USC has already seen what happens when the offense carries the load and the defense slips out of position. In 2025, the Trojans were back to looking like Lincoln Riley’s kind of team on that side of the ball after a defense-first 2024, but the balance still wasn’t enough to turn the season into something bigger than 9-3.
Jayden Maiava became a dangerous Big Ten quarterback, and he didn’t do it alone. A revived running game helped.
So did Makai Lemon’s explosiveness and a much stronger offensive line, with Zach Hanson drawing praise for the work he did with that group. Even so, USC still left too much out there in the biggest games.
The defense under D’Anton Lynn regressed, and that’s where most of the blame for the three losses belongs. But the offense didn’t fully cash in either.
Against Illinois, it was solid. Against Notre Dame and Oregon, it was sloppy and short of the standard Riley’s best attacks have set.
The Trojans simply did not squeeze every possible point out of those games.
That matters because Riley has built his reputation on offenses that can push past 40 and keep coming. At Oklahoma, he won shootouts like 55-52 and 56-49 in the Big 12.
At USC, that kind of game hasn’t gone his way. The list is ugly: a 43-42 loss to Utah in his first year, a 52-42 loss to Washington in his second season, and a 46-45 loss to Tulane in the 2023 Cotton Bowl.
That style of football is too fragile to lean on forever.
And in 2025, USC wasn’t even getting to 40 in the games that mattered most. That’s the real issue.
The simplest answer may be the right one: USC should try scoring 40 again and see how far that takes it. The Trojans lost 34-24 at Notre Dame, 34-32 to Illinois, and 42-27 to Oregon last season.
If they had reached 40 in those three games, they still wouldn’t have won every time - but they would have won two of them. That’s the difference between 0-3 and 2-1 in marquee games, and that’s the difference between a playoff team and an Alamo Bowl team.
The margins are going to be tiny. USC needs to stop giving points back. It needs to see a Riley offense hit its ceiling again, because that hasn’t happened since 2022.
In Other News...
USC Gets An Early Shot In A Recruiting Fight Fans Will Watch
USC is getting an early look at one of the most coveted defensive backs in the 2028 class, as four-star safety Jalen Flowers is set to be on campus for the season opener against San Jos State. Flowers, one of the top California talents in his class, already has a profile that has made him a priority for major programs across the country, and the Trojans will have one of their first chances to make a strong impression in person.
The visit schedule could only sharpen the competition. Flowers is also expected back for USCs game against Ohio State, giving the Trojans another shot at showing what their program has to offer while he continues to sort through nearly 40 scholarship offers. For USC, landing a player with that kind of national attention will take more than a game-day atmosphere, but getting him on campus this early is a meaningful first step. [Read more 🡒]
USC May Have Found A New Defensive Strength Under Gary Patterson
Lincoln Riley sounded noticeably more confident about USCs linebacker room during a recent media appearance, and it is not hard to see why the group has become one of the more intriguing parts of the defense. The Trojans have spent plenty of time trying to stabilize that side of the ball, and linebacker play has long been a key indicator of whether the unit can hold up against better Pac-12 offenses. Riley pointed to the groups physicality and athleticism, while Desman Stephens II, who led the team in tackles last season, has been working through a new defensive system under coordinator Gary Patterson.
For Stephens, the adjustment has come with some clear buy-in, and that matters for a position group that is expected to carry a heavier load this fall. Transfers and younger linebackers are also in line to factor in, giving USC a mix of experience and upside as Patterson continues shaping the scheme. The bigger question now is whether the Trojans can turn that confidence into a real edge on Saturdays, because if this group settles in quickly, it could quietly become one of the most useful pieces on the roster. [Read more 🡒]
USC Freshmen Are Making An Early Offensive Statement In Camp
Fall camp has quickly turned into a showcase for USCs newest offensive pieces, with several freshmen already forcing their way into the conversation for real roles this season. Deshonne Redeaux has drawn attention at running back, while Ethan Boobie Feaster and Kayden Dixon-Wyatt have both flashed as receivers in a room that always benefits from fresh speed and separation.
Trent Mosley has also emerged as more than just another young wideout, with the staff viewing him as a potential playmaker who can help on special teams right away. On the line and at tight end, Mark Bowman is trending toward the starting job and Keenyi Pepe looks like a useful backup tackle, giving the Trojans a first-year group that could end up shaping the offense sooner than expected. [Read more 🡒]