Lincoln Riley had plenty to like after USC walked out of Beaver Stadium with a road win over Penn State, and the Trojans coach made clear that one unexpected starter left his mark.
The biggest surprise for Riley was at left tackle, where Vlad Dyakonov stepped in for Elijah Paige and held up well in the Oct. 10 win. Riley broke down Dyakonov’s performance during his Oct. 12 appearance on Trojans Live, pointing to the young lineman’s attitude as much as his play.
“He was going to be so jacked up to play no matter what, I don't know that it was really going to matter with him. He's a really tough competitor for a young guy.”
“He doesn't flinch. He's still learning to play the position and he's still growing as a player, but competitively, he doesn't flinch. Next guy has to be ready to go and Vlad was in.”
“He brings energy and competitiveness every single day.”
Riley also said defensive tackle Jahkeem Stewart was the one who let Dyakonov know he would be starting.
The coach’s praise for the backup tackle came in the context of a game that tested USC in every direction. Riley called it, “Tough to win in that environment. That game was a heck of an environment.”
But he felt his team answered the challenge.
“But I thought our team and program were ready for it. We handled it and embraced it.
Obviously, had massive contributions on all sides. Especially at the end.”
He credited the finish to a mix of defense, turnovers and special teams.
“Just the stops and the turnovers, and we created some big special teams plays.”
Quarterback Jayden Maiava was another player Riley singled out after the No. 19 Trojans kept their poise on the road. Riley said Maiava stayed composed and sharp throughout the night.
“I thought he was poised and confident. I also thought he was very locked in with how we wanted to attack them. And I thought he stayed steady throughout the whole game.”
“He played like how your senior quarterback is supposed to play.”
“But as far as environment, I thought he handled that very well. He played one of his best games for certain.”
“Just really proud of his poise and there was just a calmness to him. I mean there was energy, but he was very calm throughout the entire game. ”
Riley said the win fit into a larger picture for USC, especially with the bye week arriving now after what he described as a demanding opening stretch.
“It's awesome. But the bye week comes at a good time for us.”
“We knew the first seven games was going to be a heavy push in the beginning of the season. But the schedule sets up well for us now in terms of getting rest, and continuing to develop the rest of the roster.”
“I think we've done a pretty nice job of developing here through the first seven games. And we're going to need them as we go forward.”
“I mean, that should be a real advantage for our team in the back half of the season on this home stretch. It sets up good for us.”
He also said the Trojans still believe they have more to unlock.
“I think our team has a sense of how much room we have to improve still yet.
“I think they know we've got some firepower, and we've got some young guys that are starting to figure it out.”
“I think we've seen snapshots of that and it's starting to come together. And I think the guys inside the walls feel that. And there's a lot of excitement, momentum and energy behind that.”
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