USC needed a clean, convincing night to quiet the noise. It didn’t get that. It got a comeback.
No. 19 USC erased an 11-point second-half deficit and slipped past Washington 25-21 at the Los Angeles Coliseum on Saturday night, but the result did little to settle anything around Lincoln Riley. The Trojans beat their longtime West Coast rival for the first time since 2016, yet the performance was messy enough that the frustration around the program only grew louder.
The mood turned fast. After quarterback Jayden Maiava kneeled out the final seconds, he went straight for the tunnel, and the rest of the team followed soon after.
There was no lingering with fans, no autographs, no celebration lap. Under Riley, that kind of exit after a win had become something nobody could remember seeing before.
The chants started in the first half, right behind the USC bench from the student section: “fire Lincoln.” By the second half, the boos were rolling through the stadium as the Trojans once again looked undisciplined and out of rhythm.
The same problems kept showing up at the worst times. USC’s tackling was poor on a third-quarter play that led to a 42-yard touchdown, a sequence that echoed the defensive breakdowns against Utah in the Pac-12 Championship Game and the end of last season’s Alamo Bowl. Penalties also continued to haunt the Trojans in costly spots.
A win is a win, but the pressure on Riley clearly isn’t going anywhere. With USC heading into the toughest stretch of its schedule, the noise around his job figures to get even louder.
There was at least one bright spot: the defense turned in its best outing in Big Ten play. Defensive coordinator Gary Patterson moved to the press box, and the change seemed to help. Washington went three-and-out on four of its five possessions, with the lone touchdown drive coming after the Huskies had already been handed the ball at USC’s 41-yard line following a muffed punt by receiver Terrell Anderson.
That mistake fit the familiar pattern for the Trojans - mental lapses handing opponents easy chances - but the defense still delivered its strongest showing in conference play. After allowing 41 points and more than 500 yards to Oregon a week earlier, USC held Washington to 21 points and 319 yards.
The pass rush finally showed up too, as the Trojans piled up five sacks against Demond Williams. Freshman defensive end Luke Wafle and defensive ends coach Shaun Nua shared a moment after the game, a small sign of relief on a night that had plenty of tension.
The biggest defensive swing came in the third quarter. Linebacker Elijah Newby forced a strip sack, and Jahkeem Stewart scooped it up and raced 48 yards down the sideline for a touchdown.
On offense, Maiava had a rough night, but Tanook Hines gave USC a lift. He posted his best game of the season with five catches for 51 yards and a touchdown, making a strong grab away from a Washington defender to help spark the comeback.
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