Lincoln Riley Clears the Air on Gary Patterson Moving From USC's Sidelines

The USC Trojans coach took a new approach ahead of facing the Washington Huskies, which he shared postgame.

Oct 3, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley looks on against the Washington Huskies during the third quarter at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The No. 18 USC Trojans became involved in one head-turning move which arrived before a rough first half outing from quarterback Jayden Maiava against the Washington Huskies.

Coach Lincoln Riley delivered this big change on defense involving defensive coordinator Gary Patterson: Preventing him from standing on the sidelines during this game.

Sep 4, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans defensive coordinator Gary Patterson (center) and defensive tackles coach Skyler Jones (right) talk with defensive tackle Alex Vansumeren (91) against the Fresno State Bulldogs in the second half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

But that's because Riley opted to place the former TCU head coach up in the booth and see the game from a different peripheral. And turns out that helped make the difference against a feisty visiting opponent featuring electric dual-threat quarterback Demond Williams Jr. Placing Patterson up in the booth came with defensive tackle Jahkeem Stewart delivering a scoop-and-score fumble, plus five sacks total including one from edge rushers Kameryn Crawford and Luke Wafle.

That became a major postgame topic following the Oct. 3 home contest against the Huskies that ended with a thrilling 25-21 home win.

Lincoln Riley Dives Into What Led to Gary Patterson Decision

Oct 3, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley looks on against the Washington Huskies during the third quarter at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Griffin Hooper-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"We talked about it early in the week. And I think it was a good learning experience from us in going through these first few games and gain a makeup of the staff."


"It was a good conversation we had on Sunday, and there were some reasons in our operation that made sense. He knows this defense better than anyone."


"He was used to a staff at TCU that had little to no turnover. When you have guys you've been coaching with for 15 to 20 years, he can handle that [adjustments] differently. But we have a heck of a defensive staff."


"It like with the players, moving the best chess pieces to get guys in the right position. I thought Gary called a really great game and the players responded.

Lincoln Riley Raves About Defensive Energy Despite Mistakes

Oct 3, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Washington Huskies quarterback Demond Williams Jr. (1) walks off the field after a loss to the USC Trojans at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Griffin Hooper-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"It's a hard fought win and I'm really proud of how the guys fought through it."

"Excited about the steps the defense took and all the clutch plays we made there. It wasn't a clean performance as penalties were massive in this game. I felt like for a long period in the game, we were outplaying them. But when you make some of those mistakes, you let it keep hanging around."

"We clearly have to do a way better job of that. We had alignment penalites and dead ball personal fouls at the worst times possible."

"But for us to overcome it and beat a quality Big Ten opponent, we'll take it. Obviously there's lots to clean up, but lots to be excited about. We had to dig deep in this one."

Lincoln Riley Dives Into Attitude of Team During Deficit

Oct 3, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans running back Waymond Jordan (2) runs the ball for a first down against the Washington Huskies during the third quarter at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Griffin Hooper-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"We were pretty steady at half. We felt like we were outplaying them. We were just couldn't get out of our own way."

"And that's going to be a defining thing moving forward for this team: How much can we do that."

"I'm proud though that we never wavered. We made the adjustments like we needed to and we had a 'whatever it's going to take' attitude."

"We could've folded. There's excitement but we've got to be better."

Lincoln Riley Received Pregame Encouragement

Oct 3, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava (14) passes the ball against the Washington Huskies during the fourth quarter at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Griffin Hooper-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"I had 15 former Trojans reach out to me this week."

"Cool part was, whether if it was guys who played in the eras before we got here and former players for me, it was so great to see the Trojan brotherhood.

"And this team has a lot of love for each other. They're not hard to coach and I love their mentality."

"I believe a lot in this team and their capability."

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