Lincoln Riley isn’t brushing off USC’s defensive mess, and he isn’t backing away from the man tasked with fixing it.
The No. 18 Trojans have given up 30, 35 and then 41 points over their last three games, with No.
15 Oregon delivering that latest blow on Sept. 26.
That surge of points has put USC’s defense under a harsh spotlight, and new defensive coordinator Gary Patterson has taken plenty of heat for the results.
Riley, though, made it clear on Oct. 1 that Patterson isn’t hiding from the problem.
"Trust me, nobody takes it more personal than him," Riley stated. "Or takes more responsibility than he does."
That said, Riley also pointed to Patterson’s track record as a reason for confidence. The former TCU head coach has been through this before, and Riley believes that experience matters now more than ever.
"He's done this for a long time," Riley said. "And he's done it at a high level. There's nobody more committed to getting it fixed."
Riley said he believes Patterson can make the necessary adjustments before USC meets Washington on Oct. 3, and he also thinks the players can raise their level on the field. For Riley, this is not a moment to step back from either the coach or the roster.
He also drew on a coach who shaped him early: the late Mike Leach, who coached Riley when he was young and helped launch his coaching career at Texas Tech.
"He was wildly committed to what we did. I think that was a big part of his success and why he had the career he had," Riley said.
"He was rarely one to panic. He was one who always believed that the fixes were internal and needed to better.
So he would look at something and say 'alright, this direction isn't working.'"
Riley added that Leach was never quick to make changes just for the sake of changing, and that he became "obsessed" with the details.
"I think as great leaders, you have to embrace this [the adversity]. This is where they [the team] needs you the most. And it's that challenge I'm looking forward to," Riley said.
The criticism hasn’t stayed limited to the sideline. Former USC cornerback Max Williams, who played from 2019 to 2023 and was in the program under Riley, offered his own blunt read on what’s going wrong with the defense.
"Think the biggest issue with the defense currently is we get the call in late, which in turn does not allow our players enough time to process the formation, communicate, read pre-snap indicators, etc," Williams explained on X, formerly Twitter. "Instead of thinking about making a play and playing fast, you are left in fight-or-flight mode thinking about your assignment as the ball is snapped."
Williams said that has left the defense disorganized. Riley, meanwhile, is still banking on a turnaround. Whether USC shows one against Washington or opens the door to more frustration will be one of the biggest questions of the week.
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