Lincoln Riley Sounds Off on 'Weird' USC Performance vs. Washington

The USC Trojans coach Lincoln Riley didn't mince words about the twists and turns from the win over the Huskies.

Oct 3, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley and Washington Huskies head coach Jedd Fisch shake hands after the game at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Griffin Hooper-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Coach Lincoln Riley entered the evening of Oct. 5 with a "weird" feeling.

The "weird" part involved the twists and turns from the No. 19 USC Trojans' 25-21 win over the Washington Huskies. Riley spoke deeply about the outcome of that contest, plus the big move involving defensive coordinator Gary Patterson, during his appearance on Trojans Live.

Why Oct. 3 USC Win Felt 'Weird' for Lincoln Riley

Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley celebrates with fans after the game against the UCLA Bruins at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

"It was a weird game. Really I felt like we had a pretty decent rhythm in the first half," Riley said.

"Felt like we played good enough to score 30 points in the first half, but we continually set ourselves back with penalties. We took a touchdown off the board, we took explosive plays off the board [too]. We took drives and completely dismantled drives with penalties. So we've got to do a whole lot better with that. We had to strain to find some positives. We didn't play very good offensively."

"We had opportunities to bust that thing open against a good defense like that. So I'm glad we made clutch plays at some clutch times and some really tough plays. But we're going to have to play a lot better there."

"Self-inflicted errors can show up so many different ways in this game. But they can show up because of a lack of focus or lack of intensity. They can show up with a lack of fundamentals. Or show up with a lack of poise. Even some of our penalties were from our oldest, most experienced players. You can be doing so many good things, and they can just zap it."

"It's been great that we cover up for each other. But we need more moments where we're all surging together."

Lincoln Riley Tips Cap to Defense

Sep 4, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans defensive coordinator Gary Patterson during 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

"Obviously the way we played defensively was certainly the difference. Just some stretches of really dominant play."

"Had the fumble return for the touchdown, which was obviously, if not the most singular, biggest play of the game. Then just some of the key stops, especially getting some in there during the fourth quarter."

"We continued to answer the bell against one of the best quarterbacks in the country [Washington's Demond Williams Jr.]. Really proud of the way we played."

"I thought we played pretty aggressive. I thought the front was pretty impactful in both the run and the pass game. That's what we've really been challenging our group to do."

Determing if Gary Patterson to the Booth Made Big Difference

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

"I thought it was good, and it was something we talked about on Sunday. There's always positives and negatives."

"We even talked about it some [Patterson going to the booth] before the season. And now that we've got a couple of games under our belt, it was good for us to go back and re-evaluate just how the entire operation was working. And was this a tweak that could potentially help us?"

"So we test drove it a little bit through the week and felt good about it. And give credit to him. He called a really good game. I also thought our coaches did a nice job of organizing and making sure the communication was straight with the players."

"Again, there's nobody who knows defense quite like him. When he can get up there and get that vantage point, we felt that we could be at an advantage and I felt it was there on Saturday."

Pass Rushing Made Big Difference Against Washington

Sep 26, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans defensive tackle Jahkeem Stewart (4) celebrates with defensive end Kameryn Crawford (1) after a defensive stop against the Oregon Ducks during the second half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"They were super impactful. I thought we got more contributions from different guys across the front. And thats what you need to have."

"Because we've seen, at times, the offense is giving attention to different players individually. When that happens, it creates one-on-ones or great matchups at other places. Then you've got to go make them pay for that."

"Kameryn Crawford was fantastic. He won in one on ones. He made some impactful plays in the run game. He did good job of getting Williams down a couple of times, which is not easy to do even if you do get home free and win."

Looking Ahead to Penn State Road Trip

Sep 26, 2026; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions linebacker Tony Rojas (13) intercepts the ball during the fourth quarter against the Wisconsin Badgers at West Shore Home Field at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"It'll be a fun atmosphere. I've never gotten the chance to go coach there. So looking forward to it."

"And I know our team is looking forward to it. You know it's an important game when you're playing a good team on the road. And we know how important those road games are in this conference."

"Winning last week sets this up to be a really, really important game for us because we have this seven game stretch."

"Matt Campbell's a heck of a coach. We coached each other a ton in the Big 12 when he was at Iowa State. And I have immense respect for him. You go turn on the film and they have an experienced quarterback [Rocco Becht], heck of a player. They do a lot of challenging things with their groupings."

"Going back to Iowa State, they've always used their tight ends really well and they're doing so here [Penn State]. Defensively they look a lot like the past Penn State teams in being big up front. They've got realy good athletes and talented players and they're excellent on the back end. It's a well coached football team and it'll be a heck of a night."

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