Lincoln Riley jokes about pregame protest delay: ‘Welcome to California’

Lincoln Riley was in high spirits after the USC Trojans ended their two-game skid with a victory over the California Golden Bears.

It was far from pretty, as it took USC until the final moment to come away with a 50-49 road win. However, Riley and the Trojans will take what they can get at the moment, and 7-2 looks a lot better than 6-3, with three straight disappointing losses.

Aside from the play on the field, one of the stories from the afternoon came prior to the Pac-12 showdown, as there was a protest on the field that delayed the game. During his post-game press conference, the former Oklahoma leader had a hilarious quip regarding the situation.

“That was unique,” Riley laughed, regarding the Trojans’ victory. “This whole week was weird. So it was fitting — well, I guess we had the beginning of the game too. I forgot about that. Welcome to California.”

Nobody has ever confused Oklahoma and California for being the same place. Riley recognizes the differences, and while he has love for both, at least he’s able to have a good sense of humor over the situation.

Nevertheless, the Trojans are looking like they’re back on track, and that’s a good thing, as Riley will lead the team into battle against the Washington Huskies in Week 10.

USC vs. Washington odds: Early point spread released on Trojans, Huskies

Meanwhile, Week 10 of the college football season will feature another massive showdown between two heavyweights in the Pac-12 conference. The top team in the conference thus far this season, the Washington Huskies, will travel south to Los Angeles and take on the USC Trojans. 

According to FanDuel Sportsbook, Washington opens as a 4.5-point favorite over USC. The over/under is set at 71.5 points.

Both Washington and USC were able to pick up hard-fought road victories in week 9. The Huskies were able to take down the upset-minded Stanford Cardinal 42-33.

Stanford gave Washington all they could handle as their starting quarterback, sophomore Ashton Daniels, was able to go toe to toe with Heisman Trophy candidate, Michael Penix Jr. Daniels finished the game completing 31-50 pass attempts for 367 yards and a touchdown and another two on the ground. But his play was no match for Penix Jr. in the end, who ended the game completing 21-38 for 369 yards, four touchdowns, one interception, and the victory.

USC, on the other hand, narrowly escaped going on a three-game losing streak as they barely beat the California Golden Bears 50-49. The Trojans’ offense found their rhythm on Saturday behind reigning Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams, who completed 23-of-40 passes for 369 yards and two touchdowns. 

Unfortunately, some of USC‘s defensive lapses returned against Cal. The Trojans’ defense allowed the Golden Bears to put up 527 yards of total offense. However, their one saving grace in the game was their ability to force turnovers. USC won the turnover battle 4-1, forcing three fumbles and one interception.

On3’s Justin Rudolph contributed to this article.