USC dey travel go No. 8 Oregon dey look for ein biggest road win under coach Lincoln Riley. Dem dey do well for Coliseum, but dem no dey produce well when dem dey play away.
If dem win, USC go still get hope for College Football Playoff, but some key players no go dey because dem injure.
Riley Ein Road Reputation
Before he take over USC, Lincoln Riley get reputation say he be road warrior. E take am three seasons for Oklahoma before ein team lose road game when he dey coach. For five years with Sooners, he win 17 out of 21 games wey dem play away.
But now wey he dey coach Trojans for four years, Riley ein road reputation dey feel like something from the past. Until USC win for Nebraska this month, Riley no beat any team wey finish better than .500 since November 2022, when ein Trojans beat UCLA for Rose Bowl. Apart from that, USC only win against good team wey dem play away under Riley na against Oregon State… for ein fourth game wey he dey lead Trojans.
High Stakes for USC
The stakes never high for Riley like this week, as No. 15 USC dey go No. 8 Oregon with ein College Football Playoff hope dey depend on big road win. But we no fit ignore how Riley ein Trojans dey look different when dem dey play away from home.
USC be the best offense for college football when dem dey inside Coliseum. But for four road games, USC dey average 18 points less and two yards less per attempt for offense. Dem no dey score touchdown for red zone like before (e drop 25%), and dem no dey convert third downs like before (e drop 16%) when dem dey play away. Simply put, Riley ein offense no dey do well when dem no dey play for home.
Riley No Dey Worry About Critics
Lincoln Riley no dey worry about wetin dem go talk about ein program for ESPN’s “College GameDay” on Saturday.
The show dey come Eugene, Oregon, as No. 17 Trojans dey play No. 8 Oregon. USC need to beat Ducks to get chance to enter College Football Playoff, and Oregon sef need to win to make sure say dem enter.
Unlike Oregon, dem no rank USC when the season start. Trojans get votes for preseason AP Top 25, but dem no dey inside. And e be like Riley no forget that. When dem ask am about GameDay, he just dismiss am.
“I think for us, all these people be the same people wey think say we go suck,” Riley talk for Trojans Live on Monday night. “Like, seriously. All these people – wetin, we go do this and USC be this and that, so for us to pay attention to dem now, e no go help us. So we no forget that.”
Riley Compare USC Defense to World Series Play
Lincoln Riley compare USC ein stop against Iowa to play from World Series.
For last week ein 26-21 win against Iowa, USC close the game with big stop for defense late for fourth quarter. With Hawkeyes dey drive late and dey face fourth down for Trojans territory, quarterback Mark Gronowski pass ball go wide receiver Kaden Wetjen, but USC defenders force am commot before he put ein foot down. As result, dem say the pass no complete, and Trojans take over and run out the clock.
For ein weekly appearance for USC ein Trojans Live show, head coach Lincoln Riley talk about the play. He even add baseball analogy, dey compare am to play from Game 7 of World Series.
“We show the guys visual from World Series from the play for home,” Riley talk. “Then show visual of Iowa receiver ein foot.
“When you dey play these big time games against really good teams and good competition, na wetin everything dey come down to. And our guys dey strain, and that na why we dey make our share of plays.”
The baseball play wey Riley dey talk about na when Los Angeles Dodgers throw out Toronto Blue Jays pinch runner Isaiah Kiner-Falefa for home for bottom of ninth inning. The throw home barely beat Kiner-Falefa, but catcher Will Smith manage to keep ein foot on the bag for the out, keep the game alive for Dodgers.