Making the bye week count was a point of focus for USC head coach Lincoln Riley when he and several offensive players met with the media after Tuesday’s practice.
Riley emphasized the importance of the bye for USC’s secondary following a tough 34-32 loss to No. 22 Illinois on Saturday that exposed several blown coverages by the Trojans.
“That’s part of playing that position. There’s nothing else behind you,” Riley said of the secondary. “Whether it’s being where you’ve got to be in coverage, whether it’s leveraging the football on the correct shoulder, those little things really show up big.”
Riley then emphasized how mistakes in the secondary can be far more costly than those made closer to the line of scrimmage.
“You don’t do that right at the D line or, you know, at the first or second level, it might be a 10 or 12 yard play,” he said. “You don’t do it right in the secondary — the whole stadium is going to see it. And so we’ve got to be better fundamentally in our tackling.”
USC’s defense has relinquished 300+ passing yards in two of its three Big Ten matchups this season. Riley acknowledged the team’s emerging tendency to allow small plays like swing passes to develop into big gains after the catch, noting that the Trojans “need to have a really good bye week in the secondary.”
It’s an odd line to walk for a USC team that’s putting up stellar numbers on the offensive end. Redshirt junior quarterback Jayden Maiava is second in the nation in passing yards (1,587) behind Baylor senior QB Sawyer Robertson (1,713), and has thrown only one interception through five games with 11 touchdowns through the air.
Five of those touchdowns went to junior receiver Makai Lemon, whose 589 receiving yards lead the FBS. Lemon caught two fourth quarter touchdown passes in the loss to Illinois.
“[Lemon’s] versatility and consistency really stands out to me,” Riley said. “He works hard out here at his craft, football is important to him, and he just keeps getting better and better.”
“All gas, no brakes,” Lemon said about his bye week mentality. “Take it like we’ve got a game this week.”
In addition to a strong run game led by breakout junior back Waymond Jordan, who has notched 537 rush yards and five touchdowns this year, USC also boasts a strong tight end room.
Redshirt senior Lake McRee is averaging over 20 yards per catch this season and credited his strong play to three factors: “health, experience and confidence.”
It feels difficult to reconcile the Trojans’ struggles with discipline with their overwhelming depth of talent. They have a balanced offensive attack that could take them a long way in a competitive year for the Big Ten and show flashes of potent athleticism and leadership on defense.
It seems like if anyone (else) will beat USC this year, it’s USC.
The Trojans continue bye week practices as they prepare to host No. 20 Michigan on Saturday, Oct. 11.