Lincoln Riley’s team’s playoff hopes are still pretty much alive after Iowa’s win. All thanks to their explosive defense, which dragged them back from a massive 14-point deficit in the second half. That comeback didn’t happen overnight, but the HC’s constant effort fuels it. And now, before heading to Oregon’s game, he’s drawing inspiration from the Dodgers’ epic World Series moment.

Trojans shut down Iowa’s offense in the second half, holding them to just 108 yards. After one single TD in the second quarter, the Hawkeyes only entered USC’s territory once for the rest of the game. Jahkeem Stewart’s game-changing interception in the third quarter gave USC its first lead of the game. Those moments prepare you for future success, as Riley explained. “We were talking about the week before with Jayden when he forced the fumble. It’s being in position to make those plays, even though you don’t know when they’re going to show up. And you know, whether it’s that, whether it’s Jahkeem (Stewart) playing, or whether it’s Kennedy Urlacher knocking the receiver out and his foot out by, you know, a couple inches.”

Known for his offensive play calling, the HC wants the team to be prepared for all plays. Now, those attentions to small details will help them to come up strong against Oregon, as Riley and his team explain it to his team with a clip of Dodgers catcher Will Smith’s game-changing moment. “I mean, we showed the guys the visual from the World Series of the play at home, where, you know, it’s almost out, and what his foot’s like that far from touching it, and then showed the—we’ve used it a couple of times—but then showed the visual of the Iowa receiver’s foot,” Riley said.

Lincoln Riley drew on a World Series moment, showing them a clip of the ninth inning in Game 7 when Dodgers catcher Will Smith kept his foot on home plate just long enough to make sure Isiah Kiner-Falefa was out.

That play perfectly showed how small actions and perfect timing can turn the entire game. Best thing? This came right on time for them as the Dodgers visited the USC campus before the Oregon game. Then, to further explain his point, Riley and his staff also showed Kennedy Urlacher’s fourth-down tackle on Kaden Wetjen when he was trying to make a deep catch on USC’s side, but Urlacher pushed him out of bounds, keeping the lead alive.

In comparing the two plays, Lincoln Riley wanted to make sure his team understood how a game’s outcome is decided on the smallest margins. So, key takeaway: every play matters. But with those successes, another scare is hitting them hard.

Lincoln Riley’s team receives praise from Dan Lanning

The Ducks will be looking for their first-ranked win of the season at home against the Trojans. Playing at Autzen Stadium gives a major home-field advantage to Oregon, which has gone 52-4 since 2017 and 24-2 under Dan Lanning. Well, Fans are expected to pack the stadium wearing black to support the team against USC. This can be a tough situation for Lincoln Riley’s team, but even Lanning is aware of the threat that the Trojans possess.

He called USC’s receiving corps “one of the best” he’s seen since being at Oregon. “They have schemes that challenge you,” Lanning said. “They do a good job of moving guys around, making it tough to be able to figure out where they’re at. So it’s a real challenge for us, but we’re excited to embrace it.” Now, USC’s playoff fate entirely relies on Oregon, which has just two games left in its regular season.

One is USC and the other is Washington, and they have already shown their dominance by beating Wisconsin and Iowa in tough, rainy weather, so it’s just USC that might give them a hard time, and vice versa. Now, let’s wait and see if all these key learnings help Lincoln Riley’s team to grab a win against Oregon this week!