Lincoln Riley Unveils Plan to Replace Desman Stephens Against Washington

The USC Trojans will officially roll without their star linebacker Desman Stephens following his one-game suspension after the Oregon loss.

Sep 26, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley walks off the field after the game against the Oregon Ducks at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Coach Lincoln Riley and the No. 18 USC Trojans must adjust their two-deep soon.

Linebacker Desman Stephens II is serving a one-game suspension following his actions during the 41-27 loss to Oregon. Stephens delivered a targeting hit with his shoulder on Ducks quarterback Dante Moore, who laid motionless momentarily before needing to be carted off on a stretcher.

Sep 26, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans linebacker Desman Stephens II (8) celebrates after tacking Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore (not pictured) before he is charged with targeting during the second quarter at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Stephens received his punishment after celebrating the Moore hit. He's since apologized to Moore, Oregon and USC fans. But already, replacing the linebacker becomes high importance for Riley.

That rose as one of the major topics of discussions during Riley's Sept. 28 appearance on Trojans Live.

Lincoln Riley's Vision to Replace Desman Stephens for One Game

Oregon wide receiver Messiah Hampton shoves off USC linebacker Desman Stephens II after a late hit on Oregon quarterback Dante Moore as the Oregon Ducks face the USC Trojans on Sept. 26, 2026, at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

"Situations like this is where all the guys we played in those early weeks, this is where we need to start seeing dividends of that.

"We haven't played the same two linebackers, we've played all 11. So we need to feel the depth there."

"We'll work all the different guys, work some different combinations and settle in on what we feel like will give us the best chance on Saturday."

What Went Wrong Versus Oregon

Sep 26, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning (left) shakes hands with USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley after the game at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"One, it was a great battle. Like I said, two really good teams going at it. Felt that way the entire way through the game."

"It was a great atmosphere at the Coliseum too. Place was really popping. It was a lot of fun to play and compete in. And our team battled, we battled like crazy."

"Obviously, we put ourselves right there in position in the fourth quarter. I don't know if we've had a point where we had as much momentum in the beginning of the fourth with that surge. The crowd was going crazy and you can feel it. But the pivotal play was the penalty."

Oregon quarterback Dylan Raiola celebrates a touchdown by Oregon running back Dierre Hill Jr. as the Oregon Ducks face the USC Trojans on Sept. 26, 2026, at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

"They missed the call. It was a tough call. Tough time to happen there on third-and-15 because we had it. But we didn't do a good enough job with the combination of defensively affecting the passer and closing down on some of those lanes."

"They made some really competitive plays. We had opportunities, especially when [quarterback Dylan] Raiola came in. We had a chance to pick off one of his passes. [Cornerback] Jontez Williams slips as he's ready to go up for it. It's probably an easy interception. But Raiola is more experienced than most backups."

"Anytime a backup goes in, you can pick him off right off the bat. Those are the kind of opportunities we need to capitalize on. This is a results driven business. We understand that there's no moral victories here. I'm proud of the way we fought, but we have to play a little bit better. And we've got a lot of other big games coming up."

Emotional Plays Addressed

Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches from the sidelines against the Missouri State Bears in the first half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

"I just didn't see a lot of plays where I felt like emotionally, we were out of control. I mean, I just felt that throughout the day."

"[Defensive tackle] Jide Abasiri on the roughing the passer call, that's not an emotional play. It's a busted call. We had a few other plays where we're slightly out of position. We just made some mistakes at inopportune times and had some opportunities to make some big plays."

"We even had the ball in space a couple of times with a ton of grass around us. And we weren't able to make guys miss. They made us miss a couple of times. We just made a few mistakes."

"Yeah, it was going to be an emotional game. But going back and watching it, I didn't feel like we lost control of our emotions. I thought we were fired up to play and played really hard. We didn't have a bunch of dead ball personal fouls and crap like that. It's just that we've got to play better play and be cleaner in some of the situations."

Lincoln Riley Gets Real on Analytics

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

"We have a plan each week going into games and then we have the data and analytics behind it."

"I certainly have the awareness, and I'm given a number or figure or where that lies. The analytics are great, but they don't tell the story."

"That's where you've got to combine your knowledge and feel for the game, then your strategy and matchup."

How USC Responded to Oregon Loss

USC Trojans freshman safety Madden Riordan | USC Trojans on SI

"Well, they were obviously disappointed in the locker room because they knew they put themselves in position to win it. And I felt like we certainly could have and believe we should have."

"But you've got to turn the corner. That's the nature of this business. You have to be able to press reset and got to learn lessons from it."

"And our guys did a good job of turning the page. All the focus now is on Washington."

Matchups Washington Possesses

Sep 26, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Washington Huskies quarterback Demond Williams Jr. (1) looks to pass against the Minnesota Golden Gophers during the third quarter at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Richard Dizon-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"Offensively, everything evolves around their quarterback [Demond Williams]. Tremendous player and phenomenal athlete and he's a proven guy. He's tough to handle because he runs so well. He can really move, and coach [Jedd] Fisch has done a great job developing him.

"They're a little bit like us. They've had some injuries in the offensive skill positions. But they've got some guys who are making really nice plays for them. They got some juice at wide receiver. They've got nice size on the offensive line. Defensively they've done a nice job, several guys got drafted off that defense and they've been very good against the run."

"They've kind of picked up where they left off."

Seeking Defensive Improvement

USC Trojans defensive coordinator Gary Patterson | USC Trojans on SI

"We've got to complement the front better. But we need a little bit more from all of them."

"There's opportunities where we want to be stickier in coverage. There's no question about it. You're trying to balance that with the front and how you want to attack them."

"We're trying to balance that and find the right combination with our DBs to see how that fits. It needs to be more competitive and we've got to make them a little bit tougher. We need to be better at all three levels."

Blocking out the Noise Following the Oregon Loss

Oregon running back Dierre Hill Jr., left, celebrates a long run as the Oregon Ducks face the USC Trojans on Sept. 26, 2026, at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

"At a place like SC, a place like Oklahoma where I was at before, the one constant is the noise. There's always noise. It's just what is the noise."

"Like when you win, the noise is typically overpositive, overblown and not accurate. And after you lose, it's the same way."

"But the truth is always in the middle. And the truth is on tape. I think for us, Sunday is a great reset for us to get some perspective. "

"You got to get back on the horse. You got to go address the things that you need to address. You need to push and expand on the things you're doing well. And then you go get ready for the next one."

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