Lincoln Riley isn’t pretending the Penn State trip is just another stop on the schedule.
The USC head coach said Monday on Trojans Live that he’s looking forward to the White Out atmosphere and understands exactly what’s at stake when the Trojans head into Week 6. The game comes before USC’s bye week and, in Riley’s words, carries the weight of a road conference test that matters.
“It’ll be a fun atmosphere. I’ve never gotten a chance to go coach there, so I’m looking forward to it.
I know our team is, and obviously it’s an important game here before the bye week. It’s an opportunity to go play a good team here on the road, and we know how important those road wins are in conference.”
Riley also made clear that the matchup carries some unusual familiarity. He’ll be calling plays against D’Anton Lynn, the former USC defensive coordinator who is now Penn State’s defensive coordinator. Riley downplayed the idea that the coaching chess match will decide the night.
“It’s probably something on the outside that’ll get probably more overblown than what will actually transpire on the field,” Riley said Monday.
That same theme ran through the rest of his comments: plenty of respect, but no illusion that the game will be decided by sideline connections alone.
On Penn State’s new-look roster and coaching staff, Riley pointed to Matt Campbell’s track record and the amount of change on the other side. He said Campbell is “a heck of a coach,” noted their history coaching against each other in the Big 12 when Campbell was at Iowa State, and said he has “immense respect” for Campbell, his staff and Lynn.
Riley also described the roster as heavily reshaped.
“I mean, they essentially, not totally, but in some ways, almost transplanted their Iowa State roster, right? And then obviously had some guys hold over there from Penn State, and brought a few others from a few other places.
But it’s a very, very new roster in some ways for them, and then probably for the coaches that came from Iowa State. There’s obviously a lot of familiarity.”
When the conversation turned to Penn State’s quarterback and offensive approach, Riley praised Rocco Becht as one of the most experienced players in the sport. He said the offense forces defenses to handle different personnel groupings and highlighted the way Penn State uses its tight ends.
“They obviously have a very experienced quarterback, and he’s one of the most experienced guys in college football, heck of a player. They do a lot of good things, challenging you in different personnel groupings. They’ve always, even going back to Iowa State, they’ve always used their tight ends really, really well, and they’re doing so again.”
Riley’s scouting report on the defense was just as direct. He said Penn State looks like the kind of unit people expect from Penn State: big up front, athletic across the board and strong on the back end.
“Defensively, it looks a lot like some of the Penn State defenses that you typically see. They’re really big up front.
They’ve got a lot of really good athletes and talented players. They’re excellent on the backend.
I mean it’s a good football team. It’s a well-coached football team, and it should be a heck of a night.”
As for the added wrinkle of facing Lynn, Riley said there’s familiarity on both sides, but not some massive hidden edge. In his view, the game will come down to execution.
“It’s still a player’s game, and it’s still going to come down to how these different sides of the ball execute. Like this one, I don’t know that there’s one big advantage on one side or the other, right?
We have some familiarity, obviously, with Coach Lynn with him being here, and he has some with us and our personnel as well. So the reality is, I mean, we’re a different team than they’ve been in the past, and he’s clearly coaching a different team.
And so it’s still going to come down to the 11 guys on the field executing, blocking, tackling, the fundamentals of the game. That’s going to be way more of the story.
Although I’m sure the other will get talked about quite a bit.”
In Other News...
Penn State Faces Two Big Concerns Before White Out Vs USC
Penn State spent part of the week clearing the air before a White Out showdown with USC, and the messaging from the podium was pointed enough to show where the pressure points are. A press conference with head coach Matt Campbell, defensive coordinator DAnton Lynn, quarterback Rocco Becht, offensive guard Cooper Cousins and linebacker Cael Brezina gave the usual game-week mix of injury updates and self-scouting, with receiver Koby Howards status drawing attention as the Nittany Lions continue to manage their depth.
Just as notable was the tone around the offense and defense after the Northwestern game, where the conversation turned to quarterback play, overall offensive struggles and what this teams identity needs to look like going forward. On the other side of the ball, the defense is still sorting through challenges that were exposed in that recent trip, and with USC coming into a White Out atmosphere, Penn State does not have much margin for lingering issues to linger much longer. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State White Out Just Became A Snapshot Of This Teams Pressure
The White Out is still one of the biggest scenes in college football, but this years version at Beaver Stadium is carrying an unusual edge. Resale prices have dropped sharply in recent days, reflecting how quickly the mood has shifted around Penn State after an 0-2 start in Big Ten play and a pair of recent losses. What is usually a premium ticket has become a barometer for the pressure building around a team that entered the season with much different expectations.
Matt Campbell acknowledged the struggle and said the focus has to be on growth and improvement, even as the program leans on the same fan base that has made the White Out a signature event. The contrast is hard to miss: a national showcase still capable of drawing attention, paired with a season that suddenly feels more fragile than it did a few weeks ago. How Penn State responds on that stage will say a lot about where this team is headed next. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Alumni Are Making Early NFL Noise For Multiple Teams
Penn States NFL footprint was hard to miss in the latest round of games, with several former Nittany Lions turning up in key moments for their new teams. Jahan Dotson found the end zone for the Atlanta Falcons, Pat Freiermuth hauled in a touchdown for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and Mike Gesicki scored for the Cincinnati Bengals, giving the program another reminder that its alumni keep showing up on Sundays.
The defense joined the party, too, as Odafe Oweh delivered a sack and forced fumble for the Washington Commanders. Tyler Warren emerged as one of the Indianapolis Colts top targets, while Theo Johnson added a touchdown for the New York Giants, a spread of production that reflects how widely Penn State talent is already being trusted across the league. [Read more 🡒]