Lincoln Riley finally gave out some punches, turning the 7-6 slate into a 4-0 winning streak. However, the Fighting Illini gave a 32-34 gut-punch on the road game, and the Trojans lost their footing. The win slipped through Lincoln’s fingers with the Illini’s walk-off field goal, which capped off this end-to-end encounter. But maybe the head coach has dodged the blame for the Illini loss, and injuries are one of the reasons.

“I think that USC had the early morning kick and they came out sluggish,” started David Pollack on his show ‘See Ball Get Ball. He continued. “And if we’re going to be honest, I want to say this out of the jump. USC was down their left tackle. They’re down their best safety. They were down their best receiver, like Ja’Kobi Lane, was playing a little bit like in spot duty.”

The defense was struggling all game. Starting Left tackle Elijah Paige and safety Kamari Ramsey were absent. Cornerback Chasen Johnson was out of the game due to a knee injury, which he sustained two weeks ago. Ja’Kobi Lane was back on the field after an injury, but could only make four receptions. And the Illini exploited that weakness. In the third quarter, Luke Altmyer threw a 64-yard pass to Kaden Feagin for a touchdown.

In addition to that, penalties were another major concern. The Trojans received eight penalties for 69 yards and had two turnovers. USC’s loss was more biting to accept because of the Fighting Illini’s position before the game on Saturday. They had been absolutely crushed by the Indiana Hoosiers. “But, Illinois, after the thumping last week. What are they going to do? Offensive line got beat up in Duke, got beat up in Indiana,” Pollack added.

Jayden Maiava also threw his first interception of the 2025 season, picked off by the Illini’s Dylan Roseiek. The QB completed 30-of-43 passes for 364 yards and a QB rating of 85.5, with two touchdowns. Wide receiver Makai Lemon, who stepped up after Ja’Kobi Lane’s injury, saw another slate of his best games. He chipped in a career-high 11 receptions, totalling 159 yards and two touchdowns. The last touchdown came in the last fleeting minutes of the fourth quarter. Running back Wymond Jordan chipped in 94 yards for 20 carries and one fumble, scoring two touchdowns.

Lincoln’s reaction? Pleased with the gained traction in the fourth quarter, but it wasn’t enough. “We showed a lot of fight coming back to take the lead, but the reality is we squandered too many opportunities on both sides of the ball,” he said post-game.

Lincoln Riley feels the rising heat

Saturday’s close, 2-point deficit defeat against the Illinois Fighting Illini has added another set of qualms for Lincoln Riley. The head coach is already cradling a $90 million hot seat. Before the last weekend, there was optimism peaking at the LA Memorial Coliseum. A 4-0 record and the momentum was strong, but the away game at Champaign dimmed the lights a bit. Lincoln Riley has slid down to 4-11 against elite programs at USC.

LenDel White, a former celebrated running back at USC, let out his frustration. “He definitely hasn’t had no signature win!!! Ain’t no way,” he left a comment on CBS Sports ‘USC 4-11 graphic.’ Coming from the golden 2000s era of USC football, when the roster was on back-to-back national championship runs, he was clearly pained over the Trojans’ trajectory. But just the 4-11 statistic wasn’t enough to give a sharp pang to the Trojans’ faithful.

One of the main criticisms of Riley is his inability to replicate Oklahoma’s success at USC Trojans. Although the former celebrated Oklahoma coach’s overall coaching record against ranked teams appears much stronger. An 18-15 record, with a 54.5% winning percentage, and most of these stacked victories have come from his stint at Norman. With the Sooners, he was 15-6 against AP Top 25 opponents (compared to the 4-11 record at USC). Riley really needs his team to perform in the big game, or else he’ll have to soon face the music.