On Friday night at the Coliseum, USC didn’t just beat Fresno State - it put together the kind of performance Lincoln Riley wants to see more often. The Trojans rolled to a 39-0 win, moved to 2-0 on the 2026 season, and walked off with a shutout that clearly meant a lot to their head coach.
Riley made that much obvious after the game. He was fired up about the blanking, calling it something that “Doesn’t happen very often in college football these days.”
He said USC was operating “at our standard for a higher level tonight,” and added that the energy around the team and in the Coliseum stayed steady from start to finish. Just as important to him, he believed the Trojans looked like a better football team than they did in week one.
The short week didn’t slow USC down, either, according to Riley. He said the team handled its preparation well and showed up ready to go, which gave him reason to feel good about the way the night unfolded.
A big part of that, he said, was the defense under Gary Patterson. Riley said Fresno State’s style makes life difficult because of its multiple looks and personnel groupings, but USC trusted the plan more than it had a week earlier.
He pointed to the Trojans’ ability to limit the run as a key reason they were able to get after the Bulldogs up front and create chances in the secondary. The result, in Riley’s view, was “a really good performance.”
There was plenty for the offense to clean up even with the lopsided score. Riley said USC created explosive plays when it protected well, but he also pointed to the messier parts of the night: two fumbles, a failed third-and-fourth-and-one in the red zone, and a few calls he didn’t love.
He also said the Trojans were “still a little sloppy early in the run game.” The big plays were there, but Riley made it clear the standard is higher than simply flashing in stretches.
The defense supplied one of the night’s biggest highlights with two safeties, something Riley said he doesn’t remember ever having in a game before. He also praised the turnovers, the run defense, the tackling, and the coverage, saying the front and the back end worked together the way a strong defense should. That mix, he said, was “a pretty good recipe.”
Riley also liked the way USC finished. He called the red zone stop at the end “tremendous,” especially because it came in a situation the staff has stressed heavily. He said the younger players who got late chances looked more prepared this time around, which matters for a team that will need contributions from different people as the season goes on.
One of those players was safety Kennedy Urlacher, who Riley described as “a high energy, high effort player.” He also called Urlacher “a really physical guy” and said this is his third college defense in as many years.
Riley believes settling into a system is helping him, and said that once Urlacher lets loose, his speed and physicality show up immediately. On Friday, Riley said, he “stepped up big for us tonight.”
In Other News...
USC Freshmen Are Already Forcing Their Way Into Bigger Roles
USCs Week 1 showing offered an early look at how quickly this freshman class is trying to make itself part of the rotation. Quarterback Jonas Williams, running back Deshonne Redeaux, receiver Trent Mosley and several others all flashed in ways that went beyond the usual opening-game hype, giving the staff a real sample of how they handle live snaps and the speed of college football.
The larger question now is how much of that first impression turns into a bigger role as the season settles in. For a Trojans team that wants depth to matter in a long year, the encouraging part is not just that these freshmen played, but that a few of them already looked like they belonged in bigger moments. The next step is proving that Week 1 was the start of something more than a one-game boost. [Read more 🡒]
USC Is In The Mix For A Five-Star Receiver Battle
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USC is hardly alone in chasing him, though, and that is what makes this one worth watching. Miami, Ohio State, Oregon and Indiana are all among the programs still involved, turning the pursuit into a cross-country fight for one of the classs marquee pass catchers. For the Trojans, landing Clark would not just be another recruiting win, it would be a clear statement about how far their national reach still extends. [Read more 🡒]
USC's Young Playmakers Are Emerging Fast Around Jayden Maiava
USCs second game of the 2026 season offered another look at how quickly Jayden Maiava is growing into the center of the offense, but it also showed how much help he is getting from a young supporting cast. The Trojans had useful performances across the roster, with Trent Mosley, Kayden Dixon-Wyatt and Jadyn Ramos all making their presence felt on offense, while Jide Abasiri, Kennedy Urlacher and Alex Graham added meaningful snaps and production on the other side of the ball.
For a team trying to establish an identity early, the encouraging part is how many first- and second-year contributors are already shaping games in different ways. Not every young Trojan had the same kind of impact, with Boobie Feaster and Tanook Hines quieter than some of their classmates, but the bigger picture is hard to miss: USC is getting faster development around Maiava, and that kind of balance can matter long before the schedule gets serious. [Read more 🡒]