Lincoln Riley’s Trojans are entering the first of two bye weeks. The timing couldn’t be better. After suffering their first defeat of the season, the Trojans are also grappling with mounting injuries. The true freshman cornerback Alex Graham, junior wide receiver Ja’Kobi Lane, and the redshirt senior cornerback Prophet Brown, among others, were sidelined. After their 34-32 loss to Illinois, Riley broke the silence on another injury.

Before their season opener against the Missouri State Bears, Riley had confirmed Caden Chittenden would be sidelined as he was not ready yet. So, Ryon Sayeri would handle both kickoff and all the field goals and extra points. “He’s had a great camp. Kicking at a really high level. We’re fortunate to have two good ones and obviously working to get Caden back healthy,” said Riley back in August. A month later, it was now time to know where Chittenden stands health-wise and the timeline of his return. 

On October 2nd, Riley was invited on USCAthletics. That’s when he was asked about who the Tigers are going to continue with between Chittenden and Sayeri. The head coach shared,  “Yeah we’ll let it unfold a little. I mean, Caden, he had a hard time for a while just gaining momentum in the recovery. Just kind of two steps forward and then one step back…I think Caden has definitely progressed from a health standpoint.”

Given the latest reports, Riley’s injured kicker has had trouble maintaining momentum in his recovery from a hamstring injury. Sayeri took over. Maybe Riley thought he was the fittest one after he came up with a punt for 57 yards, coming in for the injured starting punter, Eddie Czaplicki, in the Las Vegas Bowl. And what about this season? Riley sounded impressed, “Ryon’s kicking so well. He’s been a machine on kickoffs. He’s done really well on field goals. I mean, everyone, he’s hit very well.”

But looks like Riley still manifests Chittenden’s speedy recovery. “We wouldn’t make a change just because of that. So, obviously hope to have Caden back. Think he’s a tremendous player and could do nothing but help us.” Riley might have been having high expectations of Chittenden, who arrived in L.A., with plenty of buzz, transferring from UNLV after a breakout freshman year that saw him earn All-American honors. Meanwhile, Chittenden is not the only major injury for the Trojans.  

Injury woes reign in Lincoln Riley’s camp

“We’re not a very healthy football team,” Riley sounded disappointed. “We’ve got to really do a good job getting some of these guys’ bodies back. Hope to be a little bit healthier going into this next stretch, but a lot to love, a lot to correct. We own all of it and get ready to go back to work.” Riley is now walking with a wobbly offensive line. 

The Trojans were already shorthanded with Elijah Paige unavailable, and things got worse when Kilian O’Connor went down in the second quarter. His left knee injury opened the door for backup J’Onre Reed to step in at center. Riley’s program paid a heavy cost due to this reshuffling. Star junior RB Waymond Jordan logged a season-high 20 carries but managed only 94 yards. His second lowest total in any game with double digit attempts.

Riley’s defense, too, could not mark themselves safe from woes. Starting safety Kamari Ramsey was ruled out just hours before kickoff after coming down with food poisoning. And it resulted in a huge heartbreak that Riley and co. were not prepared for.

USC’s flaws were laid bare against a battle-tested Big Ten front. Just a week after mustering only 2 rushing yards and giving up seven sacks to Indiana, Illinois gashed the Trojans for 171 yards on the ground and surrendered only one sack.

To make matters worse, Riley’s USC compounded its struggles with sloppy execution. Eight penalties and a late defensive lapse erased a chance to reclaim the lead, while a shaky turnover margin and a pass defense surrendering 251 yards per game underscored the team’s ongoing vulnerability. Riley’s boys will be facing off against Michigan on October 11. This bye week is a blessing the Trojans need to take full advantage of.