Lincoln Riley’s team’s playoff hopes were entirely on their win against Iowa. Thus, he ensured it didn’t slip away. Battling through rain, defensive issues, and early struggles, Riley ensured his team got more physical against Iowa before facing the most formidable challenge against Oregon.

After losing against Notre Dame, Lincoln Riley’s ability to produce a better physical team came into light. But their solid game against Iowa at their home dismissed all of it. They came back from a 14-point deficit in the first half to rally back with 19 points to end the game.

As The Ruffino & Joe Show’s Joe DeLeone praised him for it, saying, “I think, in this setting where it was raining and you were playing against a team that was supposed to be more physical than you, they stepped up to the challenge. The one thing that stood out to me, Blake, was that these two teams were hitting each other, man. They were wailing on each other. There were a lot of huge, big physical plays. This was probably the most physical game of the weekend of all games.”

The Trojans shut down Iowa in the second half to just 108 yards despite missing both of their starting safeties, Kamari Ramsey and Bishop Fitzgerald. Freshman lineman Jahkeem Stewart grabbed a deflected pass, and that turnover gave USC its first lead of the game. After Iowa scored a late TD in the second quarter, they only entered USC’s territory once for the rest of the game and ended with 19 unanswered points.

“They stopped them at the line of scrimmage on a lot of rushing plays to completely shut them down in the second half. Jayden Maiava realized he had to put a lot of the onus on himself as a runner, and he had to power through contact. He didn’t shy away from anything,” DeLeone added.

Notably, Maiava silenced the doubters, playing his first turnover-less game since USC’s win against Michigan State. He completed 23 of 32 passes for 254 yards with a touchdown. Even the ball security was top-notch, as the Trojans haven’t turned it over even once since the Purdue game.

With defense, even their offense came alive in the second half, putting together three consecutive scoring drives. And they were just flukes, but long possessions of 9, 10, and 7-yard plays showed their ability to move the ball against the Big Ten’s top defense. Additionally, they continued to play Iowa, alternating between 31 runs and 32 passes, which made their attack difficult to stop.

These key improvements were necessary before USC faces Oregon, ensuring it reaches the playoffs. But, between all of this, the start of the night was WR Makai Lemon.

Lincoln Riley’s expectations turn into reality after Lemon’s rise

Back in October, Lincoln Riley was already raving about Makai Lemon’s exceptional skills. “I don’t rank ’em while they play for me, but he’s playing good ball for us right now,” Riley said. “I mean, his versatility and consistency really stand out to me in the way that he’s playing.” However, against Iowa, he really showcased his capabilities.

For the second time this season, Lemon recorded back-to-back 100-yard games. The starting WR consistently beat tight coverage, doubling his four catches for 42 yards in the first half to 10 passes for 153 yards with a touchdown. That momentum shift even grabbed Riley’s eyes as he said, “The whole team was ready to lay it on the line today. And that’s what you have to have in these big games.”

This adds another game to Makai Lemon’s phenomenal season. He now has 71 receptions for 1,090 yards with eight receiving touchdowns. And there’s no other receiver in a Power Four conference with as many yards as him. Now, let’s wait and see if he can keep this momentum going against Oregon or not.