The Lincoln Riley era at USC hit a new low on Saturday with a 29-28 loss to Maryland. The Trojans led by 14 points with less than 10 minutes to go in the game. But in a scenario that’s become all too familiar for Trojans fans, that lead evaporated as the game’s waning moments ticked away.
The advantage eventually disappeared for good when Maryland quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. scored a go-ahead 3-yard touchdown with 53 seconds remaining to give the Terps their first — and only — lead of the night. The Terrapins forced a turnover on downs on USC’s ensuing possession to seal the comeback win in the first meeting between the programs.
The loss drops USC to 2-9 in its last 11 one-score games under Riley. The Trojans now sit at 1-4 in conference play for the first time since 2000 and will have to win three of their final games against Rutgers, Washington, Nebraska, UCLA and Notre Dame to reach a bowl game.
In nearly every one of those losses, Riley’s team let golden opportunities slip through its fingers. Against Maryland, the Trojans led by six points with less than two minutes to go and had the ball on the Terps’ 24-yard line before a blocked field goal set up the eventual game-winning drive. Against Penn State, the USC defense had two chances to get off the field on fourth down in the final drive of regulation.
In the Trojans’ first game as a member of the Big Ten against Michigan last month, the defense allowed a game-winning touchdown on fourth-and-goal with 37 seconds remaining. Two weeks later, USC allowed Minnesota to score two touchdowns in the final eight minutes — including a go-ahead 1-yard score on fourth-and-goal with 56 seconds remaining for another loss.
As single occurrences, any of these near-misses could be seen as bad fortune. When you stack them together — all the way back to the beginning of Riley’s USC tenure — they are a disturbing pattern.
“It just simply hasn’t been enough,” Riley told reporters after the game. “Just like last week, I own it. It’s my responsibility. I have to get this team to play better at the end of games.”
When USC lured Riley away from Oklahoma, the goal was to elevate the program back to the powerhouse level it attained in the 2000s under Pete Carroll. USC is instead trending toward a perennial middle-of-the-pack spot in the new-look Big Ten. Riley complied a 55-10 record at Oklahoma and already has more losses (12) in two and half seasons at USC than his entire five-year tenure with the Sooners. And it’s tracking to get worse before it gets better.
Last week was Riley’s opportunity to record a signature win at USC over a top-five opponent. This week was an opportunity to respond to adversity after blowing (another) late lead in the fourth quarter. They did neither. The Riley era at USC is at an all-time low, and this could be the start of the downfall unless something changes quickly.
