USC Football: Lincoln Riley Defensive After Falling From 11 To 7 Regular Season Wins In Year 2

USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley was brought in for one reason, and that was to bring the program back to national prominence. After his first season, it looked like he may be able to do it, but fast forward to the end of his second, and things seem shaky.

The Trojans took a major step backward this season, going from 11 regular season wins in year one to just seven in his second season. When asked about the season, Riley seemed to get defensive, something that has become a common theme for him during his time with the Trojans.

“I think on the outside there’s going to be a perception of, “How could you win 11 in the first and seven in the (second)?” The reality is the two teams weren’t that much different, and I think we had some struggles and some things last year — we had some major holes. … You could take three or four plays from the whole season and I can show you a 10-win team. It still wouldn’t change the things that have to get better for us to be at the level we want to be."

Per Antonio Morales of The Athletic

The same issues that the Trojans saw a year ago, reared their ugly heads once again this season. The defense couldn't stop anybody, and it cost them multiple games.

Riley waited too long to fire their defensive coordinator, and it took him a while to even acknowledge the problems with the defense. The same problems that he saw while with The University of Oklahoma have followed him, but he can't get away with them while working for the Trojans.

“The outcome sometimes blinds you from the fact of the things you have to get better at but also sometimes blinds you from the progress, and the reality is has there been massive progress in the first two years? Hell yeah, there has been. I mean, massive. Some of it has been seen on Saturdays. Some of it is happening behind the scenes as we get ready to build the younger part of this roster (and) as we get ready to build a new facility."

Per Lincoln Riley via The Athletic

Seriously changes are clearly needed next year if Riley is to survive as the head coach for USC. The pressure is on him and the team, and unless they see results, it could get very ugly for him.

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