Oregon handed USC football its first loss of the season despite losing quarterback Dante Moore to injury. The defeat exposed some of the Trojans’ weaknesses, but head coach Lincoln Riley still found a silver lining in the difficult loss.
When discussing the loss, Riley weighed in on the positive aspects he saw from his team despite the disappointing result.
“We didn't get run out of the stadium. There's a lot of good things on that tape. You don't have a chance to win a game like that if you don't do some things pretty well,” Riley said via Brian Jones of On3.
With the game taking place at home inside the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the Trojans were expected to make the most of their home-field advantage. Instead, they struggled to slow down Oregon’s offense and eventually saw the game slip away from them in the second half.
On the other side, the Ducks overcame the loss of their starting quarterback and relied on backup Dylan Raiola, who helped Oregon secure a dramatic 41-27 road victory.
Article Continues BelowThe Ducks finished the contest with 504 total yards, producing 366 yards through the air and another 138 on the ground. USC, meanwhile, totaled 446 yards but struggled to consistently generate offensive momentum when the game reached its most critical stages.
The victory moved Oregon to 3-1 overall and 1-0 in Big Ten play, while USC dropped to 4-1 on the season and 1-1 in conference action.
Moreover, the loss to Oregon has placed Lincoln Riley’s future at USC under significantly greater scrutiny, with reports suggesting his job security is now in serious question. Those concerns remain notable despite Riley reportedly having a buyout believed to be around $70 million.
If Riley’s team can use this loss as a midseason wake-up call, the Trojans still have an opportunity to respond and put together a strong run. However, if the physical and mental mistakes exposed against Oregon continue to go unaddressed, the challenges awaiting USC will only become more difficult.