Lincoln Riley strikes again. With a 12-point lead early in the fourth quarter. A field goal with 4:30 remaining in the game gave the Trojans a 15-point lead. Tulane proceeded to score 16 unanswered points, including a safety, to overcome the deficit and knock of the USC Trojans in the Cotton Bowl 46-45.
It was another terrible defensive effort from Alex Grinch’s defense against the Green Wave. Tyjae Spears did his best impersonation of Deuce Vaughn, running for 205 yards and four touchdowns, averaging 12.1 yards per carry in the game.
The Trojans struggled all year on defense, but the offense didn’t help much in the fourth quarter, giving up a safety to Tulane. Heisman trophy winner Caleb Williams and the Trojans were held to a field goal over the final 12 minutes of the game.
This game was reminiscent of several losses the Oklahoma Sooners suffered when Lincoln Riley was at the helm, most notably the Rose Bowl loss to Georgia. But also in a 2020 loss to Kansas State, where the Sooners were outscored by 17 points in the fourth quarter.
Riley’s teams have struggled to close out games over the years, and their Cotton Bowl performance was nothing new on that front.
The Tulane Green Wave pulled off an epic comeback at the expense of Lincoln Riley and the Trojans, and social media reacted accordingly.