It is no secret that USC fans have become increasingly frustrated with head coach Lincoln Riley this season. After a disappointing 8-5 campaign last year, the Trojans have been even worse in 2024, finishing the regular season at 6-6 with a 49-35 loss to archrival Notre Dame on Saturday afternoon.
One common frustration among the fan base has been Riley’s play calling, specifically his insistence on throwing the football. That was once again at play in Saturday’s defeat.
Against the Fighting Irish, Riley called 49 pass plays. Meanwhile, the Trojans ran the ball just 28 times, despite averaging 7.0 yards per carry when they did run it.
It was the fourth time this season (Michigan, Maryland, Washington, and Notre Dame) that USC has thrown the ball 49 or more times while running it fewer than 30 times. Not surprisingly, the Trojans are 0-4 in those games.
Perhaps Riley’s biggest head scratching call of the day came in the fourth quarter, with the Trojans trailing by 14. Facing a second and goal from the Notre Dame five yard line, Riley put in third string quarterback—Jake Jensen—who had taken exactly one career snap at the FBS level—for a designed quarterback run. Not surprisingly, it failed miserably, as Jensen was tackled in the backfield for a loss.
When USC hired Riley away from Oklahoma three years ago, they thought that they were getting an innovative offensive mind. In 2024, that has not at all been the case.
If Riley wants to get USC back on track as a program, he needs to start by re-finding his roots as an offensive play caller. If he is not able to do that, it is hard to see the Trojans having much success moving forward.
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