Lincoln Riley calls out reporter for question to Jamil Muhammad after loss to Minnesota

USC dropped its second game in a row on Saturday, falling to Minnesota 24-17 in Week 6.

The difference in the game saw the Gophers go for it on 4th & goal from the 1-yard-line. Quarterback Max Brosmer and company utilized the tush push to score the go-ahead touchdown against the Trojans in the fourth quarter.

It was a close call at the goal line, but the initial ruling on the field was a touchdown. After review, the officials could not find undisputable video evidence to overturn the call amongst the sea of bodies. After the game, a reporter asked EDGE Jamil Muhammed, who was on the field during the play, whether or not he believed Brosmer broke the plain. Head coach Lincoln Riley interjected before he could get a word out.

“Don’t ask him that,” Riley said. “Don’t ask him that. Next question. Who cares what he says on that? [You] want a player’s opinion? Let’s ask a more professional question.”

For Riley, he is letting his faith on the call lie with the officials.

“Obviously [we] had a chance to stop them, had multiple chances to stop them on the last drive, didn’t get it done,” Riley continued. “Had a phenomenal goal-line stand. … I don’t really have a vantage point on if it was [in] or if he had the ball. You know, I’ll trust that the review hopefully made the right decision there.”

Regardless of their stance, it can’t change the game’s outcome and the loss drops USC to 3-2 on the season after a promising undefeated start to the year. The Trojans now find themselves facing arguably the toughest test left on their schedule in a top-10 Penn State team on Saturday.

With seven games left on USC’s regular season schedule, there’s more than enough time to bounce back and put themselves right back in the mix in the Big Ten, and in-turn, a potential College Football Playoff berth. A win at home against Penn State — one of four undefeated teams left in the Big Ten — is a perfect place to start.