Last week, the USC Trojans and head coach Lincoln Riley made headlines after pulling off one of the most controversial plays of the 2025 college football season. During their 38–17 win over the Northwestern Wildcats, the No. 17 ranked USC executed a bold fake punt that caught everyone by surprise. The play helped the Trojans improve to 7–2 on the season, but it also sparked criticism from analysts and fans who questioned whether the trick play was legal. Some, like Barstool’s Joey Portnoy and analyst Georgie Weighster, even called the move “unethical” and accused Riley of bending the rules. The USC head honcho had it enough and set the record straight with receipts.

On November 11th, Lincoln Riley addressed the issue on his weekly show, Trojans Live. He made it pretty clear that the play was completely within the rules and said it was ‘perfectly legal’: “I know there has been a bunch of stuff on the outside about it. It’s a perfectly legal play, and our guys executed it at a high level.” 

In the second quarter, with the score tied 7-7, USC faced a 4th and 6 near midfield. The Trojans lined up to punt, with No. 80, Sam Johnson, appearing ready to kick. However, it wasn’t Johnson. It was backup quarterback Sam Huard, who had been listed as No. 80 for the game. Riley explained,

“We got it kind of where we wanted it. It was one of those scenarios where we had a good scheme drawn up… We had several people involved on that one. Really though, it was about execution at the end of the day.”

When the ball was snapped, Huard didn’t punt it. Instead, he threw a pass down the left sideline to wide receiver Tanook Hines, who made the catch for a first down. USC kept the drive alive and later scored a touchdown. Riley praised his players’ performance, saying,

“They ended up bringing an overload there to the left side and had one more guy than we were able to block. Sam stood in there and made a really nice throw. Obviously, it was a great catch by Tanook. It was another huge momentum play… Cool to see the guys execute it. We had a lot of confidence going into the game.”

After the game, controversy surrounded the play. Rules analyst Mike Pereira claimed the play should not have counted because USC had two players wearing No. 80 on special teams, saying that it should have resulted in a 15-yard penalty. Many questioned whether the Trojans had broken a rule in pulling off the trick play. Legal or not, it’s too late for the Big Ten to do anything about it. And you can bet Lincoln Riley isn’t losing any sleep over it, because the challenges ahead are far bigger than this one.

Lincoln Riley on his biggest challenge of the season

The No. 19 USC Trojans are set to face the No. 20 Iowa Hawkeyes this weekend in what could be one of the biggest games of their season. With two losses already and just three games left, the former Sooners HC knows how crucial this matchup is for USC’s playoff hopes. The Trojans can’t afford another slip-up like they did against Bret Bielema’s Illinois. A win keeps their postseason dreams alive, while a loss could end them.

Speaking on the “Trojans Live” show ahead of the game, Riley made sure that he’s not taking Iowa or any remaining opponent lightly. He emphasized to his players that every game carries more weight as the season nears its end.

“We haven’t been bashful about that with our players,” Riley said. “This game coming up this weekend is not the same, like, it’s just not. The more you win, the more important these become, and the bigger the opportunities become. Our team is very well aware of that.”

The matchup won’t be easy by any means. Iowa’s defense and special teams have been some of the toughest in the country, as they held the Oregon Ducks to just 18 points. Kirk Ferentz’s Iowa has to be the best non-ranked team in the country. A win would give the Trojans a massive boost in the College Football Playoff race, while a loss would likely drop them to 7-3 and out of contention. Riley and his team know the stakes. This one could define their season.