Make California Post a Preferred Source Those wide eyes seemed to be speaking for an entire fan base.
USC football radio analyst Shaun Cody’s expression after play-by-play partner Pete Arbogast called linebacker Desman Stephens II walloping Dante Moore a clean hit echoed many Trojan fans’ disbelief around the program over the last week.
There was the loss to Oregon, at home, against a backup quarterback – courtesy of Stephens’ big hit.
There was the ejection of Stephens for targeting, his subsequent thoughtless celebration and ultimate one-game suspension levied by the school.
There was the defense that somehow looked worse under Gary Patterson than what had preceded it.
Perhaps most disturbingly, there was the head coach who seemed to be losing supporters by the hour. Many of the national media figures who had backed Lincoln Riley for years were now saying they had lost faith in the coach whose hopes for a College Football Playoff breakthrough, in Year 5, were already teetering before the end of September.
If Riley’s biggest advocates are jumping ship, how much support remains in Heritage Hall?
Any conceivable path toward redemption starts Saturday afternoon when the No. 18 Trojans (4-1 overall, 1-1 Big Ten) face Washington (3-1, 1-1) at the Coliseum. Here are five things to watch:
Predictably, the Trojans said all the right things about pulling together amid adversity.
Said quarterback Jayden Maiava: “I’ve never seen a team as tight as this team.”
Said offensive tackle Elijah Paige: “This is the best time to come together as one, and that’s exactly what we’re going to do.”
As always, the display on the field Saturday will speak louder than any words.
There’s almost no imaginable scenario in which USC can make the CFP if it loses to the Huskies given a schedule that includes a home game against No. 5 Ohio State, not to mention road games against No. 6 Indiana, No. 23 UCLA, Penn State and Wisconsin.
Further irritating some fans tired of excuses, Riley said his team now had a belief it could win big games that was missing in previous seasons.
“There’s some times that, oh, it’d be great if we won, but not real sure that we’re ready for this,” Riley said of the previous mindset. “I do think the attitude around that has totally shifted. You know, we felt like we let one get away the other day, and I don’t think there’s a team that we’re gonna play this year that we’re going to walk out there and not believe that we’re going to win.”
Losing their top linebacker could be a big storyline against an offensive mastermind as gifted as Washington coach Jedd Fisch.
Will Fisch direct plays toward Stephens’ replacement, identifying a possible weak spot in the Trojans’ defense?
USC listed Ta’Mere Robinson as the starter on its depth chart, with freshman Talanoa Ili as the backup. Robinson has made five tackles this season.
Riley backed Patterson, saying there was no one more driven to fix the problems than the first-year defensive coordinator.
There seems to be a consensus among analysts that Patterson is signaling in plays right before the snap, leading to confusion about assignments as players scramble to get into position.
Riley said there’s no one big issue hindering the defense, that everybody just needs to play a little better.
Fixes are needed ASAP for a defense that’s given up an average of 35.7 points over the last three games.
Hopes were high for Washington’s offense once quarterback Demond WIlliams Jr. agreed to return after a failed flirtation with the transfer portal.
What’s transpired has been incredibly disappointing.
Washington’s offense has been middling, averaging 395.8 yards of offense per game (No. 74 nationally). The Huskies have been especially feeble running the ball, averaging just 107.3 yards per game, with good reason – they have been dealing with a slew of injuries at the position, including three running backs listed as out for Saturday.
Among those expected to play, Brian Bonner Jr. leads the way by averaging 42 rushing yards per game – just a tick better than Williams’ 41.3 yards per game.
While the busy stretch has put the new Bloom Football Performance Center’s recovery equipment to the test, it does come with a beneficial tradeoff.
The Trojans will get two bye weeks, helping them prepare for a possible late-season push.
“I do believe the playing guys early and getting the bye weeks late, we’re gonna feel the positive effects of that more and more as the season goes on,” Riley said. “So we’ve got to do a good job righting the ship here [against Washington].
“You know, go get this one, hopefully get up to Penn State and get that one done, and then, you know, we’re gonna be in a position where we’re gonna be able to get some rest, and possibly get some guys back and be primed up for a pretty good run.”
