One other massive sport, one other massive stink.
One other loaded season, one other misplaced season.
4 years after Lincoln Riley arrived at USC amid gaudy guarantees to return the soccer program to nationwide prominence, nicely, two phrases.
Nonetheless ready.
Needing a win at Oregon’s Autzen Stadium on Saturday to have an opportunity at their first Faculty Soccer Playoff berth, the Trojans as soon as once more fell quick, fell deep and mainly fell on their faces.
Nonetheless ready.
In entrance of its jubilant followers roaring like USC followers as soon as roared, Oregon used an 85-yard punt return, a horrible Trojans penalty and terrible USC play calls to roll to a 42-27 victory.
Nonetheless ready.
With the win, the seventh-ranked Geese nearly actually earned a playoff spot.
With the loss, the Fifteenth-ranked Trojans positively have been eradicated for the fourth time in Riley’s 4 seasons whereas hanging an equally damning quantity on the embattled coach.
Underneath Riley’s management, the Trojans are 0-5 in opposition to top-10 groups.
Practically as unhealthy, in 4 years the Trojans have received simply three street video games in opposition to groups that completed the season with data higher than .500. Earlier than beating Nebraska this 12 months, Riley’s Trojans had not recorded a high quality street win since his first season.
If USC beats UCLA subsequent weekend as anticipated, the Trojans will end with a 9-3 report and a pleasant trip in some nameless bowl sport.
And that won’t be sufficient. That can’t be sufficient.
One wonders how lengthy the deep-pocketed USC individuals will endure such failed expectations, such fruitless autumns, such … mediocrity.
Heck, if UCLA should buy its means out of the Rose Bowl, one imagines that USC might purchase its means out of a soccer coach.
Simply saying. Simply saying, as a result of at this level, there actually isn’t something extra to say.
USC coach Lincoln Riley might smile early Saturday because the Trojans cast a tie, however by then finish of a 42-27 loss to Oregon there was little to be ok with.
(Lydia Ely / Related Press)
“We’re proper there,” Riley stated afterward. “This has been an inspiring workforce to look at all 12 months. It’s simply gonna hold getting higher and higher.”
It certainly has been inspiring watching the Trojans battle again from numerous accidents to discipline a battling workforce Saturday that was gutted at a number of positions.
However that also didn’t make it a lot enjoyable to look at Oregon acquire greater than 3 times as many dashing yards whereas the Trojans harm themselves with an unacceptable 103 yards of penalties.
When it got here time to make a giant cease, the Trojans couldn’t. When it got here time to finish a giant play, they typically have been flagged.
Oregon is nice, however Oregon shouldn’t be capable to management the sport in opposition to a deep and gifted USC workforce … and but for lengthy stretches, the Geese did.
“They made extra performs than us,” Riley acknowledged.
The remainder of the time, the Trojans simply tripped over themselves.
USC started Saturday’s sport with power and magnificence, forging a 14-all tie on the primary play of the second quarter on a trick play that didn’t work in opposition to Notre Dame, receiver Makai Lemon throwing 24 yards to Tanook Hines to tie the sport.
If solely the swaggering Trojans weren’t additionally so sloppy.
On their subsequent possession, a line-drive punt was returned 85 yards for a landing by Malik Benson to provide Oregon a 21-14 lead.
“Clearly an enormous, enormous play within the sport,” Riley stated.
Then on the finish of the primary half, the whole lot fell aside for USC, identical to the whole lot at all times appears to disintegrate in massive video games.
The breakdown started when USC appeared to regain momentum on a missed 44-yard discipline objective by the Geese’ Atticus Sappington. However on the play, the Trojans’ Desman Stephens II leaped over the road for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.
“Panicked a bit bit,” Riley stated. “Did one thing that we don’t educate.”
Given new life, the Geese rapidly took benefit with a one-yard landing run by linebacker Bryce Boettcher to provide them a 28-14 lead with 1:52 remaining within the half.
Then USC appeared even worse on its ensuing drive when, on first and objective from the Oregon eight-yard line, Riley inexplicably referred to as two working performs by Lemon that have been stuffed. The Trojans finally have been compelled to aim a discipline objective, however, within the ultimate ticks of the half, Ryon Sayeri bounced it off the fitting upright and the Trojans ended up with zilch.
“The defining sequence in numerous methods,” Riley stated.
At halftime, the Geese’ 14-point lead appeared loads bigger, and it turned out to be insurmountable.
At first of the second half, the Trojans held Oregon on fourth and one from round midfield, stole the Geese’ subsequent possession on an interception by Kennedy Urlacher, transformed their very own fourth down and finally scored on a four-yard cross from Jayden Maiava to Lemon to make it 28-21.
However then Oregon used a number of bruising runs to arrange a 28-yard landing cross to Kenyon Sadiq to make it 35-21 late within the third quarter.
The Trojans made it a one-possession sport once more on a nine-yard landing cross to Lake McRee early within the fourth quarter, however Oregon drove 79 yards and scored on one other bruising run by Noah Whittington to clinch it.
Finish of sport. Finish of season.
Nonetheless ready.
