USC’s Blazing Offensive Stat Under Lincoln Riley Stuns Analysts

The USC Trojans dominant start has caught the eyes of many, including two college football analysts in Joel Klatt and Colin Cowherd. Both previously had their prior doubts for the Trojans, but last weekend's win may have changed their minds.

Dec 27, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley reacts against the Texas A&M Aggies in the second half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The USC Trojans are off to a strong 2-0 start outsourcing their opponents 132-33, leaving Trojans fans and college football analysts impressed. 

USC’s goal this season was to overcome their overrated narrative after a shaky 7-6 record last season. College football analysts Colin Cowherd and Joel Klatt believe the Trojans are one of college football’s most underrated teams. 

Cowherd and Klatt Emphasize Hopeful Path for Trojans

Sep 6, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley looks on during the second half at United Airlines Field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Klatt joined Cowherd on an episode of The Herd to discuss week 2 storylines of college football: Biggest winners and losers, teams that stood out and shaky performances. 

For a team that Cowherd previously doubted, especially coach Lincoln Riley’s development with the team, Klatt and Cowherd both see what Riley is instilling in USC, even if it took Riley a season or two. 

Cowherd attended last weekend’s home game against the Georgia Southern Eagles. While his mind was not fully changed about the Trojans, he took to Riley’s coaching style, expressing the win was familiar.

“I went to the game. They're fast. They're clever. There’s misdirection. They're twitchy. It is total Lincoln Riley,” Cowherd said on The Herd. “You can't guess the play. All sorts of movement. And I walked out of the stadium and a USC fan came up. He said ‘What do you think?’ I said, ‘Yeah, I've seen that before.’” 

Despite Cowherd’s observations on Riley’s offensive minded coaching style, Klatt was quick to counter Cowherd’s argument, noting that this is Riley’s “blueprint” for a successful season. 

“I think USC is actually more in the right blueprint of what they need to do to win,” Klatt said on The Herd. “The issue at USC is that they never ran the ball as effectively as what Lincoln did when he was at Oklahoma. Now guess where USC sits after two games? Number one in the country in rush yards per attempt.”

Sep 6, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava (14) throws a pass during the first half against the Georgia Southern Eagles at United Airlines Field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Through two games at USC, quarterback Jayden Maiava has thrown for 707 passing yards with six touchdowns, two of them being rushing. 

What Klatt also emphasized was Riley’s idea to pair a solid rushing offense, with a skilled quarterback who can deliver in the air. 

“Now, with the brilliance of Riley is that he married that with a passing game that was also elite at Oklahoma,” Klatt said.” Guess where Maiava is right now? Third in the country. So, I would actually argue that this is the blueprint. This is the Riley blueprint for how you win.”

USC Trojans Offense, Chance for Big Ten Title Contention?

Aug 30, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans running back Waymond Jordan (2) carries the ball against the Missouri State Bears in the first half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

What sets USC apart from all other programs in college is their No. 1 ranking in scoring offense, and echoing Klatt, No. 1 in rush yards per attempt. 

The pair of No. 1 rankings comes from the explosive offense Riley has developed all offseason, especially adding two powerhouse running backs in Eli Sanders and Waymond Jordan to the run game.

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Together, Sanders and Jordan make up a total 294 rushing yards and four touchdowns. Jordan has an average 10 yards per rush attempt through games, while Sanders has 6.5. 

“Waymond Jordan, he can run it. He's the Junior College National Player of the Year. He comes in. He's been really good at running back,” Klatt said. 

The Trojan offense also features a pair of talented wide receivers in Ja'Kobi Lane and Makai Lemon. Lemon leads the conference in receiving yards with 248, along with Lane’s 124. 

Aug 30, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans wide receiver Makai Lemon (6) carries the ball against the Missouri State Bears in the first half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Klatt shared overall thoughts on the Trojans heading into Big Ten play, restoring hope into what could be USC's redemption year. 

“I’m actually bullish on USC. I think it's one of the more underrated teams in the country," Klatt continued. "They lost close games a year ago, and I think they're going to surprise some people over the next few weeks.”