Oregon Ducks Exploit USC's Biggest Weakness Under Lincoln Riley

The USC Trojans’ 42-27 loss to the Oregon Ducks highlighted another familiar issue under head coach Lincoln Riley: a defense that collapses in big games. From back-breaking penalties to late-game breakdowns, USC’s road struggles continue to define its ceiling.

Nov 7, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches game action against the Northwestern Wildcats during the second half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

The No. 19 USC Trojans entered Saturday knowing the stakes. A road win over the No. 5 Oregon Ducks would have powered them toward a 10-2 regular season finish and strengthened a résumé built on home victories over the Michigan Wolverines and Iowa Hawkeyes. Instead, the Trojans left Eugene with another defining loss of the Lincoln Riley era, one shaped by familiar defensive failings.

Road Reality Exposes USC’s Defensive Ceiling

Southern California coach Lincoln Riley looks for answers against Oregon during the second half touchdown Nov. 22, 2025. | Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Trojans are unbeaten in the L.A. Memorial Coliseum this season, sitting at 6-0. Away from home, they’re 2-3 with a troubling pattern that stretches beyond one year. Riley’s teams are now 21–5 at home but only 13-12 elsewhere. Against ranked opponents, the record falls to 7-10. Against teams that finish inside the top 10, the mark is even harsher: 0-7, with a strong chance of becoming 0-9 if the No. 9 Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Oregon hold their positions.

Those numbers aren’t random. They point to a structural flaw that keeps exposing USC whenever the safety net of the Coliseum disappears. When elite offenses test them, the Trojans falter, and the quarterback, no matter how talented, can only compensate for so much.

USC’s road losses this season reflect that imbalance. The Illinois Fighting Illini scored 34 points behind quarterback Luke Altmyer’s 356 total yards. Notre Dame also reached 34, punctuated by Jeremiyah Love’s 228 rushing yards. Oregon delivered the heaviest blow, stacking 42 points and outrushing USC by 127 yards. The trend is consistent, predictable, and damaging.

The Oregon Collapse Wasn’t New—It Was the Latest Chapter

Nov 22, 2025; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley and Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning greet each other after the game at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

Oregon’s 42-27 win underscored USC’s biggest weakness. Ducks quarterback Dante Moore threw for 257 yards and two touchdowns while running back Noah Whittington added 104 yards and a score. The Ducks scored on two of their first three drives and out-rushed the Trojans, 179 to 52. A few avoided blunders could've made this game closer, but the stats show that the USC offense was fighting an uphill battle all afternoon.

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The Ducks exploited USC’s structure thoroughly. When the Trojans needed a fourth-quarter stop, they didn’t get one. Oregon marched 79 yards in 11 plays for the clinching touchdown with 5:30 left, pushing the game out of reach and draining any remaining hope for a comeback.

This wasn’t unfamiliar territory. The Trojans surrendered over 300 rushing yards to the Fighting Irish earlier this season in a game where Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr struggled through the air. Even flawed offenses have overwhelmed USC on the ground, and the issues aren’t isolated to one opponent or one scheme.

Why Defense Keeps Defining the Riley Era

Sep 20, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches game action against the Michigan State Spartans during the second half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

The core problem remains unchanged: the Trojans cannot win big games with a defense that ranks near the bottom of the Big Ten. The unit sits No. 12 in the conference, and its most important possessions: late-game third downs, must-have stops and momentum-saving series continue to go the other way.

Riley’s system shines when paired with a transcendent quarterback. But when the quarterback is merely good, not generational, the defensive shortcomings become impossible to hide. That’s the story of this season. USC competes, scores, and flashes brilliance, but the inability to control the line of scrimmage or disrupt opposing run games keeps putting them behind.

The result is another loss that feels all too familiar. Another road setback. Another defensive collapse. Another missed opportunity to change the narrative.