Lincoln Riley Pulls Back the Curtain on How USC Improved in Week 1

The USC Trojans coach sat down with Trojans Live for the third time this season but only this time, Louisiana is on his mind.

Sep 4, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley reacts after the game against the Fresno State Bulldogs at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Coach Lincoln Riley enters Labor Day placing the 2026 USC Trojans at 2-0 overall.

Riley has once again turned to the arm of quarterback Jayden Maiava and plethora of wide receivers to ignite the start. However, the Trojans defense, now spearheaded by Hall of Fame defensive coordinator and former TCU head coach Gary Patterson, has impressed fans during the early portion of the season. And the Trojans are fresh off delivering the rare shutout of Fresno State.

Those were among the topics Riley addressed during his Week 2 appearance on Trojans Live before USC hosts Louisiana.

Lincoln Riley on Celebrating Win Over Fresno State and Birthday:

Sep 4, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley (left) and Fresno State Bulldogs head coach Matt Entz shake hands after the game at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"I don't know the last time I had a birthday where we didn't have a game. Or us getting ready for a game. But it was cool."

"Obviously it was a fun Friday night. The guys played well up front there. We also got a chance to get some work done Saturday morning then enjoy the morning birthday."

"I got to live like a normal human being on a Saturday afternoon: Just hang around the house and watch some football with a cookout. It was great."

On Where he Saw USC Improve the Most Against Fresno State:

Sep 4, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches 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

"I thought our consistency level across the board, especially defensively, was better."

"I thought we did a nice job with not getting too wrapped up with how the game was going and just playing to the standard throughout the game. I thought the guys handled it very well."

"I also thought the young guys who got to play were a little more ready this time. I thought we also handled that better. There was a lot of bright spots and thought we were more impactful on the defensive front, and sharper in coverage."

"We still had a couple of penalties we would love to have back and missed opportunities on special teams and offensively. But we were a better team. The guys took it [the challenge] and it was better on the field. Shutouts are a big deal, because they're hard to do especially in the modern game today. It was cool to see the team that invested in that moment."

Lincoln Riley on Defensive Tackle Jide Abasiri Impact in Week 1:

Sep 4, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans defensive tackle Jide Abasiri (97) celebrates after an incomplete pass by Fresno State Bulldogs quarterback Jayden Mandal (7) in the first half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"He was a force. People continue to try to double team him."

"Not only is he chewing those up, he's impacting the game still the way he is."

"He's turned himself into a complete player. He can rush the passer, tough in the run game, has nice lateral movements at the line of scrimmage. So he;s got quickness and he can take on those double teams. He can split them and doesn't get pushed back. He's playing complete ball for us right now and he's opening up opportunities."

Lincoln Riley on Prophet Brown Grabbing First Interception:

Apr 23, 2022; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Southern California Trojans receiver Kyron Ware-Hudson (10) is tackled by defensive back Prophet Brown (16) during the spring game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports

"You could see the reactions from the guys on the sidelines. He also got a game ball inside the locker room."

"The reaction was different. The people who have been around Prophet know the backstory of this kid and what he's had to overcome. It's a lot."

"People were doubting him with his injuries and he wasn't getting opportunities. But here he is now as one of our team leaders and he's playing very well and playing with confidence. His impact on this program is big."

Lincoln Riley on Jayden Maiava's High Completion Percentage:

Sep 4, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava (14) throws the ball against the Fresno State Bulldogs in the first half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"It's a combination of a lot of things. He's comfortable with how we want to attack people and understands our schemes/concepts. A majority of the time, he knows where the ball should go."

"Guys are making plays for him and we've protected him very well. In terms of his arm talents, he's always been an accurate guy but the thing about him, he actually doesn't need that much space to throw."

"His arm is talented enough to where he doesn't need to step and put his entire body into the throws. He can throw from a confined space and make a variety of throws."

"He's always had arm talent, but he's strong."

Lincoln Riley on Kennedy Urlacher's Breakout Evening:

Sep 4, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Hayley Elwood interviews Southern California Trojans safety Kennedy Urlacher (9) after the game against the Fresno State Bulldogs at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"His development has been really important for our team."

"He's in his third different defensive system. But being in that plus playing for two different schools (previously at Notre Dame) puts him at an advantage."

"He's played a good amount of football. He's one of our most violent, physical players. His competitive juice and physicality is always up. Now you add the experience and that's important for us because he's one of the guys we rely on for experience."

Lincoln Riley on Louisiana, What Fans Should Know About the Ragin' Cajuns:

Sep 4, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans wide receiver Trent Mosley (4) s cores on a 68-yard touchdown reception against the Fresno State Bulldogs in the first half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"It's a program that's had some historically strong teams with what they've put together. They've put quite a few guys into the NFL."

"I remember playing a few games against them when I was at East Carolina. So this is a good group. They had some really good players last year and got some really good ones back."

"They have a dynamic quarterback who's the focal point of their offense and their team. They certainly do some things schematically on defense that will become a challenge for us. It'll be a fun challenge for us."

"It's also good for our guys to sleep in and catch up on rest. But it also gets you more time to prep [with the late kickoff] and get ready to go. It'll be a good challenge for us."

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