USC's 25-21 Win Over Washington Quiets Lincoln Riley Firing Calls

No. 18 USC beat Washington 25-21 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Saturday night, a result that quieted — for now — chants from the student section calling for coach Lincoln Riley's job, the New York Post reported. The Trojans improved to 5-1 overall and 2-1 in the Big Ten, scoring the game's final 15 points a week after an emotionally charged home loss to Oregon.

How did USC close out the win?

USC needed two defensive stops in the final minutes to protect the lead. Defensive end Kameryn Crawford sacked Washington quarterback Demond Williams Jr. for a six-yard loss on third down at the USC 12-yard line, forcing a fourth down. Williams then threw into double coverage in the corner of the end zone, and the pass fell incomplete, according to the Post's account of the game. The turnover on downs sealed the Trojans' 25-21 victory and let a tense Coliseum crowd exhale.

Why are fans calling for Lincoln Riley's job?

The frustration boiled over in the third quarter, when another stalled USC drive ended in a punt. Students in the crowd chanted, "Fire Lincoln! Fire Lincoln!" after two Trojans defenders failed to push a Washington receiver out of bounds on what the Post described as a nearly inconceivable Huskies touchdown. The chants followed a home loss to Oregon the previous week that had already put Riley under scrutiny, and they continued even as USC's offense began to move the ball more effectively in the second half.

What changed on defense under Gary Patterson?

Defensive coordinator Gary Patterson called the game from the press box for the first time this season, a shift the Post flagged as a notable step for a unit that had struggled in recent weeks — with the glaring exception of the blown coverage on Washington's touchdown. USC's defense generated two of the game's biggest plays in the second half. Linebacker Elijah Newby ripped the ball away from Williams, and 295-pound defensive tackle Jahkeem Stewart scooped it up and rumbled 48 yards for a touchdown, giving USC a 22-21 lead late in the third quarter.

What were the deciding plays in the fourth quarter?

USC's lead grew when kicker Caden Chittenden added a 39-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter, putting the Trojans ahead 25-21. That score held up thanks to Crawford's sack and the failed fourth-down conversion by Washington in the closing minutes. The comeback followed a first half the Post called "bizarre" and "error-filled," which ended with USC trailing 14-10 despite defensive improvement from recent outings. Tanook Hines had added a 10-yard touchdown catch as part of the back-to-back scores that flipped the game in USC's favor.

What's next for USC and Lincoln Riley?

The win buys Riley time, but the public pressure documented at the Coliseum on Saturday has not disappeared. Readers tracking the program should watch:

• Patterson's play-calling location — whether the defensive coordinator continues calling games from the press box after the shift debuted against Washington.
• USC's offensive consistency — whether the second-half surge that produced 15 unanswered points carries into Big Ten play, given the stalled drives that triggered Saturday's chants.
• Fan and media scrutiny of Riley — whether a loss in USC's next outing reignites the job-security conversation that surfaced again this week.
• Washington's response — how the Huskies, who outgained USC enough to lead at halftime, adjust after a turnover-marred second half that included Newby's forced fumble and Stewart's scoop-and-score.

For full box-score detail and additional context from the Coliseum, see the New York Post's original report.

What does the win mean for USC's Big Ten standing?

The victory kept USC at 2-1 in Big Ten play and 5-1 overall, a record that leaves the Trojans in contention early in conference competition, according to the Post. The Oregon loss the previous week had already tightened the margin for error for Riley's program, and Saturday's result against Washington prevented a second consecutive setback that would have deepened the scrutiny documented by chanting students at the Coliseum. The Post's game account did not include USC's full remaining schedule, but the current record positions the Trojans among Big Ten teams with one conference loss through the season's first stretch.

How did Washington's offense perform despite the loss?

Washington quarterback Demond Williams Jr. directed a first half strong enough to leave the Huskies ahead 14-10 at the break, part of what the Post called a "bizarre, error-filled" opening two quarters for USC. Washington's go-ahead touchdown in the third quarter — the play that drew the loudest "Fire Lincoln" chants — came on the broken coverage the Post described as nearly inconceivable. But the Huskies' second-half possessions unraveled after Newby's forced fumble and Stewart's 48-yard scoop-and-score, and Williams' final fourth-down pass into double coverage closed out USC's win.

Artiglio is A coming-soon iPhone chief of staff for briefings and drafts. Not on the App Store yet.