Tag: lincoln riley

Taylor Mays shares his thoughts on the USC-UCLA rivalry

Taylor Mays has played in the USC-UCLA football game. This season, he will coach in it, and he’s fired up for another run at the Bruins.

Taylor Mays is no stranger to the USC football rivalry against UCLA. Having played at USC from 2006-2009, the three-time All-America safety played against the Bruins four times, going 3-1 in those matchups. Now, Mays will be on the Trojans’ sideline for the Crosstown Showdown Saturday night as USC’s assistant defensive backs coach.

Earlier this week, Mays discussed the significance of the rivalry on USC’s weekly “Trojans Live” show.

”It does have a different feel, being at the Coliseum or the Rose Bowl playing UCLA,” Mays said.

”This is one of the reasons that you come to USC, to play in an awesome rivalry game like this. I’m not even from Los Angeles, and the rivalry means everything to me.

“You wanna be in the moment and really take it all in. But then you also want to go out there and slam their face in the ground.”

With neither USC nor UCLA having a particularly successful season, the stakes of this year’s matchup are not nearly as high as in years past. However, major bragging rights are still on the line this weekend, so there will certainly be no shortage of motivation on either side.

Kickoff of the Crosstown Showdown is set for 7:30 p.m. local time on Saturday night from the Rose Bowl.

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USC-UCLA game is huge for Lincoln Riley

This is a big game for Lincoln Riley.

With the USC Trojans and UCLA Bruins facing off in a rivalry game, we talked to Trojans Wire editor Matt Zemek about some different topics.

One of them is Lincoln Riley, who has been involved in discussions amid a disappointing year for the Trojans.

When asked how big this UCLA game is for Riley, Zemek had an honest answer.

“Let’s put it this way: If he loses to DeShaun Foster in Foster’s first season, that would be a level of humiliation which would exceed every previous USC loss under Riley, with the possible exception of the Cotton Bowl against Tulane. The loss would also mean that USC would have to beat Notre Dame to clinch a bowl bid. USC would be unlikely to even make a bowl game. The Trojans could sink to 5-7, which was the record of the team in 2018 under Clay Helton. If Riley loses this game, he is undoubtedly on the hot seat entering 2025. If he wants a smoother ride at USC (not that it’s going to be smooth anyway), he absolutely must win this game. There are zero excuses for the Trojans at this point. This is the game they almost surely have to win if they want to get a bowl bid and secure those crucial December bowl practices, which help the coaching staff build the roster and develop players heading into spring ball.”

If Riley and USC lose to UCLA, things could get ugly for the Trojans.

Oklahoma Sooners to honor Bob Stoops Saturday night

Oklahoma Football set to honor Bob Stoops during Saturday’s home finale against the Alabama Crimson Tide.

The Oklahoma Sooners will be honoring one of the greatest coaches in program history on Saturday. [autotag]Bob Stoops[/autotag], the winningest coach in OU Football history, will be celebrated on Owen Field as Oklahoma hosts the Alabama Crimson Tide.

He’s the final coach to be honored during home games this season, as [autotag]Bud Wilkinson[/autotag] and [autotag]Barry Switzer[/autotag] were also celebrated earlier this year.

Stoops took the reins of the program at a tumultuous time in Norman. Following Switzer’s resignation a decade earlier, the Oklahoma football program experienced a decade of darkness, looking nothing like the Sooners of old. For ten years from 1989 to 1998, OU cycled through three head coaches and failed to get close to winning at the level that the program was accustomed to.

But that all changed when Stoops was hired. Beginning in 1999, he brought the program back to its former glory, going undefeated and winning the national championship in 2000 in just his second year on the job. For his 18-year career as OU’s head coach, the Sooners were typically in the title hunt, as Stoops coached in three more national title games.

Oklahoma won 10 Big 12 championships, dominating the conference with Stoops at the helm. He produced two Heisman Trophy winners ([autotag]Jason White[/autotag] and [autotag]Sam Bradford[/autotag]) and coached two more who won later in their careers ([autotag]Baker Mayfield[/autotag] and [autotag]Kyler Murray[/autotag]).

From 1999 to 2016, Stoops amassed more wins than any other coach in the history of the program. His time in Norman was marked by a number of big wins and the rebirth of one of college football’s blue blood programs.

The legendary head coach decided to retire in the summer of 2017, passing the baton to [autotag]Lincoln Riley[/autotag], his offensive coordinator for the previous two seasons. He would dabble in tequila sales, college football studio analysis and coaching in the XFL over the next few years.

But when Riley decided to head west for Southern California in 2021, athletic director [autotag]Joe Castiglione[/autotag], who had hired Stoops way back in the winter of 1998, turned to Stoops again as the Sooners suddenly needed an interim head coach for the 2021 Alamo Bowl.

In addition to taking over as the interim head coach and leading OU to a bowl game victory over Oregon, Stoops was a calming force at a time of great uncertainty. Riley’s move was a shot across the college football landscape and Stoops was once again a steadying force for Oklahoma.

He passed the torch to Oklahoma’s current coach, [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag], after the win over Oregon and has returned to coaching in the XFL and UFL over the past couple of seasons with the Arlington Renegades, winning a championship in 2023. He’s stayed very involved with OU over the years since he retired, and his son [autotag]Drake Stoops[/autotag] enjoyed a long, productive career as a Sooner.

Now, Stoops will be honored for his accomplishments as Oklahoma’s winningest head coach.

It’s been a rocky season for the Sooners, and the best way to honor Coach Stoops would be with an upset win at home on Saturday. After all, he went 3-0 against the Tide, and would love to see OU earn bowl eligibility on national TV on the same night he’ll be celebrated on Owen Field.

Former USC star Clay Matthews reveals what he wants to see from the Trojans

Clay Matthews did not pull punches in talking about Lincoln Riley’s USC football program. Matthews’ message was unmistakable, blunt, and unsparing.

One of the most important aspects of being the head coach at USC football is to build a program former players are proud of. So, when one of the Trojans’ all-time greats goes on a podcast and offers criticism of the state of the program, it generally isn’t the best sign. Last week, former USC star linebacker Clay Matthews III was interviewed on a podcast by Infinity Sports Network’s Zach Gelb. During the interview, Matthews discussed what he hopes to see from USC moving forward.

“I’d love to see a little bit more . . . grit, for lack of a better term,” Matthews said.

“I know they’re lacking—I’m watching them at the tackle position offensive tackle. So the quarterback is just getting rattled back there.”

Matthews went on the compare this USC team to ones that have worn the Cardinal and Gold in the past.

“SC historically has always had those players who can turn the tide, who can, you know, win these big games,” Matthews said. “I don’t know if we’re a few players away or what.”

After starting his college career as a walk-on in 2004, Matthews gradually worked his way up the depth chart. After finally becoming a starter in his final season in 2008, he did enough that year to convince scouts that he was worthy of being a first round draft pick.

The Green Bay Packers selected Matthews with the 26th overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft. He would go on to play 11 seasons in the league, making six Pro Bowls and winning Super Bowl XLV. He is a member of the Packers Hall of Fame.

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Four-star offensive lineman decommits from USC

Colorado’s performance on the field has seemingly swayed a USC football commit away from the Trojans and toward Deion Sanders. Results matter, folks.

This has not been an encouraging week for USC football recruiting. On Wednesday, four-star offensive lineman Carde Smith announced his decommittment from USC.

A native of Mobile, Alabama, Smith is the No. 227 overall player in the Class of 2025, per the On3 Consensus rankings. He is also the No. 20 offensive tackle and the No. 15 player in the state of Alabama.

Smith had been committed to the Trojans since August. However, in recent weeks, momentum had begun to build toward a Colorado flip. Following his decommitment from USC, the Buffaloes are currently the heavy favorites to land the blue-chip offensive lineman.

“The chatter behind the scenes has been picking up for some time and Colorado looks to be close to flipping Carde Smith,” said On3’s Chad Simmons last week. “The one-time Auburn commit flipped to USC and now the Buffaloes look to be on the verge of flipping him from the Trojans. Smith sees an opportunity to play right away in Boulder and the way the program has performed on the field this season has caught his attention.

The Trojans’ 2025 recruiting class currently ranks No. 14 in the country and No. 4 in the Big Ten, according to On3’s team rankings.

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Trojans in the NFL brought their A-games in Week 11

Tuli Tuipulotu and Amon-Ra St. Brown were the best of the best for USC in the NFL this past weekend. Trojans are showing out on the pro football stage.

On Saturday, the current USC team took care of business against Nebraska, holding on for a 28-20 victory. On Sunday, numerous former USC players showed out for their respective NFL teams. Let’s take a look at some of the top performances by Trojans in the NFL from Week 11.

Amon-Ra St. Brown

The Detroit Lions’ superstar wide receiver caught 11 passes for 161 yards and two touchdowns in his team’s 52-6 blowout of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Talk about a monster day.

Tuli Tuipulotu

In a primetime showdown with the Cincinnati Bengals, the Los Angeles Chargers’ young defensive lineman was more than ready for the moment. Tuli Tuipulotu had 1.5 sacks of Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow in a 34-27 LA win.

Sam Darnold

After a few rough weeks, Darnold bounced back on Sunday. The Minnesota Vikings quarterback completed 20 of his 32 pass attempts for 246 yards and two touchdowns in a 23-13 win over the Tennessee Titans.

Jordan Addison

On the receiving end of one of Darnold’s TDs was Jordan Addison. The second year wideout caught three passes for 61 yards and a score in Minnesota’s win.

Drake London

It was a rough afternoon for the Atlanta Falcons, who suffered a 38-6 blowout loss to the Broncos in Denver. But London still had a solid day, catching three passes for 61 yards.

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Kickoff time for USC-Notre Dame football remains unannounced

USC-Notre Dame at the Coliseum on November 30 could start in the late afternoon slot or the midday slot. It will not be a late-night game.

Monday was supposed to be the day we found out the kickoff time and broadcast channel for USC football’s November 30 rivalry matchup against Notre Dame. Instead, however, it was announced Monday morning that the networks had elected to use a six-day hold for the matchup. Hence, we will not know the kickoff time until this weekend, likely either Saturday night or Sunday morning.

There are three possible windows in which the game could be broadcast: 12:30 p.m. Pacific time on CBS, 4 p.m. on FS1, and 4:30 p.m. on NBC. In addition to USC-Notre Dame, the two other games in contention for those windows are Washington at Oregon and Purdue at Indiana.

Given that the Trojans’ three most recent Saturday home games have all kicked off at either 12:30 or 1 p.m. local time, the general consensus among USC fans is that they would prefer a prime-time start. USC has not yet had a prime time home game this year, and its only Saturday home game with a kickoff after 1 p.m. was against Utah State back on September 7.

Before worrying about the Notre Dame game, however, the Trojans must first focus on another rivalry matchup with crosstown foe UCLA. Although neither team is having a particularly great season, major bragging rights are on the line when the Trojans and Bruins square off at the Rose Bowl this Saturday night.

Kickoff for the Crosstown Showdown is set for 7:30 p.m. local time in Pasadena on NBC.

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Woody Marks continues to show that he is USC’s best offensive player

Woody Marks continues to deliver for USC. In a lost season with so many frustrations and failures, Marks has been a clear shining light for the Trojans.

For the past week, the majority of the attention surrounding USC football has been dedicated to the quarterback position. With head coach Lincoln Riley opting to replace Miller Moss with Jayden Maiava prior to Saturday’s game against Nebraska, Maiava’s play was under a microscope the entire afternoon. On Saturday, however, we were treated to a reminder that the Trojans’ best offensive player is neither Moss, nor Maiava, nor any quarterback. Rather, it is star running back Woody Marks.

Against Nebraska, Marks delivered yet another impressive performance, carrying the ball 19 times for 146 yards. In addition, he caught six passes for 36 yards.

Marks has now gone over 100 yards rushing in six of USC’s ten games this season. On Saturday, he became the first Trojan to record 1,000 rushing yards in a season since Ronald Jones in 2017. (We should point out that Travis Dye was well on his way to surpassing the mark in 2022 prior to suffering a season-ending injury against Colorado with multiple games left in the season.)

Marks’s best play of the day came in the biggest moment. With under six minutes remaining in the game and USC leading 21-20, the Trojans faced a 4th and 1 from the Nebraska 47 yard line.

Marks decided to put the team on his back and take matters into his own hands. He cut through the defense and burst down the sideline for a 34-yard gain, giving the Trojans a first down at the Nebraksa 13 yard-line. Four plays later, USC was in the end zone with a much-needed insurance touchdown that ultimately put the game out of reach.

On paper, that drive will go down as having ended with Maiava touchdown run. But don’t get things twisted: By far the most important play on that drive (and arguably of the game) belonged to Marks.

With the game in the balance, Lincoln Riley put the ball in the hands of his best offensive player. And boy, did he deliver.

Obviously, quarterback is the most important position in not just football, but in all of sports. It is pretty much impossible to win in today’s day and age without a good signal-caller.

But even in today’s era of pass-happy attacks and spread offenses, running backs still matter. As we were reminded on Saturday, the Trojans have a pretty darn good one.

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USC and Ceyair Wright both won on Saturday

Ceyair Wright didn’t beat his former team, but he made a few very big plays to show USC that he can play ball. It was an authoritative return to the Coliseum.

The Nebraska-USC game offered one powerful plot twist, among others. When Ceyair Wright committed to USC in January of 2021, he was supposed to be the next great Trojan defensive back. Unfortunately, things never quite worked out for Wright at USC. Although he saw decent playing time and became a solid role player, he was never really able to lock down a spot as a full-time starter, and was away from the team for significant portion of time in 2023.

Last offseason, Wright decided to transfer to Nebraska. On Saturday, he returned to the Coliseum as a visitor for the first time.

Facing his former team, Wright made two huge plays that significantly affected the outcome. On the Trojans’ second possession, Wright picked off new USC starting quarterback Jayden Maiava and ran it back 45 yards for a touchdown. It was the first score of Wright’s college career, and just his third interception.

Then in the fourth quarter, with USC leading 21-20, the Trojans lined up for a 27-yard field goal attempt to stretch their lead to four. What should have been a chip shot for kicker Michael Lantz, however, never even made it to the uprights, as Wright blocked the kick, keeping the lead at one.

Wright’s two huge plays had a massive impact on the direction of the game. His pick six gave Nebraska seven points, while his blocked field goal prevented USC from recording three. Essentially, then, one Nebraska player—who just so happened to have started his college career at USC—was responsible for a 10-point swing.

Ultimately, though, the Trojans got the last laugh over Wright, as USC survived with a 28-20 victory.

Wright had his moments against his former team.

His former team still won. Nebraska didn’t win, but Wright made his statement.

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USC lands commitment from three-star defensive lineman

USC grabbed a three-star defensive lineman on Sunday, providing much-needed depth for a group which needs a lot of bodies in 2025.

It was a very busy day for USC football recruiting. On Sunday, USC landed a commitment from class of 2025 three-star defensive lineman Cash Jacobsen.

“Dedication & hard work make dreams come true. I am 100% committed to the University of Southern California,” Jacobsen said in a post on social media.

Jacobsen comes to USC from Jenks, Oklahoma. Per 247Sports, he is the number 1358 overall player in the class of 2025, the number 149 defensive lineman, and the number 25 player in the state of Oklahoma.

The Jacobsen commitment followed two huge recruiting stories for USC football on Sunday. The Trojans lost the commitment of quarterback Julian Lewis but were able to quickly regroup by gaining the commitment of quarterback Husan Longstreet, who flipped from Texas A&M. The Trojans and Lincoln Riley managed to have a plan in place for a Julian Lewis change of heart, and it’s very important that they did.

USC currently holds the No. 13 recruiting class in the country for the 2024-2025 cycle, per 247’s rankings. Three Big Ten teams currently sit ahead of the Trojans: Ohio State at No. 1, Oregon at No. 6, and Michigan at No. 11.

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