EUGENE, Ore. — The final time he made it right here, to the doorstep of the Faculty Soccer Playoff, Lincoln Riley may solely watch as USC’s hopes slipped away with a single hamstring tweak. With out its Heisman-winning quarterback wholesome, USC fell painfully brief, left to marvel over irritating seasons that adopted what may need been.
It will take Riley almost three years — and loads of ups and downs in between — to return to that very same place with USC, solely to have the door slammed shut as soon as once more, this time in a 42-27 loss to No. 7 Oregon.
With its playoff hopes dashed by a 3rd defeat, barring an unlikely sequence of occasions, USC (9-3) seems to be heading to a second-tier bowl sport, whereas the Geese are one in all three Large Ten groups prone to host a house playoff matchup. That’s an particularly bitter capsule to swallow, contemplating the progress Riley has trumpeted this season, 4 years into his tenure at USC.
“This is USC — the standard here is incredibly high,” Riley stated. “We’ve won a bunch of games this year. The ones we haven’t won, we’re right there.”
It was a well-recognized chorus from Riley, who has misplaced all 5 of his video games in opposition to top-10 groups as USC’s coach. However the Trojans’ losses this season every left little doubt about how and why they’d fallen brief. At Illinois, it was penalties and expensive errors. At Notre Dame, a bone-headed play name and ill-timed turnovers did them in.
Towards Oregon (10-1), it was extra of the identical lapses in self-discipline. Besides this time, the back-breaking errors got here largely on particular groups. Essentially the most obvious of which Riley would look again on because the turning level Saturday.
It was just some minutes into the second quarter. Tied 14-14, USC sputtered wanting midfield. So the Trojans punted away to Oregon’s Malik Benson.
The punt flew on a line drive to Benson, who discovered the sting and flew previous USC’s final line of protection, 85 yards untouched into the tip zone. The return’s have an effect on would solely reverberate from there.
“Obviously, it was a huge, huge play in the game,” Riley stated. “You definitely don’t want to give them something like that.”
You definitely wouldn’t need to let these missteps snowball both. However that’s exactly what occurred as quarterback Jayden Maiava confronted heavy strain on a 3rd down on USC’s ensuing possession and threw a prayer into visitors. Oregon intercepted the go.
USC’s protection would maintain initially, and Oregon despatched a field-goal try off the goalpost. Had the Trojans taken over from there, what adopted may have altered the trail of USC’s season — and the school soccer season writ giant.
However in making an attempt to dam the sphere purpose, linebacker Desman Stephens leaped over the Geese’ line and was flagged for a 15-yard penalty. Riley stated that Stephens “just kind of panicked a little bit.” Three performs later, Oregon punched in a landing to take a lead it will by no means relinquish.
“We’re playing good enough right now that we’re a sequence like that [away] from beating anybody,” Riley stated. “That’s just how it feels.”
USC large receiver Makai Lemon makes an attempt to hurdle Oregon defensive backs Dillon Thieneman (31) and Jadon Canady, proper, through the first half Saturday.
(Lydia Ely / Related Press)
The sequence of particular groups errors finally sunk USC, but it was hardly the one error the Trojans made in that side of the sport. USC additionally missed a discipline purpose, kicked a kickoff out of bounds and was known as for catch interference.
Different errors made issues worse. The Trojans have been known as for eight penalties for 103 yards, the fourth time this season they’ve been penalized that a lot.
The Trojans’ protection definitely didn’t assist issues, despite assurances that it had ironed out its points over three standout, second-half performances. Towards Oregon, although, that progress was powerful to identify, as USC gave up 436 yards, simply shy of a season-worst mark.
The loss wasn’t for a scarcity of effort from its passing assault. After a questionable efficiency on the street in every of USC’s first 4 journeys, Maiava hit huge throws to maintain the Trojans alive. Seven of his 25 completions went for 15 yards or extra. He completed with 306 yards and three touchdowns, whereas freshman Tanook Hines (141) and fellow wideout Ja’Kobi Lane (108) turned in standout performances.
With its dashing assault unable to maneuver the ball, the passing sport was all that basically labored for USC.
USC quarterback Jayden Maiava appears to be like towards the scoreboard within the second half of a 42-27 loss to Oregon on Saturday.
(Lydia Ely / Related Press)
King Miller had been stellar within the 5 weeks since being thrust into the lead position in USC’s backfield. However the Trojan walk-on was completely neutralized by Oregon’s stout defensive entrance. He rushed for simply 30 yards, the longest of his 15 carries going for simply 5 yards. The Trojans managed simply 52 yards on the bottom whole, their fewest since a November 2023 loss to UCLA.
“We didn’t run the ball nearly as well as we have or nearly as well as we expected to,” Riley stated.
After USC coaches reiterated all week the significance of beginning quick, USC did make an instantaneous assertion. On its first drive, USC marched down the sphere, and Maiava discovered Makai Lemon on an eight-yard swing go that he took into the tip zone.
However whereas USC’s operating sport struggled, Oregon confronted little resistance, racking up 179 dashing yards and three scores.
At first of the second quarter, Maiava discovered Lemon once more on a swing go within the backfield, just for Lemon to throw the ball on a double go. Ready for the go was Hines, who leaped for an acrobatic 24-yard landing in visitors.
The fireworks didn’t cease there. However the particular groups gaffes would change the tenor of the sport, as Oregon opened up a 28-14 lead by halftime.
Simply earlier than the half, USC drove to the 10-yard line with seconds remaining, just for kicker Ryon Sayeri to clank a 27-yard discipline purpose try off the goalpost.
A 3rd-quarter interception from Kennedy Urlacher, one in all two USC reserves beginning at security, gave the Trojans some life. However there can be no stalwart second-half stand from USC’s protection, prefer it managed the final three weeks. Nor may its electrical offense climb again in time.
As the ultimate seconds ticked away, there was solely the conclusion that, as soon as once more, its hopes of a particular season had been dashed proper on the doorstep.
