Lincoln Riley and the No. 21-ranked USC’s undefeated start to the 2025 campaign ended in heartbreak on Saturday, as the No. 23-ranked Illinois Fighting Illini delivered a crazy 34-32 upset with a game-winning field goal. It was a pretty vague performance by USC throughout the game, but despite the loss, Lincoln Riley gave big props to someone who suited up even though he wasn’t 100% cleared.

On September 27, after the game, Lincoln Riley gave “warrior-level” props to Ja’Kobi Lane for stepping up. USC insider Ryan Kartje shared on X: “Lincoln Riley called Ja’Kobi Lane ‘a warrior’ for playing at all on Saturday. Riley said that the USC receiver ‘felt a little better than anticipated’ and really wanted to give it a go. But he hadn’t taken any reps in two weeks, Riley said, and was clearly limited.” Despite being banged up, Ja’Kobi Lane took one for the team. The 6’4” wideout had been inactive for the last two weeks and took almost zero reps in practice after his injury.

Ja’Kobi Lane didn’t play against Michigan State last week due to a shoulder injury. But against Illinois, he put up a decent performance after being listed as questionable. USC’s offense totaled 490 yards, with Jayden Maiava throwing for 364 yards while completing 30 of 43 passes for 2 touchdowns. Lane recorded 4 catches for 39 yards, while wideout Makai Lemon stepped up big time, hauling in 151 yards and 2 touchdowns. Both of Lemon’s scores came in the fourth quarter, including a critical touchdown that gave USC a brief lead with less than two minutes remaining.

Before the Illinois game, Lane was putting up some serious numbers. He had recorded 9 receptions for 239 yards and 1 touchdown, averaging a whopping 26.6 yards per reception, which is just flat-out insane. In the opener vs Missouri State, against Georgia Southern, he showed off his big-play ability with 3 catches for 91 yards, including a crazy one-handed touchdown grab while being interfered with. Then, versus Purdue, Lane really broke out as a deep threat, hauling in 3 catches for 115 yards with quarterback Jayden Maiava hitting him on a couple of long bombs.

This guy knows how to go up and get it, making contested catches look easy. Plus, he’s been clutch on third downs, averaging an impressive 41.75 yards per catch when the team needed a conversion. We saw him snagging balls for 59 yards, showing off that ability to create instant offense. He’s indeed a warrior in that USC offense, without a doubt.

Lincoln Riley blames the Big 10

On September 24, Lincoln Riley talked with the media before hopping on a flight to face Bret Bielema’s Fighting Illini. He wasn’t hiding his frustration with the grind of the Big Ten schedule. “I mean, we’ve tried to be aware,” Riley said. “Going from the absolute latest kick in the country to the absolute earliest kick in the country has its challenges, but it is what it is, right? We don’t make the schedule. We’ve had to adapt in the way that we prepare… and we need to put a fresh football team on that airplane.”

Last week, USC came off a marathon, three-hour weather delay at Purdue, and then they had to turn around for a noon PT kickoff at Illinois. That’s a tough swing and miss zone. The Trojans ended up on the wrong side of it too, falling 34-32 in Champaign.

Since moving into the Big Ten, USC has been racking up air miles constantly. Last year brought late-night battles in different time zones. This season alone, the Trojans average around 1,336 miles per game. It’s thousands of miles to South Bend, Champaign, and Ann Arbor. Riley’s right—these guys are road-worn. And Saturday’s loss proved just how tough it’s gonna be for Riley and the squad.