless. Why is he not a great play caller- because his games are always marked with – wtf was that play called in that situation. It’s the same week in and week out. If by some reason we win out- perhaps I’ll eat crow. But I sense a Riley special coming on- losing the next 4/5 and him complaining that it was a tough schedule and his team had boo boo’s and slapping himself and the team on the back and saying we are so close….

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

      2. It was funny how proud of himself he was, after the timeout.

        Like a little kid, “That’s right. I made them do that.”

        Couldn’t just act like he’s been there before. Had to make sure everyone knew he made that happen!

        Liked by 1 person

Leave a Reply