On Saturday evening, the USC football team defeated Washington 25-21 at the Coliseum. With the victory, the Trojans improved to 5-1 on the season and 2-1 in Big Ten play.
What did we learn from the game? Here are a few key takeaways:
Riley survives another day
Had USC lost this game, head coach Lincoln Riley would have been in serious danger of losing his job. Make no mistake, Riley is still very much on the hot seat, but the victory ensures that he will be sticking around for at least one more week.
Playing down to the opponent
A pattern that we have seen far too often under Riley is the Trojans playing down to the level of their opponent against weaker competition. That was again the case this week, as they found themselves in a dogfight with a subpar Washington team.
Undisciplined football
USC committed nine penalties for
84 yards. Penalties have been a problem for this team throughout the season, and that was once again the case on Saturday.
Give the defense (some) credit
USC’s defense did have several of its usual inexplicable mistakes. Washington’s offense is also not very good. That said, the Trojans do deserve some credit for holding a Big Ten opponent to 21 points.
Finishing strong
USC made plenty of mistakes in this game. However, when the game was on the line, the Trojans stepped up, scoring the final 15 points.
Up next
The Trojans will now hit the road and head to Penn State for the Nittany Lions’ White Out game next Saturday. Kickoff is set for 4:30 p.m. Pacific time/7:30 p.m. Eastern time on NBC.
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This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Five takeaways from USC’s 25-21 victory over Washington
