Heading into Saturday’s matchup with Washington, there was a clear blueprint for Lincoln Riley and the USC Trojans to follow.
The Huskies are one of the best teams in the country at defending the pass. On the other hand, their run defense is below average at best. Naturally, then, it would make sense for the Trojans to have an offensive game plan centered around running the ball, right?
While that would make logical sense, it was not how head coach (and offensive play caller) Lincoln Riley saw things. Riley elected to throw the ball 50 times, while running it just 29.
When the Trojans did run the ball, they had success, averaging 5.7 yards per carry. Meanwhile, quarterback Miller Moss and USC’s receivers struggled against Washington’s strong secondary. Although Moss passed for almost 300 yards and two touchdowns, he also threw three interceptions, and the receivers struggled with drops on numerous occasions.
Naturally, fans and analysts voiced their frustration with Riley’s play calling.
If you have followed USC football this year, you know this has been a constant theme.
This is not an isolated incident, either. All season, USC has continued to abandon the running game in crucial moments. This comes despite the fact that the Trojans have arguably the most underrated running back in the country in Woody Marks and an explosive freshman in Quinten Joyner.
At this point, it is too late to salvage USC’s 2024 season, but if the Trojans want to have any hope of beating either of their two biggest rivals and/or making a bowl game, running the ball more would be a great place to start.
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