Week 13 at Eugene looms large for HC Lincoln Riley and the Trojans. There is a sense of trouble because the program has lost two games on the road. Even in the last away game against the Cornhuskers, USC avoided a defeat in a 21-17 narrow triumph. The problem lies with the man under center, Jayden Maiava, who was unable to have an explosive passing game. That’s why, during USC’s Friday Zoom call, the media was quick enough to pose this question in front of Riley.

His completion rate at home is 75.7% but on the road, it’s 18% lower. But the HC backed his QB. I haven’t felt much of a difference, to be completely honest,” Lincoln Riley replied with a defensive tone. “We know we didn’t play very good in the passing game. Not really any of us at Nebraska, and then we did some good things. Obviously, we played in a downpour in the second half of Notre Dame, which obviously impacted the throwing game some, too. So, I honestly haven’t felt much of a difference from him. I think he’s continuing to get better and more comfortable in all these situations, the road included.”

It’s true. Jayden Maiava doesn’t look like the same guy on the road. His completion rate dips to about 57.4%, and his TD-to-INT ratio evens out in a bad way as four touchdowns and four picks away from home, compared to a sharp 14 touchdowns and only two interceptions at home. The Nov. 2 game in Nebraska turned into a full-on “Blackout” scene, and the place was deafening.

The noise threw the Trojans’ offense completely out of rhythm. Maiava came in ranked third in the nation in passing yards per game, but none of that mattered once he hit that atmosphere. He couldn’t get anything going through the air. His completion percentage was his season worst, 39.1%.

He had one of his toughest nights of the season, finishing with only 135 passing yards, completing just 9 of 23 throws, and tossing a pick. After the game, he said he only started running because the coverage downfield left him no other choice. Eventually, he did make a few things happen with his legs, picking up 62 yards on 11 carries. Before this test, was the Notre Dame game on Oct. 16.

Again, game on the road, and Jayden Maiava suffered. The 22-year-old QB threw for 328 yards and two touchdowns, but completed just 22 of 42 passes. Still, the HC supported its star athlete. Riley explained in a conversation with the Cover 3 Podcast, “Well first the four games he played for us, we went 3-1, he gave us a great chance to beat Notre Dame.” He will have to find his right form in Eugene.

According to ESPN analytics, USC has just a 28.7% chance of winning against Oregon. In fact, Antonio Morales of The Athletic touted the Oregon game to be “the biggest of Riley’s tenure,” carrying sky-high stakes. Even Ducks HC Dan Lanning praised the Trojans before the marquee matchup.

Lincoln Riley’s pre-game antics before the Eugene visit

Lincoln Riley’s coaching strategy at USC has taken on a cloak-and-dagger vibe ahead of the Autzen Stadium clash. Now there is a palpable tension about how Riley is anchoring the preps against the Ducks. But no use thinking about that, because the USC head coach wouldn’t leak any game plan to anyone. On the latest USCAthletics podcast, Riley dodged questions about a mysterious “burnt boat” staged on the practice field, hinting it was an internal rallying cry.

“We’ll definitely share it with you,” Riley said. “How it transpired and all that, but I’m not sure I want to like discuss it here, on an open mic, but yeah, maybe, offline.” The awareness spread after USC’s gut-punch 34-24 loss to Notre Dame. The “burn the boats” mantra is a phrase borrowed from the Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés. For the Trojans, it means there’s no turning back and no sulking about the past.

What’s compelling is that this mentality is a response to real problems. Against the Irish, USC’s run defense couldn’t really do anything. Their Pro Football Focus run-defense grade dropped to 37.6%, the lowest all season. That’s why Riley needed something dramatic. And the “Burn the boats” concept is crisis management.