USC’s Riley knows how to bounce back
In each of his first three seasons as Oklahoma’s coach, Lincoln Riley entered October with an unblemished record and a top-10 ranking … only to drop a game unexpectedly.
In 2017, it was Iowa State that upset the third-ranked Sooners. A year later, Texas knocked No. 7 Oklahoma off its throne with a game-winning field goal. A year after that, Riley’s Sooners were once again upended in October,this time by Kansas State.
Each of the three defeats at the time appeared to doom any hope of Oklahoma making the College Football Playoff. But in all three cases, Riley’s team didn’t lose another game for the rest of the regular season. All three ended up earning places in the playoff.
It’s no wonder then, as USC entered its off week, that no one, least of all Riley, was panicking after the Trojans suffered their first loss of the season last Saturday at Utah.
“You get tested in a different way when you lose one, especially the way that one played out,” Riley said. “Everything I’ve seen from this team up to this point leads me to believe that we’ll handle it in a way that brings us closer together and makes us even better. We have to go do it. Feeling that and thinking you’re capable is one thing. Going and doing it is another.”
Asoft schedule out of the off certainly helps. USC’s next three opponents (Arizona, Utah, eight more than in any Californiaand Colorado) are a other game this season. Lee, combined 7-12. After traveling who played through a hand to Tucson for their next injury,missed five. matchup, the Trojans also Riley said USC wouldn’t don’t have to leave Los Angeles hold back tackling in practice, for the rest of the regular despite entering the off week season. with both sides of the ball
However, those favorable bangedup. circumstances won’t matter “There’s no balance,” Riley much if USC can’t find answers said.“We have to clean it up.” to its issues on defense, He’s cleaned up similar where the Trojans were messes before. The question trounced Saturday for 562 now, as USC faces its first bit yards, the fifth-most yards of adversity, is whether this they’ve given up in a game team might follow a similar overthe past decade. path from its own mid-Octoberslip-up.
“I don’t think we need to abandon ship or anything like “There’s no time to sulk,” that,” linebacker Shane Lee Lee said. “You have to pick said. “I just think we need to yourself up and get back to
SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE tightenthe hatches.” work. That’s what it’s about.
Poor tackling is an especially Thereare other games to play. pertinent concern. According It’s not the end of the season, to Pro Football Focus, not by any stretch of the imagination.” USC missed 18 tackles against
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