USC has an uncanny ability to create problems for itself. With so few games played on Saturday, a lot of attention focused on the USC game, which turned out to be another black eye for an athletic dept. that cannot stay out of its way.
The sparse crowd at the San Jose State game continued to go viral on Sunday with even the Athletic wading into the situation.
It’s led to fans all over the country criticizing USC after the terrible optics of a pretty empty Coliseum for the season-opener.
Personally, I think anyone who went to the game in these conditions was crazy. But that doesn’t absolve USC of creating an own goal.
It rashly refused to play Notre Dame in November, which created an opening in the schedule. Jen Cohen said USC would play at least one Power 4 team in the nonconference but instead scheduled San Jose State.
Even worse, USC wanted the game in Week 0 and then agreed to an insane 12 p.m. kickoff for NBC. Was anyone thinking when this agreement was made? They sure weren’t thinking about the fans.
In the midst of a heatwave, did USC arrange for temporary shade or hydration stations inside the stadium (not outside)?
- Critics also pointed out USC drew 84,325 for the San Jose State game in 2009. But that was a different era, most notably because Pete Carroll was the coach.
For the past five years, I have repeatedly pointed out Lincoln Riley refuses to meet with fans. Pete Carrol was opposite. He met with anyone.
Why does it matter? Because Riley has no base of support with the USC fans. If the Trojans are not great, then the fans don’t have much reason to be invested in the program. Riley never gives them one.
InsideUSC with Scott Wolf 
There have been plenty of games in the heat, Saturday was nothing new. But there is no buzz around the program, there are two NFL teams in town to compete against and SC has made the game day experience about as much fun as a day at the dentist getting a root canal.
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KAM: Imagine the crowd if Riley Coyote hadn’t cancelled the Ole Miss game that was originally scheduled this weekend.
Definitely a sell out, a night game and a huge television audience against the #9 team in the nation.
DON: And today we would know just how good the Trojans are. Instead we got a glorified scrimmage in a half empty Coliseum .
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SC would play at 10am on a Thursday if tv paid big bucks.
Funny how Ohio State and Michigan are exempt from Friday night games.
Friday night, 6pm, traffic should be lovely for the Fresno game. They’ll probably be as many Fresno fans at the game as SC fans, lol.
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KAM: In that SC-San Jose St game I could not believe how empty the coliseum was for a football game. It was truly amazing and I see why it went viral
DON: I bet there are Midwest fans going, “Just like those snotty LA types– Showing us ignorant folks how unimportant football really is
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DON: That was a great 4th quarter San Jose St’s offense ran there. But if it’s true it was against SC’s 2nd&3rd-stringers, that waters it down
KAM: It was like the 1962 teams of SC-Wisconsin at the Rose Bowl, with the Badgers making a frantic finish
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DON: Does SC have to let every quarterback they face look like Johnny Unitas?
KAM: That San Jose quarterback will never play a better game
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Speaking of making a QB look good, reminds me of Tavita Pritchard when the trees were a 41 point underdog in 2007 and beat USC, 24-23.
Now Pritchard is HC at Stanford. Here is their home crowd on Saturday:
https://x.com/JoshDubowAP/status/2093837545008402515
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KAM:: That San Jose St game was seen all over the country, and people must be thinking, ‘That was not impressive’
DON: Or saying, ‘Nope, they ain’t back’
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KAM: You might not know that SC actually won the game based on some critics’ critiques
DON: Critics schmirtics, if you’ve seen one you’ve seen them all
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DON: Offensively SC is probably a Top-10 team, Wiley’s usual position as offensive coordinator
KAM: It’s that painful 4th quarter that SC fans are carrying away with them, leaving them unfilled
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Riley is the new Larry Smith.
How long before we hear:
Names and logos don’t mean anything. You don’t beat someone just because of your name and logo.
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