USC football head coach Lincoln Riley took a long swig of water before beginning his opening statement after a 30-27 overtime loss to TCU in the Alamo Bowl.
“We started this journey with this team a little less than a month ago,” Riley told reporters after congratulating the Horned Frogs on the win.
“We could tell pretty quickly that this team was going to be unique. It’s not completely the team we played with this year, and not completely the team that we’ll play with next year. This team really gets one game together.”
The group of Trojans that took the field Tuesday night was missing a multitude of its star players as well as a top assistant coach. It was stitched together with a temporary defensive coordinator and stuffed with inexperienced or even scout team players.
The Alamo Bowl game program didn’t even feature players on its cover – Riley and TCU coach Sonny Dykes were safe choices for the graphic.
It made game day feel like a painful transitional period between what was accomplished and what’s to come, especially on defense. USC’s “one-game season” mindset for the Alamo Bowl, which ended on a 3rd-and-20, 35-yard catch-and-run in which four Trojans missed tackles, made the game’s overall importance difficult to decode or contextualize.
On offense, No. 16 USC (9-4) was without star receivers Makai Lemon and Ja’Kobi Lane, who have each declared for the NFL draft, and injured offensive linemen Elijah Paige and Kilian O’Connor.
Safety Kamari Ramsey, who wore the green dot at nickel this season, opted out of the game after declaring for the NFL draft but was still present in San Antonio to support his team. All-American safety Bishop Fitzgerald kept him company and did not play in the game due to injury.
Linebacker Eric Gentry also opted out of the game and was not spotted on the sidelines. His leadership and physicality were noticeable losses, and the Trojans were handed their lowest tackling grade of the season by Pro Football Focus as a result.
“We had them backed up to a third-and-extra-long,” Riley said of the final play in overtime, capping a game in which co-defensive coordinator Eric Henderson called the plays in place of D’Anton Lynn, who was not present as he is reportedly leaving to become the defensive coordinator at Penn State.
“I thought ‘Henny’ made a really nice call. And we missed a couple of tackles in just a very inopportune time.”
Riley declined to comment on why Lynn was not coaching in the game.
It’s the second time in three years Lynn has not coached in a bowl game due to a job change. He didn’t coach in UCLA’s LA Bowl win in December 2023, which was around the time that he was hired away by USC.
The 53.5% grade was likely given by PFF due to those missed tackles. Confusion on defense often was the catalyst. But it only slightly marred a 75.4% PFF grade given to the defense overall.
Sophomore defensive lineman Jide Abasiri, who was one of eight underclassmen to start on defense in the Alamo Bowl, said players rallied around Henderson for his temporary position.
“I love Coach Henny,” Abasiri said of Henderson, who is also the run game coordinator and defensive line coach. “He’s always talked about when your time is ready to step up and fall back when you were training. The time was called for him, and he stepped up and was the play-caller on defense, and he did an amazing job.”
The offseason now begins after a fourth consecutive year of Riley failing to lead the Trojans into the College Football Playoff. The transfer portal opens Friday.
Riley said after the game that his phone is constantly buzzing with people interested in the defensive coordinator job.
“We’ve got a hell of a defensive staff in there,” Riley said. “Their ability to rally on short notice tonight was evident, and I’m excited about the process. It’s going to make us better. I know it will. So, we’ll wake up tomorrow morning, and we’ll get on it.”
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