As USC improved to 8-2 with a rain-soaked win over Iowa (26-21), Lincoln Riley faced a familiar wave of criticism that began to rise again around the Big Ten. With false narratives starting to spread, the Trojans’ head coach made it clear he wasn’t letting them go unanswered.

Those renewed doubts trace back to 2023, when Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz publicly questioned USC’s defense and Riley’s offensive approach. Hawkeyes head coach Kirk Ferentz mocked the Trojans’ “widely acclaimed” nonexistent defense. “I’m really not worried about points per game,” Kirk Ferentz said. “But what is important is wins per game. I think there’s a guy who entered the conference recently who came with widely acclaimed offensive stats and all that. That’s usually how those guys become well known because of whatever they’re doing, throwing it, running it, or wishbone. But then you look a little deeper.”

His comments resurfaced after USC threw for 254 yards in the rain, especially as other Big Ten coaches again weighed in on the Trojans’ identity. But Riley pushed back firmly. “Our students have brought it all year. We feel their energy. We do,” he said after the win. With the ground game limited by weather, the Trojans trusted their passing attack to seal their sixth conference victory of the season.

He added that just throwing the ball makes it tougher to win and have a solid secondary. But Lincoln Riley stood his ground on this, saying, “Our students have brought it all year. We feel their energy. We do.” It was the passing for the Trojans that did all the work in this rain-soaked Coliseum.

After a sloppy first half filled with three-and-outs, shaky punts, and failed conversions, the Trojans looked exactly like the team Big Ten critics said they were. Flashy offense, soft around the edges. Iowa quarterback Mark Gronowski even struck first, hitting a fourth-and-one goal-line touchdown that added fuel to the narrative. But the second half completely turned around the game and delivered the kind of response Lincoln Riley’s critics weren’t ready for.

USC exploded out of the locker room behind Makai Lemon, who turned a quiet night into a takeover. Lemon grabbed 10 catches for 153 yards, including the touchdown that finally cracked Iowa’s defense and shifted all momentum. Jayden Maiava, rattled early, steadied himself and finished with 254 passing yards while leaning on Lemon and Ja’Kobi Lane to ignite the offense.

But the real statement came from the unit under the most scrutiny: the defense. After absorbing weeks of jabs from senior Big Ten coaches, including Ferentz’s claims about USC lacking real toughness, the Trojans locked down. They held Iowa to just 108 yards and 6 points after halftime. Freshman Jahkeem Stewart delivered the play of the night with a third-quarter interception that set up Bryan Jackson’s go-ahead touchdown, flipping the game on its head. The Trojans’ rally from a first-half washout to a 26-21 victory kept their playoff dreams alive and teed up a massive showdown with Oregon next week.

The rain didn’t go away!

The weather spoiled a lot for the Trojans. USC fans were in for a surprise on game day against Iowa when heavy rain slammed Los Angeles, forcing the Trojans to cancel one of their most cherished pregame traditions. It was their iconic Trojan Walk. It’s not every day you see LA drenched, and this was no ordinary drizzle: the forecast called for the most rain the city had seen since 1985. With a 100% chance of rain and skies piled with dark clouds.

The historic Coliseum was bracing for a soggy showdown. And that meant no lining the streets to cheer on the players before they marched into the stadium. The Trojan Walk is a ritual in which fans gather outside the Coliseum to rally around the team as they arrive. This community vibe was sadly shelved this time because of safety concerns. Instead, fans had to wait inside the Coliseum to catch their first glimpse of the team on game day.

The atmosphere shifted from street-level anticipation to indoor anticipation. Lincoln Riley addressed the situation with optimism ahead of the game. We feel like we can function very close to normally, even if it’s wet,” Riley said. Interestingly, this encounter marked the first time in nine years USC played a home game in the rain.