USC coach Lincoln Riley speaks throughout Pac-12 media day Friday, July 29, 2022, in Los Angeles. The primary-year Trojans coach wasted little time in resurrecting the once-proud program. Damian Dovarganes, Related Press
USC head coach Lincoln Riley argues with an official as Utah and USC play at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake Metropolis on Saturday, Oct. 15, 2022. The Trojans and Utes will meet once more Friday, this time in Vegas with the Pac-12 title on the road. Scott G Winterton, Deseret Information
Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham yells at an official as Utah and USC play at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake Metropolis on Saturday, Oct. 15, 2022. Utah received 43-42. Scott G Winterton, Deseret Information
A 12 months in the past, USC performed its closing house sport of the 2021 season, a 35-31 loss to BYU on the famed Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, with few Trojan followers in attendance, amid what turned out to be an terrible 4-8 marketing campaign.
“That basically has made issues not a three- or four-year mission. It’s became a one- or two-year mission.” — Utah coach Kyle Whittingham on how the switch portal can velocity up the restoration of a slumping program
The next day, USC shocked the school soccer world by hiring coach Lincoln Riley away from Oklahoma.
Everyone knew that Riley, who took the reins of the once-proud program, would finally make a big effect at USC. Few knew it might occur this rapidly.
Even earlier than the season started, Riley didn’t attempt to tamp down the expectations.
“I’m not going to take any objective off the desk,” Riley mentioned on the time. “I mentioned it Day 1. That’s not why we got here right here, so we anticipate to compete for and win championships each single 12 months.
“I’ll prevent that query for the subsequent 10-15 years. That’s going to be the identical reply. That’s simply who we're as a employees. That’s what we consider in and albeit, that’s what this program ought to be about. That is USC. The expectation right here ought to be to win championships each single 12 months.”
USC head coach Lincoln Riley argues with an official as Utah and USC play at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake Metropolis on Saturday, Oct. 15, 2022. The Trojans and Utes will meet once more Friday, this time in Vegas with the Pac-12 title on the road.
Scott G Winterton, Deseret Information
Nicely, based on Riley, the Trojans are proper on schedule. They've been on fairly the rocket journey again to nationwide relevance.
Riley has restored glory to No. 6 USC, evidenced by an 11-1 common season, an 8-1 Pac-12 report, a shot at a School Soccer Playoff berth, and an look Friday (6 p.m. MST, Fox) towards No. 14 Utah within the convention championship sport in Las Vegas.
“We’ve bought a convention championship sport on a brief week,” Riley mentioned. “We’re excited to get to Vegas.”
Oh, and by the way in which, USC boasts the Heisman Trophy frontrunner, quarterback Caleb Williams. And defensive lineman Tuli Tuipulotu, a Bednarik Award finalist.
Whereas the Utes are making their fourth look within the Pac-12 championship sport in 5 years, Riley has loads of expertise making ready groups for convention championship video games, within the Huge 12, at Oklahoma.
In fact, the Trojans have their sights on not only a Pac-12 title, however a nationwide title.
Heading into this showdown, USC is coming off spectacular victories over No. 18 UCLA and No. 15 Notre Dame.
Now, the Trojans tackle the Utes, who handed them their solely lack of the season again on Oct. 15. Utah quarterback Cam Rising scored a landing and two-point conversion within the closing minute to steer the Utes to a 43-42 win.
Friday, USC can avenge that bitter setback.
It’s exceptional how a lot the Trojans have improved since final season and the way a lot the vitality and tradition across the program has modified.
In final Saturday’s victory over Notre Dame, there have been 72,000 followers in attendance, a stark distinction to the ambiance on the Coliseum over the previous few seasons.
“I haven’t seen the Coli like that. Sitting up there at that (introductory) press convention near 12 months in the past and sort of simply imagining that. These guys have introduced it to life,” Riley mentioned. “I don’t know the way lengthy it’s been because it was like that. I hadn’t been right here earlier than, however man, it was electrical in there. That’s sort of what I bear in mind watching as a younger child.”
So how has Riley put USC on this place?
Nicely, for starters, he added at the very least 30 gamers to the roster, together with Williams, who starred for Riley at Oklahoma as a freshman in 2021.
Riley mined many different gifted athletes by means of the switch portal, reminiscent of broad receivers Jordan Addison (Pittsburgh) and Mario Williams (Oklahoma); operating backs Travis Dye (Oregon) and Austin Jones (Stanford); and cornerback Mekhi Blackmon (Colorado).
USC even added a Utah participant by means of the switch portal throughout the offseason — linebacker Carson Tabaracci.
This explains, partly, how Riley was capable of effectuate this turnaround.
“It’s been our gamers, it’s been this employees. We’ve come collectively in a very distinctive means,” Riley mentioned. “Everyone on the surface thinks we simply introduced in a few guys that made that occur. Nothing could possibly be farther from the reality. The tradition on this crew has been superior. You don’t simply add a few gamers and have one thing change like this. There are some actually particular issues happening with this crew. We’ve simply bought to proceed to learn how good we're.”
When requested about what Riley has been capable of accomplish thus far at USC, Utah coach Kyle Whittingham identified that due to the switch portal, resurrecting moribund applications is “so much simpler than it was once.”
Added Whittingham: “You noticed a number of groups this 12 months have nearly a 180 due to expertise introduced in by means of the portal. That has actually modified issues. You’re going to see that extra typically, with groups making huge enhancements or going the opposite means should you lose a bunch of fellows to the portal. That basically has made issues not a three- or four-year mission. It’s became a one- or two-year mission.”
Earlier this season, earlier than Utah performed USC the primary time, Whittingham expressed a “big distaste” for the way in which colleges are constructing their applications — and he identified the struggles of Riley’s former crew, Oklahoma. The Sooners have posted a 6-6 report this season.
“Clearly, he’s doing an excellent job at USC. Clearly, the switch portal is being manifest how impactful it may be there and at Oklahoma,” he mentioned. “Oklahoma had mass departures and USC had a mass inflow of expertise. You possibly can see what’s occurring.
Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham yells at an official as Utah and USC play at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake Metropolis on Saturday, Oct. 15, 2022. Utah received 43-42.
Scott G Winterton, Deseret Information
“You possibly can see that groups are capable of make main enchancment, or go the opposite means — extra so than ever earlier than due to the quantity of turnover in your roster. There’s much more turnover in your roster now than there ever has been within the trendy period of school soccer.”
Utah, then again, has constructed its status on discovering underrated gamers in highschool and creating them into confirmed faculty gamers and serving to them get to the NFL.
In October, when requested about how a program can retain gamers on this period of school soccer, Whittingham mentioned the reply is fairly easy.
“Pay them a bunch of cash. … That’s sort of what it comes all the way down to. I’m not accusing anybody of unlawful improprieties or something like that as a result of it’s all above-board now with NIL. However as I’ve mentioned earlier than, there’s going to return a time within the very, very close to future the place the highest 25 NIL pots of cash are going to reflect nearly precisely the highest 25 applications within the nation,” he mentioned. “That’s simply how it's. That’s the place it’s headed. There’s no debate about it, except they alter the principles. However I don’t know the way (the NCAA is) going to backpedal now with the can of worms that they’ve opened.”
The 2 approaches will likely be on show Friday in Las Vegas, highlighting the contrasting kinds of the 2 applications.
And there’s a lot on the road at Allegiant Stadium.
For Utah, it’s an opportunity to repeat as Pac-12 champions and return to the Rose Bowl.
For USC, it’s a chance to win its first Pac-12 championship since 2017 and earn a spot within the CFP for the primary time in program historical past.
Riley has lifted the Trojans to heights they haven’t reached in years. Few may have imagined that USC can be on this place so rapidly.
However on the identical time, the Utes may rain on the Trojans’ parade, and spoil their coronation, Friday in Las Vegas.
Pac-12 Championship Sport
No. 11 Utah (9-3, 8-2)
vs. No. 4 USC (11-1, 8-1)
Friday, 6 p.m. MST
Allegiant Stadium
TV: Fox
Radio: ESPN 700