Why Lincoln Riley Isn't on the Hot Seat With USC Trojans

The No. 14 USC Trojans picked up a dominant 39-0 win over the Fresno State Bulldogs to improve to 2-0, and USC coach Lincoln Riley as well as Trojans safeties Prophet Brown, Alex Graham, and Kennedy Urlacher all received game balls for leading the winning effort.

Brown caught the game's only interception, and both Graham and Urlacher were key parts of the Trojans defense forcing two safeties en route to the shutout win over Fresno State. The defense clearly impressed against the Bulldogs, but there was one more game ball given out.

usc trojans lincoln riley game ball fresno state bulldogs shutout kennedy urlacher prophet brown alex graham gary patterson — Sep 4, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Fresno State Bulldogs quarterback Jayden Mandal (7) is tackled for a safety by Southern California Trojans cornerback Alex Graham (7) in the second half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Lincoln Riley's Popularity in USC Trojans Locker Room

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— USC Football ✌️ (@uscfb) September 6, 2026

USC quarterback Jayden Maiava surprised Riley after the game by giving him a game ball of his own. While the locker room does not decide whether a coach is on the hot seat or not, the buy-in under Riley at USC is evident.

The Trojans team reacted to Maiava's surprise by hounding Riley in the locker room. It's early, but the program is trending positively thanks to Riley and his coaching staff.

The defensive side of the ball has been a continued talking point during Riley's tenure at USC, and the first two games of defensive coordinator Gary Patterson working with the Trojans bode well for the future. USC's first offensive test of the season likely comes against No. 2 Oregon, and the Trojans will have their hands full with some of the top offenses in the country, like No. 1 Ohio State and No. 6 Indiana, once Big Ten play starts.

The early season success has resonated with the Trojans, exemplified by Maiava awarding a game ball to Riley as the USC culture seems to be working.

Hires like Patterson as well as director of football sports performance Trumain Carroll have so far been positive ones by Riley, and USC seems to be pointed in the right direction as a program. Whether or not a College Football Playoff berth is earned by the end of the year or not, USC's strides on the recruiting trail and in the transfer portal have been paired with quality development and coaching, as far as the defensive side of the ball goes.

Lincoln Riley on USC Trojans' Effort

Riley and the entire Trojans' team was visibly pushing for the USC's defense to preserve the shutout against Fresno State, especially after the San José Spartans scored 23 points in the fourth quarter against USC in week 0. After the game, Riley spoke about the importance of that moment for the team.

"I thought we played a pretty complete game," said Riley. I thought the guys that got opportunities there at the end of the game were awesome. That red zone stop at the end was tremendous because that's something we've really been emphasizing heavily."

"To end right there in the red zone with the stop on downs was tremendous, and I think we had some of our younger guys that when they got their opportunity were a little bit more ready this time and learned a little bit and and like I said that's important for us because we're going to need those guys," Riley continued.

Up next for USC is another home game, this time against the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns on Saturday, Sept. 12 for week 2. Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. PT with the live broadcast on Big Ten Network. In week 3, the Trojans will start their Big Ten conference schedule with a road trip across the country to play Rutgers on Sept. 19.

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